Category Archives for "Blog"

0 Adult toys taken away from art display

Two items in an art installation exploring the gay experience have been removed in response to concerns that they might be offensive.

The installation, which is one display behind a glass wall at an art school in Singapore, presented more than 80 different objects donated by both gay and straight couples as a part of an exploration of queer theory. The items went on display as a whole, working as a collective to present a narrative open to many different interpretations. No explanations were given on the inclusion of the items, leaving it up to the viewer to decide each item’s significance to the whole. Some items included perfume bottles as well as flashlights used at an LGBT event earlier in the year.

One calendar that displayed a photo of a nude male model — though without showing any nudity — was initially also removed, but after a discussion with school officials, the curator, and the artist, it was put back as it was displayed. An early solution to ensure the item was included was to display the calendar so that the photo wasn’t able to be seen, but that was avoided.

The two items that were excluded from the display were both sexual devices. The curator and artist, as well as the school officials, all agreed before the installation was officially on display that the items could be construed as offensive to some of the viewers. They also wanted to avoid violating a Singaporean law that forbids the display of obscene items. However, all agreed that it was an important and evolving conversation on the different interpretations of obscene, as well as all the various adherences to that specific law. Before even going on display, the art installation partially achieved its goal — to be a conversation piece.

The artist decided to proceed with the installation without the two sexual devices. Instead, he included black stickers in the same shape as the two excluded items and changed a sign explaining the art installation to note that of the more than 80 objects on display, two are not able to be seen.

There are several precedents set with Singapore removing potentially offensive portions of art displays, including the exclusion of several gay pornographic images as a part of an artwork at a museum.

Explore your interpretations of art by enrolling today in an art class via SGArtClass.com. Visit our website to scroll down an exhaustive listing of different types of classes you can take. No matter where your creative interests lie, there is sure to be a class that will interest you, including lessons on installation art, figure drawing, 3-D art, contemporary art, and much more. A highly trained art teacher will work with you no matter what your level of artistic experience is, going over everything from the theory behind specific genres to developing projects you’ll be eager to work on and complete.

To read more about this story, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/sex-objects-removed-from-art-show.

0 Singapore has great ambition in the arts

Singapore, a country that has just celebrated its 50th birthday, has overcome a wide range of challenges in its history. In the 1960s, the nation overcame large numbers of illiteracy, pushing education in the region to the forefront. However, the nation’s most recent push may be one of its most colorful.

Many critics were concerned that while education was enjoying a greater emphasis in Singapore, arts and encouragement for creativity were falling flat. To combat that idea, the Singaporean government began offering programs and incentives for artists coinciding with its 50th birthday. This creative push culminated in National Gallery Singapore, a blossoming art museum that is bigger even than the National Gallery in London.

National Gallery Singapore boasts a number of highly important collections and exhibitions, including two significant displays by some of the foremost artists in the country. Another collection explores history and identity in the nation from colonial rule by Great Britain to the present. It also displays a wealth of art from creative minds located throughout the Southeastern Asian region, making it a bastion of art in the area.

The balancing act — and Singapore’s next challenge to overcome — includes supporting artists and their visions in the context of the country’s still-stringent censorship considerations. Singapore has had a history of cracking down on art that can be defined by some as possibly being offensive. National Gallery Singapore has tried to balance education and the celebration of different artistic visions with these concerns, posting multiple warnings for visitors that some collections might contain sensitive content. The majority of these postings occur in areas where nudity might be present as well as politically charged art.

However, one opinion writer who visited National Gallery Singapore did not see anyone outwardly offended by the content presented within the beautiful halls of the museum. For the most part, visitors the writer witnessed were schoolchildren, listening to lectures, taking notes, and making sketches of a wide variety of art pieces — some of them treating possibly sensitive subjects. National Gallery Singapore also contains an art education component, partnering with several nearby schools to offer credit and a course of study. Singapore remains very interested in shaping itself into a nation with a proud and vast arts scene, and National Gallery Singapore is at the forefront of that push.

Are you interested in adding a creative component to your education? Think about signing up for an art class through SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive website that offers easy browsing through dozens of art classes on tap — from rudimentary sketching to oil painting. Even if you’ve never had any formal artistic training, teachers specializing in art education are on hand to help steer your curriculum and your learning in the direction you’d like to see it go. Art classes have a wealth of benefits, including developing creative problem solving skills as well as launching an artistic approach to life inside a person’s mind.

For more on National Gallery Singapore, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/opinion/singapores-artistic-experiment.html?_r=0.

0 More reasons to visit National Gallery Singapore — if you haven’t already

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/.

