The Quarterly - Singapore Art Museum

The Quarterly
OCT
DEC
to 2010

Cover image: Natee Utarit, The Last
Description of the Old Romantic No.
2, 2005, Oil and wood stain on canvas,
160 x 120 cm, private collection
Photography on pages 14, 44 and 45
(except ‘Music Hall at SAM’) is courtesy
of Werkz Photography.
All information is correct at the time of print.
Please refer to www.singaporeartmuseum.sg for the latest updates. The Museum reserves the right
to make changes and modifications to the programmes without prior notice. The views and
opinions expressed by speakers, facilitators or artists in the talks, workshops and performances do
not represent the position of Singapore Art Museum.
02

Contents
About SAM Page 4
Director’s Message Page 5
Calendar Page 6
Exhibitions Page 8
Recent Acquisitions Page 21
SAM Goes Abroad Page 25
Public Programmes Page 26
Support SAM Page 37
Dining Page 40
Shopping Page 41
SAM Moments Page 44
General Information Page 47
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About SAM
The mission of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is to preserve and promote contemporary art
practices of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. Opened in January 1996 as a museum
under the National Heritage Board of Singapore, SAM has amassed one of the world’s largest
public collections of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artworks, with a growing
component in international contemporary art. Since 2009, SAM has focused its programming and
collections development initiatives around contemporary Southeast Asian art and art practices.
Through strategic alliances with arts and cultural institutions and community organisations, SAM
facilitates visual arts education, exchange, research and development within the region and
internationally. SAM is also the organiser of the Singapore Biennale 2011.
SAM Board
Chair
Ms. Jane Ittogi, Partner, Shook Lin & Bok LLP
Members
Ms. Audrey Wong, Programme Leader, MA Arts & Cultural Management School of Integrated
Studies, LASALLE College of the Arts
Dr. George Quek, Chairman, BreadTalk Group Limited
Mr. Kenneth Choe, Executive Director, Goldman Sachs (Singapore)
Dr. Kwok Kian Woon, Associate Chair (Academic), School of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Nanyang Technological University
Mr. Qi Yu Wu, MediaCorp Artist, MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
Mr. Quek Tse Kwang, Partner, RT & Q Architects
Mr. Ronny C T Tan, Chief Country Officer and General Manger, Deutsche Bank AG
Mr. Suhaimi Sukiyar, Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (Association of Artists of Various Resources)
Mr. Wee Teng Wen, Founder and Principle Partner, The Lo & Behold Group Pte Ltd
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Dr. Winston Ang Wee Kern, Assistant Professor, Visual and Performing Arts Academic Group,
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

Director’s Message
In 1979, British group The Buggles proclaimed “Video killed the radio star” in their debut hit single
of the same title, mourning the end of radio and along with it, a singer’s career with the advent of
television and the birth of music video. Their prophecy was not quite accurate as radio remains an
important mass communication medium for aspiring pop stars and contemporary society at large.
In the same vein, paintings, photographs and Pop Art invade the SAM galleries this quarter, vividly
affirming why they will remain timeless and influential for many contemporary artists today. Natee
Utarit’s canvasses and Manit Sriwanichpoom’s photographs not only demonstrate their mastery of
the respective genres, but also how they push the boundaries of painting or photography and
effectively employ them to tell us about the state of the world around us today. And if you thought
Pop Art ended with Andy Warhol, Japanese artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and
Yoshitomo Nara show how Japan continues to transcend the style and kept it cool ever since.
Natee Utarit: After Painting, Manit Sriwanichpoom: Phenomena and Prophecies and Trans-Cool
TOKYO are extensively curated exhibitions which SAM is able to present thanks to the lasting ties
and partnerships developed with museums, galleries, collectors, as well as art and cultural
institutions at home in Singapore and abroad. As the country’s national museum for contemporary
art, besides building ties with living artists, there is also the wider arts community and institutions.
So this season, come down to SAM – you will find that it is not old-fashioned to indulge in painting
or photography and will even discover a trick or two to make it “transcool”. I look forward to your
continued patronage of SAM in 2011 and on behalf of my team at SAM, our best wishes to you for
the coming new year!
