Singapore Biennale 2006
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Friday, April 23, 2004
Art Clusters
The Arts Council says that setting up arts clusters is just the first step and it will next look into developing plans for each cluster.
In all, there will be three clusters: Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Festivals.
The NAC hopes that this new approach will help launch some local artists on the world stage.
"Having developed our arts capital to this stage it is very important to have a cluster duration plan to bring us to the next phase," said Lee Suan Hiang, NAC chief executive.
"We will have clear, dedicated teams to champion their cause, dedicated champions for each of the clusters."
The Arts Council says that its clusters are not cast in stone and that it is looking to broaden its approach.
The Singapore Art Museum and ABN AMRO present Encounters with Modernism - Highlights from the Stedelijk Museum
Press Release
A collection that spans through 20th-century art, showcasing 74 works by some 69 artists from Picasso to Pollock, including selected works from ABN AMRO Art Foundation
Singapore Art Museum and ABN AMRO jointly present the blockbuster exhibition, Encounters with Modernism, Highlights from the collection of Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam from 18 March 2004 to 6 June 2004.
Magnificent for its extensive scale and scope, Encounters with Modernism is an ambitious undertaking featuring 74 works by 69 artists including Andy Warhol, Carl Andre, Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondriaan, Wassily Kandinsky, Willem De Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Georg Baselitz, Güther Förg, Gilbert & George, Jannis Kounellis, Douglas Gordon, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Marlene Dumas, many of which will be seen for the first time in Singapore.
Commenting on the curatorial framework of the exhibition, Mr Maarten Bertheux, Curator of Stedelijk Museum says, "Encounters with Modernism is an attempt to present a framework of modernism in 20th Century through the artworks drawn from the collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The artworks are intentionally juxtaposed in ways that stimulate new and varied interpretations. This exhibition invites viewers to interact with the artworks, to investigate their connections, similarities and differences, as the story of modernism is constantly being rewritten."
Part of the Stedelijk Museum's international art tour sponsored by ABN AMRO, this exhibition symbolises the first collaboration between Shanghai Art Museum and the Singapore Art Museum in organising the Asian tour of a Western art exhibition. The first of its kind to be presented in Shanghai Art Museum on 13 January 2004, this travelling blockbuster will be seen successively at the Singapore Art Museum from 18 March 2004 through 6 June 2004, the Pinacoteca São Paulo from 28 June through 10 October 2004 and finally in Chicago before returning to Amsterdam.
"The Singapore Art Museum is pleased to have the opportunity to present an exhibition drawing from the extensive collection of the Stedelijk Museum and to jointly organize its Asian art tour with Shanghai Museum," says Mr Kwok Kian Chow, Director, Singapore Art Museum. "The development of the Stedelijk exhibition has been a collaboration of an international scale with the museums and the main sponsor, ABN AMRO working closely together to conceive, plan and curate the exhibition to enhance international perspectives and impact. This ambitious undertaking is not only significant in its historical breadth it attempts, but also in the conceptual depth of experience it means to provide to the audiences. With the continued patronage from corporations like ABN AMRO, the Singapore Art Museum hopes to continue to present art historically important shows like Encounters with Modernism to audiences in Singapore and the region. The Museum looks forward to developing a long term partnership with our international collaborators and the main sponsor, ABN AMRO; it is with their generosity and support that has enabled the materialisation of this exhibition."
Encounters with Modernism marks the Singapore Art Museum’s first collaboration with ABN AMRO. The ABN AMRO Art Foundation holds an extensive collection of contemporary art, of which five paintings have been selected to be included in this exhibition.
Mr. Samuel Zavatti, Senior Executive Vice President and Global Head of Financial Institutions & Public Sector Client Coverage of ABN AMRO, added, "this exhibition is very special to us in many ways as several paintings from the ABN AMRO Art Foundation are included in this exhibition. We are delighted that the exhibition will take place in Singapore, where ABN AMRO has important commercial activities and reinforces the bonds that ABN AMRO has with the arts. I hope you will enjoy what we have brought to you. I am also pleased to take this opportunity to announce the winner of the ABN AMRO Art Quiz, which promoted this exhibition on our corporate Internet. The winner from India has won an all-expense paid 7-day trip to The Netherlands."
