SINGAPORE - The National Gallery Singapore, which has been in the making for a decade, opens on Tuesday (Nov 24).
The museum, which is housed in the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings, will hold a two week-long celebration of free events and activities to mark its opening.
Prior to that, the media have been getting sneak peeks of its promising gallery spaces. At the DBS Singapore Gallery, for instance, art lovers will get to see the sweep of Singapore art - from the 19th century to the present - in one venue.
Heading down to the National Gallery? Here's a guide on what to check out:
1. 10 works not to be missed
National Gallery Singapore's opening celebrations start today and run till Dec 6. Admission for most events is free, although registration is required for some. Life picks some highlights.
Siapa Nama Kamu? or What Is Your Name? (DBS Singapore Gallery) and Between Declarations And Dreams (UOB Southeast Asia Gallery)
The two exhibitions provide a sweeping look at Singapore and South-east Asian art from the 19th century to the present. About 800 artworks are on show.
Art Forum 1: The Exceptional And The Exemplary. Stories
From National Gallery Singapore's Permanent Exhibitions Of South-east Asian And Singapore Art A panel comprising the gallery's curators, artists and researchers will discuss five key artworks from the two permanent exhibitions.
Share The Hope
This outdoor audio-visual production draws inspiration from the art within the Gallery. For three nights, there will be stunning light and sound displays against the backdrop of the Gallery building.
Read more here.
4. Where to eat
Gallery & Co.
Opening later this month, this space run by Singapore retail company &Co is where you can grab a cup of coffee or a light meal. Design items, children's books and gallery publications can be bought too. Prices start at $5 for a cup of coffee and mains such as pastas are priced between $8 and $15.
Alti's Gastrobar
A stylish all-day gastrobar that serves small bites and drinks. Expect specially designed Asian- inspired fruit cocktails. There are select meals and food items at $10 and below. Opening in the middle of next month.
Smoke & Mirrors
Enjoy views of the Padang and Marina Bay at this bar. Bar bites include Cantonese-style roast pork belly ($16). Enjoy drinks inspired by the artworks in the Gallery, such as Black And White c.1970-1980 cocktail ($24), which is inspired by Anthony Poon's painting and is a mix of dark chocolate, cream and rum, curacao orange and a long finish of liquorice from absinthe.
Read more here.
5. National Gallery to open with big bash
The National Gallery Singapore, which has been in the making for a decade, will open on Nov 24 with a two week-long celebration of free events and activities.
The opening weekend, in particular, will be marked by a carnival that spills out of the museum and onto the Padang, with roads in the area closed to traffic. The outdoor block party from Nov 27 to 29 will run from 5pm to midnight and include art workshops, interactive installations and food stalls at the Padang.
Admission to the museum's galleries and exhibitions will also be free for all visitors during the opening fortnight, from Nov 24 to Dec 6. The museum is open during this period from 10am to 7pm, Mondays to Thursdays, and 10am to 11pm from Fridays to Sundays.
Read more here.
6. Get a sneak peek at the new National Gallery
7. Art collection at National Gallery tells story of Singapore
For the first time, art lovers will get to see the sweep of Singapore art - from the 19th century to the present - in one venue.
The DBS Singapore Gallery showcases pieces such as an 1865 engraving of Singapore and works of home-grown artists, such as Tang Da Wu's 1991 installation Tiger's Whip. The mixed-media piece is among the most representative works of Singapore's contemporary art history.
Read more here.
8. Five highlights of Singapore art you should not miss at the National Gallery
Spread over a sprawling 1,750 sq m and supported by a generous $25 million donation by DBS Bank, the DBS Singapore Gallery will show 400 artworks in a long-term exhibition titled Siapa Nama Kamu? (What Is Your Name?).
Situated on one floor in the City Hall wing, it will open along with the rest of the National Gallery on Nov 24.
Read more here.
9. Masterpieces in the National Collection get their video close-ups
Some of the National Gallery's most prized pieces, sucn as Chua Mia Tee's Epic Poem Of Malaya, were featured in an online video series titled My Masterpiece.
Watch the video clips here.
10. National Gallery's UOB Southeast Asia Gallery tells the history of region through art
The UOB Southeast Asia Gallery presents the largest South-east Asian modern art exhibition in any space.
The long-term opening exhibit, titled Between Declarations And Dreams, presents around 400 artworks. The show draws works from Singapore's National Collection and also presents loans from other museums and collections.
Among the institutions which have lent works for the show are the Fukuoka Art Museum in Japan, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, the National Museum of the Philippines, and the Vietnam Fine Art Museum.
Read more here.
11. National Gallery Singapore shaping up to be the next foodie draw
The National Gallery Singapore is shaping up to be the next foodie draw in the Civic District.
Six restaurants are opening in the new museum, which is housed in the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings.
Read more here.