Tan Boon Hui
Director
Singapore Art Museum
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Calendar
EXHIBITIONS
Natee Utarit: After Painting
1 October 2010 to 20 February 2011
SAM
Manit Sriwanichpoom:
Phenomena and Prophecies
7 October to 7 November
SAM at 8Q
It’s Now or Never:
New Contemporary
Art Acquisitions
From mid-October
SAM at 8Q
Trans-Cool TOKYO
18 November 2010 to 13 February 2011
SAM at 8Q
Tags and Treats:
Works by Vincent Leow
Runs through 17 October
SAM at 8Q
Seeing the Kites Again
又 见 风 筝 : 吴 冠 中 捐 赠 作 品 展
Runs through 14 December
SAM
Cheong Soo Pieng:
Bridging Worlds
Runs through 26 December
SAM
Earth and Water:
Mapping Art in Southeast Asia
Runs through 1 January 2011
SAM
Learning Gallery
On-going
SAM
PROGRAMMES
Oct
Fri, 1 Oct | 7:30pm – 9pm | SAM
Meet the Artist: Natee Utarit
Thu, 7 Oct | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM
Curator’s Tour: Looking Beyond the Surface
Sun, 10 Oct - 24 Oct | SAM at 8Q
Mind Painters
Wed, 13 Oct - Sun, 7 Nov | SAM & SAM at 8Q
2nd Singapore International Photography
Festival Film Screenings, Talks and Forum
Wed, 13 Oct | 7:30pm - 9pm | Moving Image
Gallery, SAM at 8Q
Meet the Artist and Curator:
Manit Sriwanichpoom and Ark Fongsmut
Thu, 14 Oct | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM at 8Q
Curator’s Tour:
Situating Phenomena and Prophecies
Fri, 15 Oct | 7:30pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Thailand: Agrarian Utopia
Sat, 16 Oct | 3pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Thailand: Short Films from
Thailand
Fri, 22 Oct | 7:30pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Thailand: The Convert
Sat, 23 Oct | 3pm | Moving Image Gallery, SAM
at 8Q
Films from Thailand: Mekhong Full Moon
Party
Fri, 29 Oct | 7pm - 9pm | Glass Hall, SAM
Originals Only Open Mike
Nov
Fri, 5 Nov | 10am - 9pm | SAM & SAM at 8Q
Deepavali Open House
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Fri, 19 Nov | 7:30pm - 9pm | Glass Hall, SAM
Asian Art Discourse Now:
Institutions, Ideas, Art Market Practices
Sat, 20 Nov | 2pm - 3pm | SAM at 8Q
Curator's Tour: An Instant Guide to
Japanese Contemporary Art
Fri, 26 Nov | 7pm – 9pm | Glass Hall, SAM
Originals Only Open Mike
Dec
Fri, 3 Dec, Guitaresque | 7:30pm - 8:30pm |
SAM Chapel
Christmas Concerts
Sun, 5 Dec | 10am – 6pm | The Plaza, SAM at
8Q
Invasion! – An Explosion of Popular Culture
and Toys
Fri, 10 Dec | 7:30pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Japan: Princess Raccoon
Fri, 10 Dec, Nasum Praise Team |
7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM Chapel
Christmas Concerts
Sat, 11 Dec | 3pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Japan:
Travelling with Yoshitomo Nara
Fri, 17 Dec, The Joyful Sound |
7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM Chapel
Christmas Concerts
Sat, 11 Dec | 8pm till dawn | Siloso Beach,
Sentosa
ZoukOut 10th Anniversary: Art On The
Sands
Fri, 17 Dec | 7:30pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Japan: Miyoko
Originals Only Open Mike
Sat, 18 Dec | 3pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Japan: Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me
Sat, 18 Dec | 5:30pm | Moving Image Gallery,
SAM at 8Q
Films from Japan: The Primitchibu World
Sat, 25 Dec | 10am - 7pm | SAM & SAM at 8Q
Christmas Open House
Jan 2011
Sat, 1 Jan | 10am - 7pm | SAM & SAM at 8Q
New Year’s Open House
EDUCATION
PROGRAMMES
For Schools Only
Learning Gallery Programmes
Every Thu & Fri | 10am - 11:30am or
2:30pm - 4pm | SAM
Art Trail
Every Thu & Fri |10am – 11:30am or
2.30pm - 4pm | SAM
Art Talk
Every Mon and Tue | 10am – 12:30pm or
2pm - 4:30pm | SAM
Everyday Life
Every Mon and Tue | 10am – 12:30pm or
2pm - 4:30pm | SAM
Everyday Food
Every Mon and Tue | 10am – 12:30pm or
2pm - 4:30pm | SAM
Everyday Objects
Fri, 17 Dec | 7pm - 9pm | Glass Hall, SAM
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Natee Utarit, Tales of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 2009, oil on linen, 240 x 200 cm, Singapore Art Museum collection

Credit Suisse: Innovation In Art Series
Natee Utarit: After Painting
1 October 2010 to 20 February 2011
SAM
Predictions of the end of painting have been with us for over a century. Within Southeast Asia
however, painting continues to develop as a major medium of artistic expression with its own
unique aesthetic sensibilities, and it is in this context that SAM presents After Painting, a
mid-career survey of Thai artist Natee Utarit.