Mr David Wong, ABN AMRO Country Representative for Singapore and Regional Head of Financial Markets, says, "As the oldest bank in Singapore and a prominent international bank with origins in Asia going back to 1824, ABN AMRO is proud to sponsor and help bring this wonderful exhibition, which comprised of masterpieces by famous artists such as Picasso, Mondriaan and Baselitz, to our clients and art lovers in Singapore and the region. On behalf of ABN AMRO, I would also like to thank the museums and authorities as this exhibition is only made possible by the collaborative hard work of the many different parties involved. Let’s all take time for an ‘Encounter with Modernism’ and enjoy the art of living as we pursue excellence in different aspects of our lives."
The exhibition will officially open on 17 March 2004 at the Singapore Art Museum Glass Hall where Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Dr Lee Boon Yang will be present to officiate the ceremony.
The Singapore Art Museum wishes to thank ABN AMRO for their support in making this exhibition possible. Special thanks to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam for their generosity and the privilege to share in the presentation of this exhibition.
Exhibition opens to public: 18 March 2004 to 6 June 2004 , Upper & Lower Galleries and Galleries 5, 6, 7, 8
Mondays to Sundays: 10am to 7pm, with extended hours and free admission on Fridays from 6pm to 9pm
Singapore Art Museum at 71 Bras Basah Road (Old SJI), beside POSB Centre General enquiries, please contact Front desk at +65 6332 3222.
Art@SP
A unique interplay of science, technology and the arts - Art@SP is Singapore Polytechnic's first ever art exhibition.
Celebrating its 50th Aniversary, Singapore Polytechnic is conducting an art exhibition comprising more than 300 art pieces contributed by staff, students and alumni.
Nearly 100 exhibits are for sale and proceeds will go to the Student Needy Fund.
Goh Ming Zhi, a second year student replied: "Art as a hobby as an interest is the way to relax and help us on how we think, the innovation, the creativity all these invisibly is helping me."
Cheng Wong Lee Ling, Lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic, commented: "We are all academicians, we are not artists but we are excited on this and we are very interested on this. That is why we find time to contribute some pieces."
The show is on till Sunday.
Encounters with Modernism at the Singapore Art Museum
Speech by Dr. Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications & the Arts at the opening of the “Encounters with Modernism” exhibition held at the Singapore Art Museum: " It gives me great pleasure to attend the opening of this exhibition. Encounters with Modernism is collaboration between the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, one of the most important modern art museums in Europe, Shanghai Art Museum and the Singapore Art Museum. The exhibition provides Singaporeans a rare opportunity to appreciate first hand, some of the masterpieces in the Stedelijk collection."
dear all friends,
came to invite you all to take a look at my latest public showcase at
CityLink Mall, its in e big window display showcase..underground tunnel
going towards esplanade.
title of that artwork: "benben & QQ having a buffet while those gong-gongs
are fooling themselves in mambo land"
hope u all have a nice weekend!!
help me pass this message around for interested parties and your friends!,
thank you.
cheers,
BenBen
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Art Outreach
Art Outreach is a new art appreciation initiative and community development project. We are a non-profit organisation providing systematic art education, free of charge for all schools in Singapore.
It is our mission to increase art appreciation and art literacy for our community through our youth and our volunteer teachers. Our objectives are an art-literate, art-loving community.
Claudia Cellini, Managing Director of Asian Art Options, together with our sponsor the American Express Foundation, founded Art Outreach in response to the increasing need for arts awareness in Singapore.
This programme directly underscores the Singapore Government’s objectives in developing a “global city of the arts” providing the much needed ingredient of art appreciation education in the classroom. As recent as May 31, 2003, Dr. Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts (MITA) appealed to the Singapore community for “increase visual arts awareness with more arts education and outreach programmes.”
To date, there is no programme in Singapore that covers this essential material, or reaches the amount of students the Art Outreach Programme does.
http://www.artoutreachprogram.org
Focus on ART RETREAT
Excerpt of speech by Acting Minister for Education Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam
"...The opening of Art Retreat provides another, new reason for our regional art lovers to visit Singapore. It is the very first private art museum in Singapore, and dedicated to a collection of Asian, Southeast Asian and European art.
