May 27, 2024, 05:10 PM
Did you know that there's been a Van Gogh-themed void deck in Singapore for more than a decade?
Located at the void deck of Block 55 Pipit Road, near MacPherson MRT Station, the gallery features reproductions of the Dutch painter's famous works, including Starry Night and Sunflowers.
The gallery, which was established in 2011, was closed for restoration last December.
It was relaunched on Sunday (May 26), with a revitalised look that incorporates local elements into the art pieces.
Like HDB flats in the background of Van Gogh's "Starry Night", for instance.
Mural inspired by "The Starry Night". Image from MacPherson Constituency Office.
New look
Here are some other pieces at the gallery:
Mural inspired by "Bedroom in Arles", but the red-and-white colour scheme looks oddly familiar. Image from MacPherson Constituency Office.
Mural inspired by "The Church at Auvers". Image from Artsolute / Facebook.
Mural inspired by "The Siesta", but with footwear commonly found in Singapore. Image from MacPherson Constituency Office.
A woman posing next to a mural inspired by "Almond Blossoms". Image from MacPherson Constituency Office.
A community effort
The restoration work was led by Terence Tan from social enterprise ArtSolute, which had previously worked with the community to paint a walkway mural in the estate.
Belinda Low, one of the original artists who worked on the gallery in 2011, was also brought back to help with its revitalisation.
MacPherson residents have also contributed to the gallery by painting walls and adding their own personal touches.
Image from MacPherson Constituency Office.
A wall full of sunflower portraits pays homage to the flower Vincent Van Gogh loved to paint. Image from MacPherson Constituency Office.
Tin Pei Ling, Member of Parliament (MP) for MacPherson Single Member Constituency (SMC), noted that the void deck art gallery is the first of its kind in Singapore, and is an effort to make art accessible to all residents.
She added that the gallery also "serves as a catalyst for community dialogue" and "an Instagram-worthy platform to showcase a novel side of MacPherson".
The full restoration is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
Other void deck art galleries in S'pore
There are at least two other void deck art galleries in Singapore.
You can find a pop art-themed gallery at the Block 8 Holland Avenue void deck, influenced by the works of Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Roy Lichtenstein.
Another void deck, at Block 749 Jurong West Street St 73, pays homage to Cubist artist Pablo Picasso.
Top image from MacPherson Constituency Office
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