An exceptional painter whose career spans over two decades, Natee’s stunningly vivid paintings
have for a long time, been a series of dialogues and debates on established Western painting
traditions; his ultimate aim to develop new possibilities for painting. The artist’s recent work,
however, has increasingly been commentaries on Thai society and identity, and helps place him
among his fellow Southeast Asian artists who continue to use visual art as a way of reflecting on
the changing social-political situations in the region.
Natee Utarit: After Painting features more than 70 paintings drawn from SAM, the Bangkok
University, the Queensland Art Gallery as well as private collections in Europe, Asia and the region.
Presenting Sponsor
Meet the Artist: Natee Utarit
Natee Utarit’s works show his mastery of Western painting traditions such as landscape,
portraiture and still life. At the same time, they suggest new approaches to painting in the context
of Thai contemporary art. Join artist Natee Utarit as he speaks of painting’s potential for
self-reflexivity and critical expression.
Fri, 1 Oct | 7:30pm - 9pm | SAM
$15. Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg.
Curator’s Tour: Looking Beyond the Surface
Join SAM curator Michelle Ho and gain insight into the work of artist Natee Utarit, whose vivid
paintings seek to challenge established Western painting traditions, and comment on
contemporary Thai society and identity.
Thu, 7 Oct | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM
$10. Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg.
Catalogue & Merchandise
SAM with the artist, presents exciting merchandise that you can bring home! These include a limited
edition shopping bag, personally created by the artist, and T-shirts, tote bags and postcards.
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Manit Sriwanichpoom:
Phenomena and Prophecies
7 October to 7 November 2010
SAM at 8Q
Manit Sriwanichpoom’s photographs deal with themes of consumerism and other Thai social and
political issues through his strategies of critical documentation, as well as staged satirical
compositions of the state of Thai society today. The myriad appearances or phenomena that his
works conjure, reflect the artist’s belief in the power of brutal truths, which surfaces at times in the
form of painful prophecies. They also highlight his peculiar artistic role as one that treads on the thin
line between merely recording and purposefully composing history, at a time where even historical
narratives are not exempt from mass media constructions.
Manit has exhibited prolifically around the world, including presentations at the 6 th Asia Pacific
Triennial (2010), the 6 th Gwangju Biennale (2006), the 1 st Pocheon Asian Art Festival (2005) and the
50 th Venice Biennale (2003). More than 100 photographs from his vast oeuvre are featured in
Phenomena and Prophecies. The exhibition is guest-curated by curator Ark Fongsmut and is
co-organised by SAM and the Singapore International Photography Festival for the 2 nd Singapore
International Photography Festival 2010.
Co-organiser
With support from
Meet the Artist and Curator: Manit Sriwanichpoom and Ark Fongsmut
Artist Manit Sriwanichpoom's photographs seem to present empirical documentations of
contemporary realities. However, upon closer examination, hidden truths about Thai society
emerge. In this era of dense visual culture and manipulated imagery, is photography a medium
especially suited to capturing the pressing issues of volatile Southeast Asia? Join artist Manit
Sriwanichpoom and curator Ark Fongsmut as they discuss these topics.
Wed, 13 Oct | 7:30pm - 9pm | Moving Image Gallery, SAM at 8Q
Free. Limited seating. Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg.
Curator’s Tour: Situating Phenomena and Prophecies
Go behind the lenses of artist Manit Sriwanichpoom, whose photographs handle themes of
consumption and other Thai social and political issues in this curator's tour by Ark Fongsmut.