"The museum's collection of over 1500 works, amassed over 15 years, is of the size of some of the public art museums in many parts of the world. It contains what the auction houses would call A-list artists - including Le Mayeur, Affandi, Lee Man Fong and Xu Beihong.
"The collection also houses great international artists like Picasso, and Modigliani; and of course, of much pride to us, Singapore artists like Cheong Soo Pieng and Siew Hock Meng.
The significance of Art Retreat does not however rest on its being the first or the largest, or any such numerical declarations. There are other important reasons why we appreciate this opening.
"Art Retreat is the culmination of years of passion, effort and commitment. Many of us here are already familiar with the reputation of Mr Kwee Swie Teng as a leading art collector in the region. His story, beginning with his first tentative steps into the exhilarating world of art collecting not many years ago, provides the very human character to this museum's remarkable collection.
"The opening of Art Retreat confirms for us the powerful and exciting role that private art collecting and philanthropy plays in contemporary society. Knowledgeable and dedicated private patronage is crucial for Singapore with its still evolving art industry. Art Retreat sets an inspiring example that will hopefully encourage other benefactors to share their extensive knowledge and experience.
"Numerous partners, associates, advisors and supporters have been actively involved in the setting up of Art Retreat including the National Heritage Board, National Arts Council, Singapore Tourism Board, and Mr Chua Soo Bin of Soobin Gallery. The Singapore Art Museum has also been instrumental in helping this museum develop its programs.
"The retrospective of Wu Guanzhong is a tribute to the long and prolific career of this eminent artist. I understand that Master Wu's art practice moved Mr Kwee to pursue art collecting with even greater vigour and enthusiasm. Their mutual friendship has led to the formation of a marvellous collection of Wu Guanzhong's oil paintings and ink works spanning over 50 years of the artist's career.....
Source: Singapore Government Press Release 12 Oct 2003
Cluster Development Strategy by NAC
(Press Release)
NAC Restructures to Implement Cluster Development Strategy for the Arts
In the last decade or so, much has been achieved in the development of the arts in Singapore. Arts activities and audiences have increased, arts companies have grown in numbers and profile, our artists are enjoying a global presence, more new arts infrastructures have opened and new players have come into the scene.
There is also growing acknowledgement of the role the arts play in today’s knowledge- based and innovation-driven economy. As a key component of the creative industry, the arts help to stimulate creativity and attract investments, fuel new job creation, as well as contribute to the Gross Domestic Product.
The entire arts ecosystem has now expanded which opens up new vistas for the long term growth and sustainability of the arts. To build on our achievements and further realise the vision of making Singapore a distinctive global city for the arts, the National Arts Council will adopt a cluster development strategy to boost the growth of the arts.
To implement the new cluster development strategy, the Council will be restructured into six divisions with effect from 15 April 2004 as follows:
(1) Arts Cluster Development
To develop the various arts forms in a holistic manner. Under the cluster development strategy, dedicated teams of officers will champion the different arts forms (performing arts, visual and literary arts) and develop their entire value chain from seeding arts start-ups, nurturing and developing artists, arts groups and arts businesses, to internationalisation.
(2) Audience and Market Development
To develop audience, market and support for the arts. It includes arts education and outreach programmes, sponsorship, marketing and branding of the arts.
(3) Business and Resource Development
To look after manpower and capability development, investment promotion, development of arts precincts, venues and distribution channels.
(4) Planning
To undertake strategic planning, policy formulation, research, incentive management, and promotion of international relations.
(5) Corporate Communications
To communicate the Council’s mission, vision, policies and activities to the media and public, and to internal and external stakeholders. It will also manage the Council’s corporate image and branding.
(6) Corporate Services
To provide organisational support in finance, human resource and management information systems, and work towards organisation excellence.
As the arts champion, the Council will look into all aspects of the arts clusters, including putting in place the necessary infrastructure and support system to facilitate the growth of individual art forms and the arts cluster as a whole.
