As Singapore celebrated its 50th birthday last year, part of its celebrations included an emphasis on developing the art scene in the country. This hinged on the grand opening of National Gallery Singapore, a signature art museum created by connecting two historical buildings — the former city hall and supreme court. The fanfare for the opening of National Gallery Singapore was enormous, the museum offering free admission for a limited time and hosting a huge festival and party for the official opening. While National Gallery Singapore touted its collection as one that will highlight the art history of the Southeastern Asian region, at least one critic has opined that it falls short in that regard.
While National Gallery Singapore boasts an impressive number of artworks in its collection, many of the important to the history of the region, the critic expresses the idea that the curatorial team at the facility doesn’t do enough to connect the pieces to history. For example, the two historical buildings that house National Gallery Singapore are vestiges of colonialism in Singapore. The critic voices the idea that this is an opportunity for collections at the museum to offer commentary on the colonial history of both Singapore and the Southeastern Asian region, but ultimately, it falls to the viewers to make connections themselves.
The critic also voiced displeasure that one of the curatorial team’s main goals was to keep art from being intimidating for the average viewer. This idea is patronizing, according to the critic, and does very little to ensure that people are understanding what they’re seeing. Additionally, some of the architectural designs of the galleries within the facility detract from the art. Low ceilings and narrow stairwells shouldn’t be the types of places to house important art, as it’s tough for the viewer to get a full grasp of the scale and magnificence of some of the pieces.
The explanations for each of the collections, posted outside of the rooms the pieces are displayed in, are also lacking, the critic says. The descriptions are vague, leaving it once more up to the viewer to make the important historical connections and judge the tough political ideas alone. The critic also took issue with the arrangement of some of the artwork, saying that it was difficult to discern the purpose behind the grouping of some paintings, as well as a travesty to host an interactive sculpture without the context of other controversial artworks from the same period.
Have you been intrigued by recent art pushes in Singapore? If you’ve found yourself interested but intimidated by the recent influx of art in the country, consider enrolling in an art class in order to develop an understanding and appreciation of art through practice and education. Expert teachers will lead informative and fun lessons no matter what your artistic level of experience is.
For more on the new presentation, go to http://hyperallergic.com/271919/singapores-new-national-gallery-dubiously-rewrites-southeast-asian-art-history/.