Opening Celebrations Start 24 November
All visitors enjoy complimentary entry to National Gallery Singapore from 24 November to 6 December 2015
The National Gallery Singapore will open its doors from 24 November 2015. Visitors will be welcomed to explore the Gallery’s two permanent exhibitions and view modern art collections from Singapore and Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. As part of the festivities, visitors will also be invited to participate in the many activities and events lined up.
Minister Lawrence Wong said: “The National Gallery team has been hard at work to prepare the artworks and get them ready for display. We will be in for a treat when the Gallery opens its doors in November, with beautiful art to savour, and a majestic new space to explore. I look forward to the Gallery becoming a special place for all Singaporeans to come together, to appreciate the best of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art. This will truly be a Jubilee gift we can all enjoy for many years to come.”
A key highlight of the celebrations will be the National Gallery Opening Festival: Share the Hope which will be held at the Padang from 27 to 29 November 2015. The family-friendly event will showcase a spectacular façade show and a range of performances, screenings and activities to mark the Gallery’s official opening and Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.
“We want to celebrate Singapore’s 50th year of independence by sharing the rich heritage and history of Singapore and Southeast Asian art. As the first museum in the world dedicated to Southeast Asian modern art, National Gallery Singapore hopes to captivate and kindle a curiosity for art – from art histories to the stories behind the art, from the discoveries we uncover about Southeast Asia and the world to stories about ourselves,” said Ms Chong Siak Ching, CEO, National Gallery Singapore.
The public can also mark their calendars for other activities during the celebration, including:
- Tours and talks around the two permanent galleries, DBS Singapore Gallery, UOB Southeast Asia Gallery and Keppel Centre for Art Education, the first dedicated art education facility of its kind in Singapore and the region
- Launch of the Art Connector, a permanent aesthetic sheltered walkway (links City Hall MRT along North Bridge Road and Coleman Street to the entrance of the Gallery) incorporating creative portraits from the Singapore community collected from the Portraits of the People engagement programme (27 November)
- Panel discussions to create dialogues about Singapore and Southeast Asian art (24-25 November)
The line-up of activities and events leading to the opening will be announced over the next few months.
The Gallery will be taking its ‘Living Art” programme to the Istana Open House on 2 August 2015, where the iconic National Language Class by Chua Mia Tee will be brought to life in interactive and immersive skits. The National Language Class is one of the most important art pieces that presents an important stage of Singapore’s history and will be housed in the DBS Singapore Gallery.
For more information about the upcoming activities, please visit www.nationalgallery.sg.