Exhibitions

In collaboration with world-famous couturière Guo Pei, Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) presents ‘Guo Pei: Chinese Art and Couture’. Held till 15 September 2019, the exhibition spans across two galleries and feature 29 of Guo Pei’s dresses, as well as 20 Chinese art pieces from the museum.  Guo Pei’s creations were erratic yet full of grandeur, it felt like I was walking through Lady Gaga’s wardrobe – had she been a fan of Chinese-inspired fashion. I personally like how each of her gowns come complete with accompanying accessories, headgear, and shoes. Yellow Queen Even before entering the galleries, visitors are met…

“The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore.” The world is the throne of evil, and as humanity goes through the cycle of sins, it is odd to say that Haw Par Villa is a place that one can get a revelation of sin.  Built in 1937, Myanmar-Chinese brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par of Tiger Balm fame erected these sculptures to educate the public on traditional Chinese folklore and mythology. It is simply unbelievable for a modern cosmopolitan like Singapore to house such a strange place like Haw Par Villa. Yet,…

Singapore Night Festival returns for its 12th edition from 23 August to 31 August 2019, featuring a plethora of experiences and artworks that are set to transform the Bras Basah.Bugis district into an arts and cultural oasis.  View this post on Instagram This year, the Singapore Night Festival will host two Festival Villages set-up for festival-goers to gather at Dhoby Ghaut Green and the newly-pedestrianised Armenian Street Park for its exciting performances. In addition to the usual line-up of stunning light art installations, performances and programmes presented by local and international artists, this year’s Singapore Night Festival will also see…

The importance of engineers in Singapore is not something to be understated, with a vast majority of the population of Singaporean students choosing to specialise in an engineering-related course in the later stages of their education cycle. Science Centre Singapore wants not just to commemorate the work done by these people following this speciality, but also to encourage more people to join the field. Enter Future Makers, a new permanent exhibition in the scientific institution that just launched, celebrating the valuable contributions that engineers have given to the world that have shaped society for the better. Professor Lim Tit Meng,…

Following successive showings in Japan and Korea, Awakenings: Art in Society in Asia 1960s-1990s will make its Southeast Asian premiere at National Gallery Singapore from Friday, 14 June to Sunday, 15 September 2019. Featuring 142 provocative artworks by more than 100 artists from 12 countries in Asia, Awakenings spotlights a critical turning point in Asia’s post-war history that saw artists — and the public — assert their identity and become advocates for change through art. The period between the 1960s and 1990s was characterised by ideological confrontations, rise in nationalism, rapid modernisation, and a wave of democratic movements across Asia.…

Feast your eyes on eight dramatic, larger-than-life inflatables – among 40 unique artworks – at the Floating Utopias exhibition, hosted at the ArtScience Museum. Held from Saturday, 25 May to Sunday, 29 September 2019, the exhibition takes a playful and poetic look at inflatable objects, showing how they have been used in art, architecture and social activism over the decades. Floating Utopias is a visual spectacle grounded by a strong political narrative that reveals how inflatable objects were used for ideological propaganda in the 20th century, and how artists countered these tendencies by using them as playful tools of social…

The Gallery Children’s Biennale – organised by National Gallery Singapore – is back for its second edition from Saturday, 25 May, to Sunday, 29 December 2019. Held in alternate years to each other, the Gallery Children’s Biennale complements the Children’s Festival, which was first launched by National Gallery Singapore in 2018. This year’s exhibition is themed ‘Embracing Wonder’ and will feature 11 interactive and multi-dimensional artworks committed to inspiring young, curious minds through art. Inspired by a child’s unfettered imagination and ability to embrace all things new, the works activate the senses of children while reigniting their sense of curiosity,…

Held since 2010, i Light Singapore is a sustainable light art festival showcasing installations created by artists from Singapore and around the world. This year’s setup, i Light Singapore — Bicentennial Edition, comes much more eventful than the last, consisting of thirty-three art installations in multiple locations including Marina Bay, Civic District, Singapore River and Raffles Terrace. In addition to sustainability, the passage of time is explored as an additional central theme in this year’s exhibits. Visually rich, and infused with diverse meanings, I was blown away by the complexity and originality of many works. I have narrowed them down…

Taiwanese visual artist Nien-Ting Chen presented “Collecting a Little Shimmer in Life” at Goodman Arts Centre from 10 to 16 January 2019, featuring a series of works inspired by the intriguing discoveries she made from day-to-day proceedings. The materials used to create her works were all taken from stunningly ordinary items. During the closing reception on 16 January, we got to sit down with the artist herself to gain insight into the meanings behind her experimental art works. In the process, Nien-Ting Chen also opened up about her observations of the art scene in Asia as compared to that in…

Most of us probably remember the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) from school trips. In my impression, the ancient history of the exhibits is easily lost on the young audience. Recently, ACM has underwent a major change in curation, with its management choosing to organise artifacts based on themes rather than chronology. This is a welcomed change — for me anyway — as I find it easier to remember the historical significance of the artifacts better by grouping them with themes in mind, rather than having to recount which the year it is associated with. Since 27 November, three new permanent…