Thu, 14 Oct | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM at 8Q
$10. Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg.
Facing page: Manit Sriwanichpoom, Pink man with pink balloons # 1, 1997, C-print, Silom Road, artist collection
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Trans-Cool TOKYO
18 November 2010 to 13 February 2011
SAM at 8Q
From Yayoi Kusama's pioneering works of Japanese Pop Art to Yasumasa Morimura's role-playing
of iconic figures in his portraits from the 1980s, the exhibition Trans-Cool TOKYO provides an
opportunity to view works by groundbreaking Japanese artists who have made an indelible impact
on contemporary art. Featuring over 40 works from the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
collection, this exhibition also tells the story of how Japanese artists, since the second half of the
1990s, have established their own creative identities within the context of global pop culture.
Working across all mediums, from painting and sculpture, to performance, photography and
video, the featured artists have created work in response to the onset of the information age and
the greater freedoms and uncertainties that are available in contemporary society. Trans-Cool
TOKYO is co-organised by SAM and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
Co-organiser
Curator’s Tour: A Guide to Japanese Contemporary Art
Join the Trans-Cool Tokyo exhibition curator, Hiroko Kato, on a journey of the development of
Japanese contemporary art from post-war to present.
Sat, 20 Nov | 2pm - 3pm | SAM at 8Q
$10. Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg.
Invasion! - An Explosion of Popular Culture and Toys
Experience the magic and wonders of contemporary Japanese art from the Museum of Tokyo and
meet colourful Cosplay characters at our fun-filled day of live music and art-based activities. Grab
this chance to shop for unique Christmas gifts at the premiere toy carnival presenting the latest
collectibles for young and old.
Sun, 5 Dec | 10am - 6pm | The Plaza, SAM at 8Q
Part of
Facing page: Kohei Nawa, PixCell-Deer #17, 2008-2009, mixed media, 200 x 170 x 150 cm, Museum of Contemporary Art
Tokyo collection
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Tags & Treats:
Works by Vincent Leow
Runs through 17 October 2010
SAM at 8Q
Vincent Leow has carved out an important role in Singapore’s contemporary art development
through three decades of artistic practice that is rooted in debates over the contemporary
Singapore identity. This mid-career survey of Leow’s prolific oeuvre offers a balanced perspective
of the artist’s work, which has been known primarily for the provocative and aggressive. The
exhibition highlights the surprisingly meditative tone and emotive quality in many of his works,
revealing an artist who still continues to explore issues of identity, memory, mortality and legacies.
The title Tags & Treats refers to pet identity tags, as well as military dog tags that are often used to
identify the dead or wounded in war. The military dog tag is a reference to Leow’s inspiration for
his new works, the Latin phrase memento mori (remember you will die), while the pet identity tag
is a remembrance of Andy, his beloved late pet, which he transforms into a hybrid dog-man image
in his work. Leow, in his trademark whimsical style, uses the allegory of pets to remove the severity
from the grim issue of mortality. The “treat” of a life well lived is that of one’s legacy. The exhibition,
with its explorations, marks a milestone of a new direction and focus in Leow’s artistic practice.
Vincent Leow: Merchandise Showcase
Merchandise inspired by the artist’s favourite pet dog, Andy and
the artwork, Money Suit is now available at SAM, created in
conjunction with Tags & Treats.
Items include a T-shirt with a complimentary drawstring “money
pouch”, tote bag, a dog tag and postcards of Vincent’s five
selected works.
Please enquire at the SAM at 8Q front desk.
Book Series
Singapore Contemporary Artists: Vincent Leow
The Singapore Contemporary Artists Series documents and
provides critical commentary on the practice of significant
contemporary artists from Singapore. Enlarging discourse and
scholarship on contemporary art, it introduces the vibrant
contemporary art scene in Singapore. Vincent Leow is the first
book in this series, documenting and charting the artist’s career
through essays and personal responses from artists, curators and
art historians on his key works. The publication retails at $49.90.
Facing page: Installation view of Tags and Treats: Works by Vincent Leow.
