National Gallery Singapore, the country’s jewel of an art museum, has already impressed visitors since its opening at the end of last year. If you haven’t already visited it, or if you needed even more temptations to get yourself there, one news website has compiled the top highlights of the country’s newest art institution.
The first draw of National Gallery Singapore is its physical importance. Architects combined two of the country’s most historically significant buildings to make the enormous exhibit space inside. Modern bridges connect the former supreme court and city hall together. All the art contained within the two buildings can be viewed in a historical context. The British built both historical buildings during colonial rule, making the art inside even more interesting as a commentary. Hugely important historical events took place inside the two buildings as well, including the announcement of the surrender of Japanese forces following World War II, and subsequent war trials, as well as the swearing in of Singapore’s first prime minister.
The library of the supreme court building has also been restored to contain archival materials in its gorgeous bookshelves that visitors are free to peruse.
The largest painting in the entire museum is a big draw in of itself. The piece, which depicts jungle animals fleeing a forest fire, takes up an entire wall of National Gallery Singapore and acts as an impressive draw for viewers.
National Gallery Singapore also boasts the biggest collection of modern art from the Southeastern Asian region. Many galleries highlight important and memorable works from other countries in the region, making Singapore act as a hub and recorder of art history in the area. A smartphone app for the iPhone helps visitors keep abreast of all of the history and cultural significance of the artworks.
The children’s section of the museum is also a great delight for visitors with younger family members. National Gallery Singapore, through the Singaporean government, has placed great emphasis on art education from an early age. This means that the museum itself has vast resources for art to interest children and draw them in to such creative pursuits. Utterly captivating installations as well as a ready supply of paper and crayons help.
National Gallery Singapore is completed with a number of options for dining and drinking within the museum space itself, including a rich offering from a popular chef in the country. The museum shop is a delightful conclusion to a day on the premises, displaying unique and artistic mementos that compliment the collections in the galleries themselves.
Celebrate how special National Gallery Singapore is by signing up for an art class via SGArtClass.com. Help polish your art portfolio under the expert eye of one of our many teachers, or embark on a new artistic journey — even if you’ve never before taken an art class. You’ll be sure to find a class that interests you on SGArtClass.com.
For more on the highlights of National Gallery Singapore, go to http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/04/travel/national-gallery-singapore-must-sees/.