[Closing special] Get free entry to City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s–1940s from now until 17 Aug 2025!

“Order is essential," the transcontinental Fernando Zóbel once remarked. This philosophy guided both his artistic practice and his methodical exploration of the world. Yet, within this order, his work reveals a tension between structure and spontaneity.

This survey of his art invites you to travel with Zóbel to North America, Asia and Europe, where he practised from the 1940s to the 1980s. You will see his fascination with art history and American Abstract Expressionism in Boston and Rhode Island, his experiments with the syringe as a device for painting in Manila, his deft compositions of black paint on white canvases in Madrid, and his homage to the landscapes of Cuenca. As we trace his travels across the world, we will discover how modernism took different forms in each place and time.  

 

  • When: 9 May – 30 Nov 2025
  • Suitable For: Adults, Families, Visitors with accessibility needs, Students and Educators
  • Where: Level 4, Wu Guanzhong Gallery and Level 4 Gallery, City Hall Wing
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Order is essential

Fernando Zóbel (1924–1984) was a transcontinental artist who played a pivotal role in shaping modern art across the Philippines, Spain, and beyond. This exhibition charts Zóbel’s journey through four geographical sections, New England, Manila, Madrid and Cuenca, tracing the evolution of his work and influences.

Explore Zóbel’s artistic evolution from his early engagement with Expressionism and American Abstract Expressionism to his pioneering Saeta series, where he used a syringe to paint. His evolving abstraction—from the stark black-and-white contrasts of Serie Negra to the luminous landscapes of Cuenca— reflect his enduring dialogue with the past and the future.

Zóbel’s influence extended beyond his paintings. In Manila, he founded the Ateneo Art Gallery, the first museum of modern Philippine art. Later in Spain, he championed postwar abstraction, establishing the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español.

Exhibition Materials

Ways to experience this exhibition

Highlights of Fernando Zóbel: Order is Essential
Highlights of Fernando Zóbel: Order is Essential

Join a guided tour of Fernando Zóbel: Order is Essential and uncover the fascinating journey of a modern artist who blended discipline with innovation. Trace Zóbel’s creative evolution across North America, Asia, and Europe from the 1940s to the 1980s, and see how his encounters with Expressionism in Boston shaped his unique style. Be captivated by his bold techniques—like painting with a syringe in his iconic Saeta series—and discover how he found tension between structure and spontaneity.

English, Thu–Sun 11am Mandarin, Thu–Sun 2pm
La Caza (The Hunt) by Carlos Saura
La Caza (The Hunt)

Simmering tension underpins this film of men on a rabbit hunt. This film by acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura was his first international breakthrough. In La Caza, three men prey upon rabbits during a hot day. The heat, guns, adrenaline, veiled memories and underlying grudges densely accumulate to create a strained atmosphere. Confrontation seems inevitable. La Caza is a political allegory of Franco-era Spain with its tense ambiance on the brink of explosion. The film won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale in 1967, catapulting Saura into global fame.

Mon, 8 Sep 2025, 8pm
83 mins City Hall Wing, Level B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium
Peppermint Frappé by Carlos Saura
Peppermint Frappé

Winning the Silver Bear for Best Direction at Berlinale in 1968 for this film, Carlos Saura directs this psychological thriller of infatuation and obsession. Peppermint Frappé, together with Saura’s arguably most well-known film La Caza (The Hunt), is programmed in response to the Gallery’s exhibition Fernando Zóbel: Order is Essential. Carlos Saura is featured in the Zóbel exhibition with his first film, Cuenca (1958), a documentary on the Spanish town where Zóbel lived and established the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español with his collection. Peppermint Frappé includes a scene shot at this museum.

Thu, 11 Sep 2025, 8pm
90 mins City Hall Wing, Level B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium
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Did You Know?

Fernando Zóbel: Order is Essential builds on Zóbel: The Future of the Past, which opened at Museo Nacional del Prado (2022) in Spain and was later restaged at the Ayala Museum (2024) in the Philippines. Expanding on key narratives, the Gallery’s distinct and fresh iteration introduces exclusive works and offers fresh insights.

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