0 Art notes from Singapore’s finest establishments

Art Stage Singapore proves the strength of the country’s recent emphasis on art, though there could be still some room for growth and improvement.

Art Stage is a way for multiple galleries, museums, and other art spaces to shine on an international stage. However, one art critic finds that the most recent festival lacked a global scope. Only the most famous artists from the Western Hemisphere had a good showing at the event, which remained stubbornly regional. Bringing in more Western artists might also bring in a greater variety of international visitors for such events.

However, the art on hand did have a strong showing this year.

The institutions bolstered by such art events include the nation’s recently opened National Gallery Singapore. The venue unites two historical buildings — the supreme court and the city hall — and makes them into an impressive facility showcasing loads of art. While curation and collections are still in their infancies, National Gallery Singapore still has an incredible amount to offer visitors.

The Singapore Art Museum is another favorite for purveyors of art in the country. The institution, which houses contemporary art, has hosted a number of memorable installations and exhibitions. One of these incredible sights was a very large quilt made up entirely of gas lenses containing single drops of blood. Each drop of blood was from someone who is integral to Singapore itself, whether from doctors or artists. The overall effect of the installation was dazzling — a quilt that draped down from the ceiling and covered the walls in a large exhibition space, each square glittering and catching the light.

Other showings of note during Art Stage Singapore was a competition for younger artists in the country, showing just how seriously Singapore is taking its development of creativity and art education in the country. A number of young artists really embraced the freedom of expression for an impressive showing.

Another memorable exhibition was one made of dead skin. The artist collected the shed skin and formed them into highly realistic and beautiful flowers, creating an unsettling and otherworldly entry into the creative canon.

Singapore also celebrated a variety of promising artists with a presentation of awards that honored memorable and important works. The country will remain a creative hub in the region in the near future, especially if it continues to emphasize the importance of art.

Make your mark on life and the future by enrolling in an art class today. Visit SGArtClass.com, a website that organizes a wide variety of art classes for all interests. Take a class on 3-D sculpture, or one on assemblage art. Delve into lessons on contemporary art while creating some of your own, or learn how to paint portraits to preserve the faces of your family and friends on canvas. There are classes available for all artistic interests and levels of experience, so sign up soon.

For more on art from around Singapore, go to http://www.artlyst.com/articles/singapore-art-week-beyond-the-art-fair-lies-an-international-contender.

0 A new history for regional art, as presented by National Gallery Singapore

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/.

0 Newly accessible archives offering windows into artists’ process

Many art and theater organizations across Singapore are working to digitize their archives and make them available for the public. There are a number of reasons why people should be thrilled about this new development, including the fact that they will get to see the artistic process behind a number of artworks ranging from theater to past exhibitions to personal effects from artists.

One theater establishment is digitizing its archives out of necessity: Much of the floorspace of its offices is taken up by paper copies of scripts and other physical relics that are in desperate need of preservation. In order to conserve the unique history of scripts of popular shows that contain handwritten notes in the margins by directors and actors, the establishment is working hard to scan and digitally store all of the materials. Not only will this free up much-needed space in the office, it will also act as a portal for other artists, writers, and the general public to take a peek into the past and relive the unique stories of the productions.

Other goals for a digitization of archives is to spark new conversations about past works of art. This means engaging the artistic community and beyond to delve into what is made available and come back with new insights and understandings that can be applied to art both today and in the future.

Such archives will help the public understand artistic process and backgrounds, including where the artist was coming from, where they were living at the time, with whom they were corresponding, and much more. Such rich documentation will ideally help inspire not only other artists but regular viewers of art.

Many cultural organizations in Singapore are getting in on the digitization bandwagon. Scores, music compositions, and audio files will be available through one group, while another offers careful documentation of photos of art exhibits that have previously been displayed and then taken down to make room for more. Though temporary art exhibits can be ephemeral, meaning that the art collection only exists once in that time and space and only for the people who were able to see it displayed, offering this kind of historical record can enable people who didn’t get a chance to see the exhibit to enjoy it and learn from it.

Have you been inspired by viewing digital archives from any one of a number of art organizations yet? If so, consider enrolling in an art class to explore all the knowledge and inspiration you can glean from this online resource. By visiting SGArtClass.com, you can easily browse a range of classes and connect with expert teachers trained in working with you to develop curriculum to suit your interests. Take a class on digital art, creating artistic videos, or any number of modern art practices in order to ride the wave of the future of art.

For more information on the archives, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/from-letters-to-video-interviews-archives-offer-insights-into-artists.

