Singapore HeritageFest 2009 :: Overview :: Singapore Art Museum

Earth and Water: Mapping Art in Southeast Asia

19 April 2009 – 28 March 2010 (Admission charges apply)

Southeast Asia comprises two broad geographical regions - the Mainland and the Archipelago. The former refers to Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Peninsular Malaysia. The latter is made up of the island arcs and archipelagos of the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and West Malaysia.

The diverse region of Southeast Asia is home to approximately 500 million people. The history and society of Southeast Asia have been shaped by a confluence of geographical, historical and cultural forces. With exhibits drawn from the Singapore Art Museum’s permanent collection, the theme of 'Earth and Water' conjoins two of the basic elements of life with the Mainland and the Archipelago. These works by the region's best known artists further offer multiple manifestations of life, society and traditions in Southeast Asia.

An Unbroken Line – The Wu Guanzhong Donation Collection

9 April – 16 August 2009(Admission charges apply)

Wu Guanzhong's donation of 113 works to the Singapore Art Museum in 2008 is the highest valued donation presented to a public museum in Singapore. This exhibition will showcase 114 works representing five decades of the artist's creative oeuvre. A key significance of Wu Guanzhong’s art is the crossing and synthesising of the two art forms of ink and oil which represent art historical and aesthetic contexts of traditional Chinese and western art. Wu started painting in ink only in 1974, when he was aged 55, but his earlier oil works were predicated on ink aesthetics as with his subsequent inks on oil foundation. A prolific writer of essays and art theory, his Formal Beauty of Painting foreshadowed a revolution in art in the immediate post-Cultural Revolution period when it was published in 1978. To Wu, the feelings of the individual were supreme. Equally important, however, was the individual's emotional link with the community. Hence his famed line, the "Unbroken Kite String", which expounds the connection between formal abstraction and everyday life, and acknowledges its source in the community. A strong advocate of developing culture and the arts, and a man who holds deep respect for intercultural values, Wu’s broad brushstroke gesture of presenting his largest donation to the Singapore Art Museum. will be celebrated jointly by the art community as well as the Singapore public when the galleries open their doors on 9 April. The exhibition is co-organised by Singapore Art Museum, Shanghai Art Museum and National Art Museum of China.

TransportAsian

30 May – 11 August 2009 (Admission charges apply)

A selection of major artistic photographers in Singapore and Southeast Asia will be presented at TransportAsian, the Singapore Art Museum’s Asian photography exhibition.

Structured around the themes of "transport" and "Asia," this exhibition introduces visitors to the various approaches of photography, ranging from its documentary form to its rich and innovative expression as visual art medium. Structured into four sections—Time, Space, Action and Fiction – the exhibition showcases artists’ responses to the theme, including their metaphorical explorations of transportation. In addition to the work of artists such as Dominic Khoo, John Clang, Chua Chye Teck, and Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba, photographs of the history of transportation in Singapore will also be featured.

Threads

7 March – 16 August 2009 (Admission charges apply)

'Threads' is a contemporary art exhibition that explores the use of fabric and fibres in art making. The investigation however goes beyond the recognition of these materials as merely unconventional. Rather, it attempts to provide an understanding as to why certain materials are chosen, how they are used and what the extent is in the deliberation by the artist in reflecting their intention and purpose.

Activity Detail

Organised by:

Singapore Art Museum

Venue:

Singapore Art Museum
71 Bras Basah Road

Opening hours:

10am – 7pm (Mon – Sun), late night opening till 9pm on Fri

Admission prices:

$ 8 (Adults), $4 (Senior Citizens aged 60 years and above, and students with valid student cards)

Combined SAM & 8Q sam

$10 (Adults), $5 (Senior Citizens aged 60 years and above, and students with valid student cards)

Visit www.singart.com or call 6332 3222 for more details.