As the National Gallery Singapore gets ready to open its doors and celebrate its official opening with week long party this 24th November 2015, passerbys along the St. Andrews’s Road in front of the former City Hall, will be greated with a blown up portrait of Lee Boon Ngan being set up on the front steps.
Titled, Portrait of Lee Boon Ngan, by artist and husband Chua Mia Tee. The blown up painting is a preview of one of the national treasures within the new National Gallery Singapore, DBS Singapore Gallery’s collection.
National Gallery Singapore is a new visual arts institution which oversees the largest public collection of modern art in Singapore and Southeast Asia. The Gallery is housed in two national monuments—former Supreme Court and City Hall—that have been beautifully restored and transformed into this exciting venue in the heart of the Civic District.
Reflecting Singapore’s unique heritage and geographical location, the Gallery will feature Singapore and Southeast Asian art in its long-term and special exhibitions. It will also work with leading museums worldwide to co-present Southeast Asian art in a wider context, positioning Singapore as a regional and international hub for the visual arts.
After almost 5 years of restoration works and setup of the new gallery, the National Gallery Singapore is pulling all stops to ensure it opens with a big bang on the 24th November, and as part of their Opening Celebrations all visitors enjoy free admission to the Gallery till 6 December from 10am – 7pm (until 11pm on Fridays to Sundays). Visitors are encouraged to book your entry ticket online during the Opening Celebrations period to avoid disappointment. Tickets onsite will be subject to capacity within the building at the given time.
For more information about the National Gallery’s DBS Singapore Gallery and UOB Southeast Asia Gallery, check out our feature, Art-full November: Art Happenings this month by Senior Editor, Durriya Dohadwala.