0 For Christie’s, a boost in Singapore buyers

Though global sales for Christie’s auction house fell shy of the company’s goals, sales numbers for Singapore — and Asia as a whole — jumped. This shows a viability of both art in Singapore and the Southeastern Asian region and the inclination for people living in that region to invest in art. Sales of Asian art rose a healthy 9 percent while sales within Asia crept up 2 percent.

The Asia president of the auction house said that Christie’s has come a long way in gaining purchase in the region. Its first Singapore office used to be manned by one person, with one phone, inside a residential house. Now, however, 30 years after that rough beginning, the Singapore office is the largest for Christie’s in the region, with 10 staff members.

Christie’s of Hong Kong recently held a highly successful auction of Singapore artists’ works, garnering millions of dollars in sales — a testament to how art from the region is booming, highly desired and collectible.

Christie’s Asia president says that now is an exciting time for Southeastern Asian art — and Singapore art in particular — across the world. Artists from the area are poised to surprise collectors and other artists around the globe with their creativity and insights, as well as their colorful representations of culture in the area. While Singaporean painters have enjoyed the most focus and success, there are still many culturally rich areas to mine in the country’s art scene, the Christie’s official says.

Singapore will serve as a launching pad for a sharpened focus on arts in the region. Many collectors of Southeastern Asian art are based in Singapore, living and working there, making it an ideal location for renewed emphasis. Since Singapore also enjoys well-established and well-attended art fairs, such as Art Stage Singapore, it allows artists from the region to introduce and exhibit their work.

Christie’s has seen a 14 percent leap in Singapore buyers, showing the willingness of art aficionados living there to invest in art pieces and collect artworks they love. This shows a need to help develop collectors in the country, the Christie’s official said, describing collectors as ranging from the super wealthy to younger, white collar professionals buying pieces for a few thousands dollars.

As Singapore and the rest of Southeastern Asia continue to enjoy a renaissance of sorts in the art world, consider enrolling in an art class today to embrace the trend. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive source of dozens of art classes tailored to each students’ abilities and experience. Whether you have never held a paintbrush or if you’re polishing a portfolio for an art school assignment, expert teachers are on hand and available to work around your schedule to help you meet your creative goals. Art can benefit its practitioners in many unexpected ways, including stress relief, building creative problem solving skills, and much more.

To read more about art buyers, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/christies-base-of-art-buyers-in-singapore-grew-by-14-last-year.

0 Art Stage Singapore masterpieces at a glance

Art Stage Singapore highlighted dozens of artworks from both Singapore artists and creative minds from around the Southeastern Asian region. Hundreds of artists were able to showcase many masterpieces during the event, which focused a special spotlight on the area’s art scene.

Art Stage Singapore hosted a vast variety of different kinds of work, offering different pieces for all sorts of different tastes.

One such piece was a highly accurate to life depiction of two women hugging, constructed with oil and resin on wood by an artist known for his highly detailed depictions of humans in his work. Even the raised veins on the hand of one of the women are apparent, making the viewers feel as if they are intruding on this intimate and private moment. Both of the women wear splendid headdresses of what appears to be blossoming magenta flowers, and the woman whose face we can see is gazing into the distance with an expression akin to longing. With another person so close to her, what can she be thinking about?

Another notable artwork was another life-size sculpture cast in aluminum by a New York artist now based in Bali. Taking his inspiration from his new Indonesian home, the artist has cast a striking figure complete with flowered hair and waist decoration offering a plate full of a bounty of fruit. Interestingly enough, the only color in the metallic gray sculpture is on the lips, vividly and sloppily painted with bright yellows, greens and oranges, and a startling realistic depiction of the woman’s eyes.

One of the most talked about artworks was a series of installations made by an artist from Thailand. He constructed positive word series, including “love” and “faith,” by using plastic cockroaches. The insects crawled and writhed across the white canvas, spilling out onto the white wall behind it. The result of the installation was one of perhaps pervasive insistence or invasion. Only the letters of the words in the middle of the canvas were discernible, though a few stray cockroaches still marred the message.

Another very magical 3-D sculpture art was by a Chinese artist who uses stainless steel as a medium to represent moving water. It is difficult to separate the idea of liquid in motion with metal, traditional a very static medium, with the splashy addition to the art show. The steel sculpture twists and turns in the air, suspended in part from the ceiling, complete with tiny dot splashes and gurgles that accurately mimics the movement of water flung, dripped and splashed.

Were you inspired by Art Stage Singapore or one of the nation’s multiple art festivals? Seize the opportunity to enroll in an art class via SGArtClass.com. Connect with our expert teachers to carry your creative ideas through to fruition. Take classes on 3-D art, sculpture, painting, assemblage art and much more. Your imagination is your only restriction — sign up today.