With the new structure, the Council will be well positioned to develop a strong and robust arts ecosystem where artists and arts groups will have the wherewithal to excel and where arts is pervasive everywhere for everyone.
New Platforms To Develop Visual Arts Hub
Press Release from National Arts Council
SENI – Singapore 2004
Singapore Art 2005
Giving Singapore’s burgeoning arts scene an added boost are two exciting biennial visual arts launch pads: SENI – Singapore 2004 (SENI) and Singapore Art 2005.
A total framework to provide expanded and alternative international visual arts showcases in Singapore, the two biennials aim to further nurture our visual arts talents, capabilities and audiences nationally, regionally, and internationally. To be held in October this year, SENI is a prequel towards the development of a Singapore Biennale, focusing on the development of Asian contemporary art in the international scene. Singapore Art provides a national visual arts platform for the discovery and development of Singapore artists which will alternate with the proposed Singapore Biennale. The two biennial events are designed as mutually complementary events. Added to the increasing Singapore’s presence at international biennales, both events will enhance Singapore’s international standing in the visual arts world.
“These are two iconic events to add to the vibrancy of Singapore’s arts scene. They represent significant milestones in the development of Singapore into a visual arts hub. I believe they will serve as important avenues that provide new opportunities for Singapore artists, curators and visual art businesses, further cultivate visual arts appreciation and build our visual arts audiences,” says Mr Lee Suan Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of National Arts Council and Chairman of SENI – Singapore 2004 Steering Committee.
SENI will present ideas on the theme ‘Art and the Contemporary’, and promote discourse on socio-cultural influences today through works by Southeast Asian artists in particular. It kickstarts the vision for the proposed Singapore biennale to give greater profile and accessibility to Southeast Asian and Asian contemporary art, adding Singapore’s own unique voice to the international community of art biennales.
For the first time in a major programme of this scale, an artistic director, Professor Chua Beng Huat from the National University of Singapore’s Department of Sociology, has been appointed to conceptualise and guide the programming for SENI. Prof Chua’s interests lie in contemporary culture and Asian inter-cultural studies.
“ ‘Seni’ is the modern Malay word for ‘art’. As such, it gives immediate reference to our location in Southeast Asia. SENI Singapore signifies Singapore as the venue for the world to engage in exchanges and cultural examinations through contemporary art. This festival aims to reach out to learned and new audiences for contemporary art, with works that engage the senses and the relevance of modern cultural ideas and objects to daily life,” says Professor Chua.
SENI – Singapore 2004 will comprise several exhibition components. A main exhibition, Home Fronts, will feature works by urban artist collectives from Singapore, South East Asia and beyond to explore the notion of home in relation to geographical, socio-cultural, economic constraints and location. Other components will include new media projects that investigate the relationship between moving images, location and the audience, and the influence of art history and theory on new media art. Public art projects will also transform some public spaces to explore the relationship between images, urban spaces and the audience. 48 Documents, a multidisciplinary event, consists of a symposium on the overall theme of the festival and various performances taking place continuously over 48 hours.
In addition to the exhibition components, there will be a website and magazine to provide comprehensive information on the artists and curatorial framework, as well as a discursive platform, for the general public.
Says Dr Kwok Kian Woon, Chairman, National Archives of Singapore, National Heritage Board and Co-chairman of SENI – Singapore 2004 Steering Committee, on his vision for art development in Singapore, “The National Heritage Board has over the years presented numerous exhibitions with the aim of developing the museum as a platform for art history and contemporary art practices from Singapore, and as part of a broader framework of global and international developments. SENI looks towards a regional and international perspective, bringing together artists from Singapore, South East Asia and beyond to explore the notion of home in relation to geographical, socio-cultural, economic constraints and location. This is a culture, a heritage, and a history as it unfolds, in a continuous discussion and negotiation, that we are all a part of.”
SENI – Singapore 2004 will be held from 1 October to 28 November 2004. It is jointly organised by the National Arts Council and the Singapore Art Museum of National Heritage Board. More information is available in Annexes 1 to 4.
