SAM-Old Building, Blooming ArtsUpon arrival, the SAM building which used to be an old 19th century mission school looks small and dingy and is currently going under more restoration. The tired building seems impossible to house all the masterpieces inside.
However, its front court is occupied by a very welcoming plum sculpture done by the renowned Taiwanese artist Li Chen immediately we were drawn by its adorable image and at the same time its enormous size. With many of her works housed in the grounds of the building, the sculpture has a very peaceful and calming smile that visitors cannot miss.
When inside the building, you can see that restoration was definitely very well done as its old pillars are now lined with elegant glass panels and the walls repainted.
The GalleriesThe Museum s
pecialises in South East Asian Art mostly. However it does occasionally display international artist from all over the world, including artist like Leornado Da Vinci as well as some modern arts from France in the past however, we were not there to see such renowned works. Currently, it has various displays in its galleries including a whole exhibition from the Philipines and Modern art from Mexico.
The Galleries are spread out on three levels of the building with each gallery named and numbered for the visitors' convenience.
Thrice Upon A Time was a featured exhibition upon our visit. It displayed the works of many Filipino artists taking up both the first and second floor galleries. This was the main feature of the museum with both 3 dimensional sculptures as well as paintings and films. The pieces were contemporary and each held a story of its own. Each gallery dedicated to this exhibition had its own theme such as the gallery which displayed the piece above (see picture). It was under the gallery Larger Than Life.
An interesting piece that was under this exhibition was the Fragrance of Ma-I. Upon immediate entry into the museum, this particular artist evoked both the visual and smelling senses in the viewer as she created both intricate bottles and scents to go with them to remind the viewer of familiar things in life such as happiness and death. The viewer was permitted by a guide, to smell each and every scent that they wished. We particularly enjoyed this exhibition as it not only excited us visually but also touched our hearts with the nostalgic and familiar scents that everyone could relate to at some point in their lives. We were at that exhibit the longest just basking in the pleasant fragrances and interesting information the guide provided us with.
Thrice Upon A Time will be in the Singapore Art Museum from 14 November 2009 to 31 January 2010
It's a definite must see when visiting during that time period.
Camino A La Mordenidad or the Path to Modernity is the Mexican Mordern Painting exhibition currently held at the museum. The exhibition explores the development of art in Mexico from t
he early 1900's to 1950's. This exhibition hosts over 70 works including the famous artist Frida Kahlo, one of Mexico's most renowned artist.
On the third floor of the gallery the pieces are found and carefully displayed in the large gallery. The gallery it self was an immediate visual delight even without looking at the individual pieces the lighting and spacious floors enhanced each and every painting displayed on the wall.
The third floor gallery is easy to miss if you do not follow the guides and brochures as the building is currently under renovation there was only one way up which was a small flight of stairs.
Camino A La Mordenidad will be display from 15 November to 3 January 2010
Overall Review and DetailsThe Singapore Art Museum was overall a very pleasant blend of both new and old. The building itself holds its own heritage and story, giving the place a feeling of life as well as history. The Museum itself is easy to maneuver around with its many signs and maps.
The fees for entry varies on the day of the week and the age of the visitor.
Adults= $8
Students=$4 (Present Identification Card for Confirmation)
Senior citizens and children below the age of 6=Free Entry
The good news is that these charges are only applicable on weekends and Fridays till 6pm and other weekdays after 4pm. Otherwise, the entry is free for all.
The Museum is located at Bras Basah Road near both the train stations City Hall and Dhoby ghaut, allowing convenient accessibility for everyone.
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