For more on the artworks displayed during Art Stage Singapore, go to http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/25/arts/art-stage-singapore/.

0 Singapore art gets new display space

A brand new art center at Dhoby Ghaut Green is working to promote art in the area while offering a low-cost space for art exhibitions and classes. The center also includes an amphitheater and green spaces near a public transit stop, making the arts even more accessible.

The building that the art space now occupies used to be a restaurant. The current owner and developer of the new facility spent $200,000 over the course of several months to transform the space, which offers exhibition opportunities at significantly less of a cost than similar facilities around Singapore. The center’s goal is to be able to offer creative space at an affordable rate, attracting artists and art groups that might have been deterred from showing artworks because of the high cost required to do so elsewhere. Because of Singapore’s recent art boom, there is also a shortage of available gallery space for artists wishing to show their work. The new art center looks to chip away at that shortage and fill the need.

In addition to the gallery in the new center, there is also a large studio that will be available for workshops and classes. Several workshops, including one on sketching, have already been planned for the space. There are future plans to invite artists into the space to give talks on creative topics.

The National Parks Board, which leased the building to its current occupants, says it hopes the center will attract visitors to Dhoby Ghaut Green and encourage them to practice art, which can be therapeutic and healthy. In addition to physical exercise, practicing art can be a reducer of stress, helping make those who try it out healthier mentally.

There are already several upcoming shows booked for the art center’s gallery space, including a two-week exhibition by the Federation of Art Societies Singapore, which has a membership of several dozen different art groups. The show will be held in conjunction with other art societies from nearby countries, making for a regional highlight of masterpieces. Organizers of the show and members of the groups represented by the show expressed their excitement at the new space, remarking that it is definitely filling the need for quality affordable exhibit space. It is also ideally located, making it accessible for attendees. The art center’s owner says that the facility will encourage Singapore artists to show their work on the premises.

It’s hard to find time during our highly packed schedules for personal pursuits, but if you’ve always wanted to take an art class, you don’t have any more excuses. In your next available free moment, check out the website SGArtClass.com. This site is the easiest place to browse a list of classes that suit your schedule and your interests. Talented teachers will help work around your busy day to make sure you get a quality lesson on a subject of your choosing. Meet with instructors at your house or a convenient common meeting area.

For more on the new venue, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-room-to-showcase-art-in-town.

0 Attendance mixed at Singapore art events

Three big art events with overlapping schedules saw mixed attendance in Singapore over the course of the last week. The three festivals, Art Stage Singapore, Singapore Contemporary Art Show, and Art Apart Fair drew an eclectic mix of attendees, but some of the shows saw a surprising decline of visitors.

Art Stage Singapore, which has previously enjoyed attendance numbers around 50,000, only welcomed just over 40,000 people to its fair. This is the first time that Art Stage Singapore has seen a decrease in the number of people who attend. Experts believe the decline can be attributed to several reasons, the chief among them being fears of a worldwide economic downturn. Tickets for a single day’s admittance at Art Stage Singapore went for about $32, so it is believed that some people didn’t attend simply because they were being cautious about spending. Stock markets tumbled during the event, meaning that people were less likely to attend and less likely to invest in artwork.

Despite economic fears, the Singapore Contemporary Art Show saw over 16,000 attendees. Organizers said goals for the fair had been 20,000 attendees, but that the final count for visitors was close to the mark. The Art Apart Fair, which drew attention because of its exclusion from Singapore Art Week programming, saw between 3,000 and 4,000 attendees, a number that is consistent with previous installments of the event. Tickets for entry into the Art Apart Fair were just $10, and many of the tickets purchased were from attendees who walked in from the street — a jump in the number of those types of attendees for the festival, which generally sees mostly specially invited guests.

While the competing art events could have drawn attendance away from one another, many people attended multiple fairs. One organizer said that the multiple events could’ve diluted the quality of art available in Singapore, a nation still expanding its art scene quickly and significantly. There was also still a surprising amount of purchases during the events, which called into question whether people were actually tentative about spending in a tenuous economic situation.

Though the art events’ schedules overlapped, each one drew different types of buyers. With so many big-name galleries participating in Art Stage Singapore, one attendee decided that the art offered at the other events was more accessible to him to invest in.

Take part in the exciting surge of art by signing up for an art class today. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive and easy to navigate website that lists an exhaustive compilation of different art classes. Bone up on your creative skills with the help of a teacher who will help adjust lesson plans to suit your level of experience. Fine tune an existing oil painting portfolio through classes or learn how to create mosaic art for the very first time. Invite a group of friends to participate for an unforgettable fun time.

For more on the three festivals, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-art-weeks-three-art-fairs-draws-mixed-turnout.