Singapore Art (SA) aims to be the national platform for both outstanding and up-and-coming local visual artists to showcase their latest works, and also be the important avenue to build public appreciation of our diverse visual arts practices. The programme structure of SA is still being developed. To be launched in 2005, it will allow for the showcase of artworks from various genres and medium by Singapore artists, and seek to engage the visual arts community in Singapore through outreach components, public art, platforms for the discovery of new talents, and awards.
NAFA offers new degree programmes in Art and Design
Artists and designers who wish to upgrade their creative skills can now select from a comprehensive range of visual arts degree programmes offered by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in collaboration with University of Huddersfield (HU), United Kingdom. These include: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art: Painting and Drawing Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art with Contemporary Writing NEW! Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Interior Design Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Exhibition and Retail Design NEW! Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Multi-Media Design, and Master of Art in Contemporary Practice NEW! All honours degree programmes include a four-week Residential Study Visit to United Kingdom, where students will learn on-campus at the University and to engage first-hand contact with historical and contemporary artworks during their city tours and gallery visits. Such overseas experiences will expose students to trends and practices and to understand contemporary visual arts in a wider, international context. All honours degree programmes are conducted on a one-year full-time basis. The master degree programme can be taken either on a full-time (one year) or part-time (two years) basis. On satisfactory completion of the programme, students will be awarded the degree in their respective pathway, conferred by HU. With NAFA’s intrinsic mission, these degree programmes collectively reflect the vibrancy of the international contemporary visual arts scene, and also the demand for high-calibre artists and designers for the creative industries in Singapore and beyond. On behalf of NAFA and HU, may I extend our invitation in your consideration towards the academic pursuit of a life-long creative education. Further information is available at our URL : www.nafa.edu.sg. For enquiries please do not hesitate to contact Evelyn Wong at DID: 6338 7827.
Yours sincerely, Samuel Lee Acting Associate Director (Degree Programmes) School of Visual Arts
Prof. Tim Moscovitch, Head of Design Department, School of Design Technology, University of Huddersfield, will give a talk on NAFA degree programmes on Saturday, 15 May 2004, 2pm at SVA Graduation Show 2004 “This is ours ... “ at Galleries 1 & 2, HQ & SVA Building 1, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, 80 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 188655.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
GAJAH GALLERY IS BACK UP ONLINE
Gajah Gallery
MITA Building 140 Hill St #01-08
Singapore 179369
T:65_6737 4202
F:65_6737 4203
www.gajahgallery.com
Mon - Fri: 11am_7pm
Sat - Sun&Ph: 12pm_6pm
Would you like everyone to see your child’s artwork this May at Sculpture Carnival 2004?
Sculpture Square’s PRE-CARNIVAL
WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN
MAY 2004
Once again, for our second year running, we are organizing these special pre-carnival workshops to give children the opportunity to create artworks that will be displayed at our annual 4 day Sculpture Carnival event! If the child's work is selected, his or her work will be featured as a public sculpture during our carnival period from the 27th to the 30th of May, for all our visitors and participants to see and be inspired by!
So come and join our Saturday art workshops in May, all run by professional artists and instructors, and you may get a chance to have your children’s work publicly exhibited! All materials are provided!
8th May
Workshop Time Fee / child
Textile Collage 11 - 12 am
$25
Turn a piece of blank cloth into a stunning sculpture with some paint, recycled materials and decorative ornaments that you can make yourself!
Workshop Time Fee / child
Foily Fun 1 - 2 pm
$25
Did you know that simple aluminium foil can be used for making many kinds of creative artworks? Come to this workshop and find out how anyone can transform a flat sheet of foil into a colourful piece of 3-dimensional art!
15th May
Workshop Time Fee / child
Puppet Making 10 - 11 am
$25
Create your own hand puppet in this workshop using gloves, socks and other household materials. Then add your own performing skills to bring it to life!
Workshop Time Fee / child
Piggy Bank Maker 1 - 2 pm
$25
Make your own little savings bank out of things you can find and things you might throw away. A great way to save money, and save the environment!
22th May
Workshop Time Fee / child
Art in a Box 10.30 - 11.30 am
$25
Use a box to think out of the box! Make your own space scene out of everyday materials! You can turn a plain cardboard box into a piece of art with some recyclable materials and lots of imagination!
