This S’porean art noob went to National Gallery S’pore just to take pictures but stayed for the exhibitions

There are plenty of photos of National Gallery Singapore on Instagram, and it's not hard to see why.

The Gallery is a stunning space, with a breathtaking five-storey atrium between the former Supreme Court and City Hall and long, wide stairs for groups to gather.

Additionally, their collection of art pieces - especially the permanent Southeast Asian collection - are both visually arresting and thought-provoking.

When the Gallery first opened in 2015, I distinctly remember wandering through long corridors and iconic jail cells that have since become popular photo spots for tourists and locals alike.

But while I had been through the public galleries at least once, I had never been to the special exhibitions before.

Recently, I was given the chance to go to the Gallery again to visit two special exhibitions.

Here’s how this visit really changed my mind about how I felt about the Gallery as a space for art, rather than just a spot for Instagram-worthy photos.

A picture gallery in a place not just for pictures

The first exhibition I went to was Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia.

Living Pictures is an exploration of 150 years of photography in Southeast Asia, a blend of history, technology, and culture.

At the introduction of photography to Southeast Asia, it was primarily the preserve of European settlers, which explains why the first photos of the region were often of landscapes, buildings and places.

These pictures of Singapore are an echo of a bygone era, from a time when St Andrew’s Cathedral was surrounded by thick growths of trees.

The cathedral, the Gallery’s neighbour in the heart of the city, is now surrounded by imposing buildings and roads, almost unrecognisable from before.

But the exhibition goes beyond just photos of Singapore.

It also features sprawling landscapes of Indonesia, dignified portraits of Thai royalty and other Southeast Asian notables; as well as stark pictures of the Vietnam War, to name a few.

As you move through the exhibition, you’ll be able to see how photography evolved as technology became more readily available (and ultimately more common with the advent of the smartphone), with landscapes giving way to portraits of the very rich, then the well-to-do, and finally, the common man.

Gradually, the medium became a form of art, with the latter half of the exhibition being given to artistic experimentation.

No two artworks are quite the same, but perhaps the most visually striking piece is the installation with photos taken from homes abandoned during the Vietnam War.

Literally weaved together to form drapes with almost forgotten faces staring through the construction, the artwork invites you to wonder what happened to these people.

From Aug. 5 to 7 and Aug. 13 to 20, the Gallery will be offering free entry to Living Pictures for all visitors.

Additionally, from Aug. 13 to 20, visitors who check out both Living Pictures and See Me, See You – two of the Gallery’s ongoing exhibitions – will have a chance to win a film camera.

Follow @nationalgallerysingapore on Instagram for latest information and updates.

Experimentation as method

Moving on from the relative starkness of the photography exhibition was the Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method exhibition.

Liu Kuo-sung is a 91-year-old traditional Chinese ink painter, and spent years finding innovative ways to develop new expressions in ink painting.

The exhibition showcases a collection of his work, highlighting how he has developed over the years, as well as the mastery of his craft.

Liu developed a highly experimental approach to the classic medium of ink painting; with each painting being like a trip in discovery.

He experimented with new techniques, colours, materials and textures, even depicting decidedly modern (at the time) events, such as the moon landings, in the classic medium of ink painting.

Liu also not only made his own paper, but his own type of paper.

While I don’t have a trained eye, I could still admire the waves of fascinating shapes and colours that differed greatly from the black and white images I was used to thinking of when it comes to ink painting.

The thing that stood out to me most was a section that looked like it was ripped out of a Destiny 2 concept art book.

For the uninitiated, Destiny 2 is a sci-fi video game set in the far future, and it was surreal to feel a moment of what can only be described as an unsettling familiarity (FYI, I love the game, so I mean this as a compliment).

If Liu’s work stands out amongst traditional forms of ink art, the Gallery as a space stands out from the civic district it sits in the middle of.

On the day I visited, the Padang just across the road was a hub of activity as the stands for this year’s NDP were being built.

As I walked amongst the artworks, it felt like an oasis away from the bustle of the city, away from the mini heatwave that we had been suffering through the past few months.

What was particularly great to see were the interactive activities available for children.

While I don’t have kids myself, it was still heartening to see write-ups that catered to young children, aimed at helping them appreciate what they were seeing.

We saw schoolkids using the interactive facilities littered throughout, placed in the various Gallery spaces and corridors, displaying their work as proudly as any professional artist.

The permanent galleries (DBS Singapore Gallery and UOB Southeast Asia Gallery), as well as the two highlighted exhibitions, are free for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

Explorer and Insider memberships are also available.

The former is free while the latter is S$20 for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

If you join today, you’ll be able to enjoy admission privileges, free parking, dining and shopping vouchers worth more than S$100.

Use the promo code MOTHERSHIP23 during your Insider membership purchase and be the first 30 new sign ups to redeem a free gift.

Living Pictures runs until Aug. 20 2023, while the Liu Kuo-sung exhibition runs until Nov. 26 2023.

Find out more here.

This sponsored article by the National Gallery Singapore almost taught the author a bit about art. Almost.

Top image via Mothership