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Cheong Soo Pieng:
Bridging Worlds
Runs through 26 December 2010
SAM
Cheong Soo Pieng, Drying Salted Fish, (detail) 1978, Chinese ink and colour on cloth, 55.5 x 88.5 cm, collection of
National Heritage Board collection
One of the most experimental and influential Southeast Asian artists of his generation, Cheong Soo
Pieng produced works that pushed the boundaries of art-making throughout his life. The exhibition
Cheong Soo Pieng: Bridging Worlds celebrates the remarkable achievements of this master artist
and examines his process of art-making, as well as his sources of influence and inspiration.
Characterised by a constant search for new materials and impressions, Cheong was influenced by
a wide variety of cultural sources from the East and Southeast Asia, as well as the West. The desire
to experiment shaped and marked Cheong’s artistic practice. It influenced how he developed new
styles, pictorial motifs and symbols, breaking new ground in abstract and figurative art.
Through an extensive display of more than 300 drawings, sketches and artworks, many shown
publicly for the first time, Cheong Soo Pieng: Bridging Worlds chronicles the journey of a man who
lived and breathed art. Visitors can explore the mind of one of Singapore’s finest artists,
understand the impact he made on modern and contemporary art, and appreciate why his
artistic influence continues to resonate today.
Sponsor
LEE KIM TAH
HOLDINGS LIMITED
Exhibition Design
studioMilou singapore
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Runs through 14 December 2010
SAM
In 2008, Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong donated 113 of his most important works to the National
Heritage Board, Singapore. This is the highest-value donation ever to a public institution in
Singapore. An internationally celebrated artist, Wu is best known for marrying the distinct art form
of traditional Chinese ink with modern concepts in Western art. Wu’s writings, recently published
as a seven-volume anthology, provide deep insights into his aesthetics and art practice.
Showcasing 22 paintings from the donation, Seeing the Kites Again is an exhibition inspired by
Wu’s metaphor of the kite. Since the 1960s, Wu Guanzhong has produced a great number of
works, based on his personal recollections. These works are centred around his home in
southern China, his childhood, as well as the villages and towns he had been to. His interest in
life and his attention to ordinary scenes infuse his art with an aesthetic quality that demonstrates
a return to simplicity.
Earth and Water:
Mapping Art in Southeast Asia
Runs through 1 January 2011
SAM
Southeast Asia comprises two broad geographical regions - the Mainland and the Archipelago.
The former consists of Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Peninsular Malaysia.
The latter is made up of the island arcs and archipelagos of the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei,
Singapore and West Malaysia.
The diverse region of Southeast Asia is home to about 500 million people. The history and society
of Southeast Asia have been shaped by a confluence of geographical, historical and cultural
forces. With exhibits drawn from the National Heritage Board’s permanent collection, the theme
Earth and Water conjoins two of life’s basic elements with the Mainland and the Archipelago.
These works by the region’s best-known artists further offer multiple manifestations of life, society
and traditions of Southeast Asia.
The above three shows are special research exhibitions organised by the National Art Gallery,
Singapore, held on the premises of SAM.
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Learning Gallery
The Learning Gallery is dedicated to presenting artworks from SAM’s collection for the young
visitor. Besides nurturing an appreciation for art, the works are specially selected to encourage
lively discussions and develop creative and analytical thinking among our young visitors.
The current show, Everyday Objects, invites you to take a second look at the familiar things around
you through the eyes of artists from Singapore and Southeast Asia, where everyday things we
know and sometimes take for granted are portrayed in a different light, making us think twice
about their function and their relation to other objects.
Education programmes inspired by the artworks on display have also been specially developed for
schools to offer students a multi-disciplinary and holistic contemporary art experience at the
Learning Gallery. These programmes range from learning specific art techniques, to speech and
drama puppet shows that encourages originality and the development of language skills and
self-confidence.
Learning Gallery Education Programmes are for school bookings only.
Interested schools, please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg or call 6332 3220.
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Learning Gallery Education Programmes
Art Trail
Designed for pre-schoolers, this workshop engages students in active art discussions through
creative story telling. Participants will learn more about artists and their artworks and create their
own craft works inspired by the artworks in the gallery.
Every Thu & Fri, 10am - 11:30am or 2:30pm - 4pm | SAM
For 4 to 6 years old
$18 per child, per lesson
Art Talk
This workshop aims to stimulate the students’ creativity through interactive puppet shows and
speech and drama activities. Using the artworks as inspiration, students will be guided to develop
their own narratives and perform their own puppet shows.