Workshop Time Fee / child
2D to 3D 1 - 2 pm
$25
Be some of the first to join this never-before-offered workshop which will show you how to make exciting 3-dimensional sculptures out of 2D pictures, cut-outs and photographs!
Visit our website for more detailed information, or to download our registration form!
http://www.sculpturesq.com.sg/children/precarnival04.htm
We are open to volunteering for this event! If you are interested in community service, art, or like to work with chidren, do give us a call (ask for Darren)!
Sculpture Carnival and the subsequent children Sculpture Exhibition make up Singapore’s largest and most successful annual children’s visual arts project, touching the lives of over 25,000 children since its inception in 1999.
Sculpture Square is a non-profit organization dedicated to the active support of 3-dimensional and contemporary art.
Sculpture Square
155 Middle Road
Singapore 188977
tel: 6333 1055
fax: 6333 1655
www.sculpturesq.com.sg/
You are cordially invited to the opening reception of
distant call
paintings inspired by history by
KAY KOK CHUNG OI
Thursday 22nd April 2004 7 pm
Utterly Art Exhibition Space
208 South Bridge Road 2nd Level, Singapore 058757
Tel: 6226 2605
Mon-Sat 11.30 am - 8 pm Sun 12 noon - 5.30 pm
The exhibition runs till Sunday 2nd May 2004
The bright geometric shapes of Kay Kok Chung Oi’s paintings arrange themselves with neat regularity in their interlocking lines, triangles and honeycombs. This arithmetical precision links art to science, and combined with the classical Chinese lattice motifs she uses, is a suitable representation of Singapore, a nation which seeks excellence in mathematics, science and technology. A second series of more discernable cultural and material icons placed side by side with the more geometrical paintings assists the viewer in interpreting the abstract from the literal. For Kay, history and culture are used as portals or points of entry in the making of visual artworks. Art, as a mirror of society, helps to evoke or provoke viewers to contemplate their lives and their past. This fascinating approach leads Kay to historical texts for inspiration, in this case, Rickshaw Coolie: a People’s History of Singapore by Professor James Francis Warren, Visiting Professor at the Asia Research Institute, NUS. With Kay’s affinity for the past and her roots, we then understand how she answers the artistic summons of a distant call in her paintings.
The works illustrated are entitled Living Quarters. Both artist and author will be in attendance at the opening reception.
The book Rickshaw Coolie will be available for sale throughout the exhibition.
QUIET
An exhibition by Edmund Seet
QUIET is a reflection of fleeting thoughts, simple insights,
forgotten
facades and quiet beauty. This showcase of black and white
photographic
imprints blurs the boundaries of art and photography. Images of
construction sites and common spaces will be captured in a monolithic
manner. Falling into the common thread of ‘Less is more’, we hope
these
simple imprints will engage the audience in an unexpected manner – of
finding beauty in our everyday or forgotten things.
Time: From May 15 to June 5 / Monday to Friday, 11am to 7pm /
Saturday,
1pm to 5pm
Venue: Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Filmmaking, 12A Liang
Seah Street (between Beach Rd and North Bridge Rd)
Details: Open to public, free admission
For enquiries:
Tel: +65 6339 3068
Fax: +65 6339 6930
Web: www.objectifs.com.sg
A new, exciting venue reflecting cultures of Asia through contemporary twists, LISART Co is proud to present its inaugural exhibition "About Passion" by Tan Teck Heng. About all the intense emotions that are evoked when in view of Teck Heng’s passionate, bold and sketchy brushstrokes, "About Passion" features 11 large sized paintings in oil. Once showcased in Japan's renowned Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, 13 years ago, these works are being exhibited locally for the first time.
Born in Indonesia in 1958, Teck Heng is a self-taught Singaporean artist now based in China. He has exhibited extensively and won various awards in the region.
* Kindly RSVP: 6438 3343
* Dress Code: Possibly Passionate
* Exhibition runs thru till April 30, 2004
LISART Co.
30 Merchant Rd Riverside Pt
02-01 Singapore 058282
Tel 65 64383343
Fax 65 64381651
www.lisart-co.com
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