Little background about Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
SAM bring in contemporary international art from mainly Singapore and Southeast Asia as well as local arts to inspire people to create a better future. The building once housed St Joseph's institution (SJI), a Catholic boys' school, run by La Salle Brothers. After 135years, SJI relocated and hence it came forth the opportunity of opening SAM. Initially, SAM did not cater air-conditioned environment to its visitors, However, in order to create a more pleasant experience and to keep up with modern times, SAM installed glass panels to provide its visitors with air-conditioned environment.
A picture of me being awkward.
The sticker they give at the entrance.
When I first step into Singapore Art Museum, I saw a bunch of brochures being placed neatly on one row of the shelves together with a few small television showcasing what is available in the museum. I find that by using television to convey information to visitors is a smart way as they are incorporating modern technology. Of course I could not resist taking a bunch of brochures to guide me through SAM as they are so pretty and well designed.
I personally find that SAM brochures/booklet are super useful as it is filled with detailed informations about the exhibitions. Even after when you return home from your visit, if you need to recall about what you have seen at SAM, you just need to flip through these brochures/booklets and will be able to find any information you want. Exactly like what I am doing now as I am typing this post.
After entering, the first thing that greet me was this corner that is full of different types of mirror. I find this interesting as it encourages visitors to take photo with the mirror and post it online with a caption "Where is your Utopia" or something. I guess they are trying to create interaction with visitors through this activity. Good try though!
Note that I myself does not know how to appreciate arts, therefore I might not able to grasp the true meaning behind those wonderful arts.
With that, I proceed to gallery one called Other Edens. These is actually one of the four gallery under the theme of After Utopia. The other three gallery is called The City and its Discontents, Legacies Left and The Way Within. The first one that I went to is Other Edens. Other Edens explores the image of the garden as a symbol of the originary paradise to which we long to return, even while reflecting back to us our current imperfections and fall from grace. The meaning behind the gallery is deep but is something that I personally thought that I can learn from. I do not have to be afraid of my own imperfections but instead accept it. I do not know whether I interpret the meaning correctly but that is what I retrieved from the purpose behind the gallery.
We Have Crossed The Lake - Ian Woo
This is the first piece that I encountered in Other Edens, it is called We Have Crossed The Lake. It is the artwork done by Ian Woo when his house opened out to a small garden. According to his notes, he mentioned that the work is an abstraction of an island, and the viewer is positioned as the discoverer of this island. I am guessing that he is allowing the viewers to depict or look into the artwork and discover meaning by themselves? I think I am not really right but its purely my own opinion.
Geraldine Javier - Javier
Followed by the next piece which did not really catch my eye, hence I just briefly pass by it. Which is called The Forest Speaks Back and Letters From The Forest. Both by Donna Ong.
Last but not least the last two piece called Pandora's Box by Maryanto and Annexation by Jitish Kallat. Pandora's Box actually represent a once beautiful landscape that has been ravaged by industry and all that remains is a charred, blackened earth. The surface of the Annexation represents the constant and daily struggle for existence and the deadly coil of predator and prey.
Pandora's Box - Maryanto
Pandora's Box - Maryanto
Annexation - Jitish Kallat
Annexation - Jitish Kallat
The next gallery that I went to is The City and its Discontents. From what I have read, this gallery locates our aspirations to the ideal in the contemporary structures and environments we inhabit, and how these concrete realities fall short of the utopian impulses of architecture and urban planning, such that the escape from city to the countryside becomes inevitable.
Here are some of the photos I took from this gallery, The City and its Discontents.
Air pollution - Made Wianta
Mewujudkan Angan (Realizing Dreams) - Yudi Sulistyo
Sembawang Phoenix - Tang Da Wu
Cabinet - Cao Lei
This is one of the exhibition that I found really cool and interesting! The cabinet seems like nothing when you look from the outside, however when you peek into the holes, there are images inside and each image represent different things. Each of the holes have different images. Examples of some of the images are shown below.
Followed by the next gallery is the Legacies Left. This gallery examines the legacy of ideologies that have left an indelible mark on the last century. Three of the exhibitions are Summit, Television Commercial for Communism and MA-NA-VA-REH - Love, Loss and Pre - Nuptials in the Time of the Big Debate. I personally find Summit very creepy and scary as the fake corpse lying there actually seems like a real corpse that would jump onto me any time soon! From what I could remember, I quickly took photos of the Summit and actually ran pass it as fast as possible.
Summit - Shen Shaomin
MA-NA-VA-REH - Love, Loss and Pre - Nuptials in the Time of the Big Debate - Anurendra Jegadeva
Finally, the last gallery of After Utopia is The Way Within. This gallery represents the journeys into the realms of self and psyche. Three exhibition at The Way Within are Mon Boulet, Sitting and Bomba.
Sitting - Kamin
Mon Boulet - Svay Sareth
The last Gallery that I went to is called The Learning Gallery, Once Upon This Island. It presents the artworks selected to promote engagement and discussion of broader issues. It shows the stories and lives that surround Singaporeans as well as navigates the ideas of home, community, identity and memory of what it means to live in Singapore. In the gallery, you can expect to find up to twelve artwork. Below are some of the pictures I took when I went to this gallery. Upon everything, I find the Self-Portrait of Mr Lee Kuan Yew made of Plastic shampoo bottle caps is the most memorable.
Self - Portrait (No More Tears Mr.Lee) - Jason Wee
Not Much to See - Chun KaiFeng
I find this interesting as a pair of slipper could be an artwork too. I never knew about it until this day. Hahas!
HDB Corridor - Dawn Ng
Mamashop - Dawn Ng
Singapore Idols - Jing Quek
Overall, the visit to SAM allow me to learn about many different kind of things ranging from culture to philosophy to life, and also allow me to appreciate arts at the same time. Its a visit that is worthwhile as it different from my usual fast pace life. The people around me at the Museum were quiet and solemn as they enjoy the arts. Something that I do not see in my daily life.
However, I do not think that SAM is actually wheelchair friendly. Even though there are lift available, the walkway and the spaces in the gallery does not allow wheelchair to pass through easily. That is what I personally think. Hence, people with special needs might want to think twice and consider properly before going. Nevertheless, there are food and beverage outlet right at the ground floor of SAM called DOME but the pricing might be a little on the higher side.
Do visit when you have the chance to do so as it is free for Singaporeans/ PRs (Need to present your ID though), but foreign visitors need to pay a fee of $10 !
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