Every Thu & Fri, 10am - 11:30am or 2:30pm - 4pm | SAM
For 4 to 12 years old
$28 per child, per lesson
Everyday Life
With discussion and quick sketching, students will turn everyday tasks and objects into interesting
artworks by working with shapes and forms, and learning oil pastel and watercolour techniques like
blending and bricking.
Every Mon & Tue, 10am - 12:30pm or 2pm - 4:30pm | SAM
For 7 to 8 years old
$18 per child, per lesson
Everyday Food
What goes on inside the core of a papaya? Drawing inspiration from artworks that showcase food
as the main subject matter, this workshop encourages students to explore the forms and shapes
of food, and also to learn about the role of textures in their own art making.
Every Mon & Tue, 10am - 12:30pm or 2pm - 4:30pm | SAM
For 9 to 10 years old
$18 per child, per lesson
Everyday Objects
Through active art discussions, students will share their initial thoughts and ideas of selected
artworks and learn to generate ideas about objectifying personality traits through the use of quick
rough sketching. Students will then create drawings based on concepts of cubism and abstract
art using acrylic painting techniques.
Every Mon & Tue, 10am - 12:30pm or 2pm - 4:30pm | SAM
For 11 to 12 years old
$28 per child, per lesson
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It’s Now or Never:
New Contemporary Art Acquisitions
From mid-October 2010
SAM
Sima Salehi, Circle, 2009, 3 channel video installation, Edition 1 out of 2, Singapore Art Museum collection
Like the region itself, contemporary art from Singapore and Southeast Asia is diverse, dynamic
and multifaceted, possessing its own distinctive aesthetics and artistic traditions shaped by
different approaches to art-making and practices. With this in mind, SAM has been building a
stellar collection of contemporary Southeast Asian art. SAM’s acquisitions policy devotes 80% of
funds to Southeast Asian art, and the remaining 20% to the wider Asian region, such as China,
India, Korea and Japan to provide a broader cultural context for the core collection.
An artwork is acquired for its artistic merits and innovation, as well as what it may reveal or reflect
of wider developments in art and society. The artists represented in the SAM collection fall into
three broad groups: the ‘pioneering’ contemporary artists or ones associated with avant-garde
practices, mid-career artists, and emerging practitioners. Through its acquisition policy and
continued funding support from the government, individuals and corporate donors, SAM is able to
include iconic works of art in its collection, encourage artists to create important new works
through artist commissions and showcase the best in contemporary art from the region.
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SAM will present two displays of its newest acquisitions from 2009 and 2010. The first display
scheduled to be up by mid-October will focus on recent acquisitions of artworks by Singapore
artists while a second display planned for early March 2011 will zoom in on contemporary art from
wider Asia, including Southeast Asia and China.

Recent Acquisitions
Expense of Spirit in a Waste of Shame
by Suzann Victor
The Western Light No. 1
by Natee Utarit
The Western Light No. 1 recalls the famous bronze
equestrian statue of King Rama V, which is situated
at Bangkok city’s Royal Plaza. Rama V, Thailand’s
revered king, and the country’s most successful
reformer, is known as the first Thai monarch to
travel to the West, who subsequently implemented
reforms in education and religious freedom. During
his reign, Thailand maintained her independence
from European colonial rule. By choosing to portray
a statue of Rama V, an object of reverence rather
than the image of the king himself, Natee reveals
the influence and magnetism of symbols of
Natee Utarit, The Western Light No. 1, 2006, oil on canvas, 200 x 180 cm,
Singapore Art Museum collection
veneration. This painting, which shows the king
looking in a westward direction, alludes to the disjuncture between a Western-style modernism
that surfaces Thai society and the reality of Thailand beneath this veneer. Learn more about
Natee’s practice at the Natee Utarit: After Painting exhibition (page 08).
A compelling ‘performative’ installation, Expense of Spirit in a Waste of Shame enthralls the viewer
with its mesmerising sounds and moving elements. The installation consists of 4 to 6 long sets of
light bulbs; each set has 12 lights paired with 12 elliptical mirrors. Controlled by baby rocker
motors, the bulbs descend towards the mirrors, producing a chorus of rhythmic, ‘clanging’
sounds every time the bulbs hit the mirrors. Like doomed lovers, the bulbs and mirrors appear
locked in a never-ending cycle of arrival and departure, and each narcissistic light dives to catch
its reflection, only to separate after a fleeting moment’s contact.
Suzann Victor, Expense of Spirit in a Waste of Shame, 1994, installation, light bulbs, cables, control unit, broken glass,
motors, aluminium rods, mirrors, dimensions variable (5 sets), Singapore Art Museum collection
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Suzann Victor is regarded one of Singapore's foremost contemporary artists, and has garnered
significant international attention, having exhibited on a number of high-profile platforms, such as
the 49 th Venice Biennale. The former Artistic Director of 5 th Passage Ltd, Victor started her
practice as an award-winning painter but is now best known for her visually striking,
sophisticated installations. Her works often investigate the post-colonial condition, and the notion
of the abject, the absent body and 'body-machine', as well as the dynamics of female sexuality
within a patriarchical society.
Sulu Stories
by Yee I-Lann
Yee I-Lann works with digitally manipulated photographs to construct artworks that address
issues about her multi-cultural identities in relation to the globalised world. Yee was born in Kota
Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia in 1971 to a New Zealander mother and Sino-Kadazan father, but
she identifies herself strongly as a Sabahan. In this particular series of 13 colour photographs, the
Sulu land- and seascapes represent a unified backdrop to contextualise her first memories of Sulu,
22

the land on the opposite shore of her home. To her, these childhood memories of legends of
dragons and giant pearls unite the various peoples of the region stretching all the way to the
Philippines. It is a zone of historical intersections, where British, Spanish and Dutch colonists
contested with the local cultures for trade supremacy and religious dominance. It is a shared space
where animism, Islam and Catholicism converge akin to her dream-like backdrop, and where
Yee I-Lann, Sulu Stories (set of 13 photographs), 2005, digital print on Kodak Endura paper,
Singapore Art Museum collection
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orders remain volatile and in contention till this day.
Yee’s Sulu Stories was brought to the attention of Singaporeans at the first Singapore Biennale in 2006
and is considered one of her most significant bodies of work in her prolific photography practice.
Yee I-Lann lives and works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She graduated from the University of South
Australia in Adelaide in 1992 and later, studied painting at the Central Saint Martin’s School of Art
in London, United Kingdom. Her works have been featured widely in Malaysia and internationally,
having represented Malaysia at the 3 rd Asia Pacific Triennial in 1999. Sulu Stories was most
recently featured at the ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibition Thermocline of Art: New
Asian Waves in 2007.
Imagination Sphere
by Nge Lay
Nge Lay questions the very essence of ‘truthfulness’ in photography through her work that
attempts to relate the familiar with the unfamiliar. For Imagination Sphere, the technique she
employs is simple yet strong, using only two basic elements—a torch light as a primary and unique
source of illumination set against a dark background, and an old glass negative portrait of the
artist's relative—captured by a digital camera. Nge Lay's artwork focuses on the portrait of a
deceased elderly female relative who is unidentifiable to her family, representing “mysterious
relatives” that no one can remember. Abstract at first, the images progressively reveal the human
composition of her unfamiliar relative presented in the format of a negative. The artist works on the
idea of lost memory with a tinge of irony, with photographs the apparent only visual source of
memory, but which no one can really recall. This photography light-box installation mixes three
techniques of capturing and presenting images, interplaying the old with the new, and the
historical with the contemporary.
Nge Lay, Imagination Sphere, (detail of installation), 2008, Experimental photo installation including 45 light boxes,
12''x10'' each, Edition 1/1, Singapore Art Museum collection
Nge Lay is one of the emerging pioneering contemporary artists working with experimental
photography in Myanmar, where contemporary art is still in its infancy compared to more
established centres such as Indonesia and Thailand. Her most important artwork to date
Imagination Sphere was selected for Magnetic Power, the ASEAN-Korea Contemporary
Photography & Media Art Exhibition in Seoul in 2009. She recently participated in the exhibition
Visual Arts, Making History at the Jendela gallery at the Esplanade, Singapore in 2010.
24

SAM Goes Abroad
As Singapore’s national museum of contemporary art, SAM is dedicated to the promotion of
Southeast Asian art by extending its reach to the international art world, growing new audiences
and playing an active role in today’s fast-moving world. To this end, SAM expands its platforms to
offer original and fresh Southeast Asian contemporary art exhibitions to international venues.
SAM’s pivotal role in bringing Singapore and Southeast Asian contemporary artists within the
global arts arena has expanded. The museum is now embarking on a sharing scheme of
curatorial expertise and leadership for the promotion and display of its contemporary Southeast
Asian art exhibitions with international academics and institutional partners. This new initiative
genuinely enriches SAM’s objectives and shapes its reputation as an important centre for
contemporary Southeast Asian art. Regarded as a platform for contemporary artists,
professionals and art enthusiasts alike, SAM’s touring projects enhances Singapore’s identity as
a vibrant cultural hub and destination.
A selection of key exhibitions originated by SAM using our own collection as well as prestigious
public and private collections expands the museum’s international exposure and reach to an
extensive range of audiences worldwide. The first project to tour internationally is Ming Wong: Life
of Imitation which will be exhibited at the Frye Museum in Seattle, USA in January 2011 and make
its way to the CAST Gallery in Tasmania, Australia thereafter.
25

Moving Image Gallery Screenings
Films from Thailand
In October, the Moving Image Gallery presents three features and a compilation of short films by Thai
filmmakers in conjunction with Natee Utarit: After Painting. Depicting their idiosyncratic and energetic
takes on contemporary Thai experience, these films tackle topics ranging from political struggle to
folkloric belief, and religious schism to the amalgamation of cultures. Many of the works are concerned
with depicting locally-specific preoccupations and practices that structure much of daily life and living.
This screening programme highlights the work of young, up-and-coming Thai directors.
Fri, 15 Oct to Sat, 23 Oct | 7:30pm | Moving Image Gallery, SAM at 8Q
$10. Limited seating. Tickets available for purchase at SAM at 8Q.
Please visit www.singaporeartmuseum.sg for film ratings.
Agrarian Utopia
Uruphong Raksasad, 2009, Thai with English subtitles, 122 minutes.
Fri, 15 Oct | 7:30pm
Two rice-farming families are forced to work together on a shared plot of land due to spiralling debts and
land seizure. This experimental documentary is at once a paean to the director’s pastoral childhood in
northern Thailand, and an uncompromising examination of the effects of political and social change on
the rural poor. Beautiful and haunting, Agrarian Utopia has won the UNESCO award at the Asia Pacific
Screen Awards and been awarded prizes in Toronto, Brussels and Rotterdam.
Short Films from Thailand, 109 minutes.
Sat, 16 Oct | 3pm
• Panatipata
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Thailand, Thai with English subtitles, 30 minutes, Singapore premiere.
Trouble ensues when Kai seeks out unusual remedies to heal a painful leg. A comedy about food, families
and belief.
• Cherie is Korean-Thai
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 2010, Thai with English subtitles, 19 minutes, Singapore premiere.
Upcoming actress Cherie invites two labourers to help her research a role for her new soap opera.
26

• Man and Gravity
Jakrawal Nilthamrong, 2008, 11 minutes.
A man. A tricycle. An impossible load. What will happen to him as he toils through a variety of unusual
and hostile landscapes?
• Immortal Woman
Jakrawal Nilthamrong, 2010, 9 minutes, Singapore premiere
An old woman lies in a room, her body both landscape and eternity.
• I Did Not Dream Last Night / Looking in God’s Eye
Taiki Sakpisit, 2008 - 2009, 17 minutes, Singapore premiere
A series of tableaux exploring the gaze of people immersed in time and space.
• Culture and Nature
Prap Boonpan, 2008, 3 minutes, Singapore premiere
Thailand prepares to celebrate the father on his special day.
• The White Short Film / The Candle Light
Prap Boonpan, 2009, Thai with English subtitles, 20 mins, Singapore premiere
A young couple have a conversation about politics.
The Convert
Panu Aree, Kaweenipon Ketprasit and Kong Rithdee, 2008, Thai with English subtitles,
83 mins.
Fri, 22 Oct | 7:30pm
This intimate documentary explores the story of June, a young, fun-loving Buddhist woman living
in Bangkok, who marries Ake, a Muslim man from southern Thailand. Knowing almost nothing
about Islam, June leaves her job, family and city, and moves to the southern provinces with her
husband. As June embraces a new faith and lifestyle, she encounters a variety of joys and
disenchantments. This documentary has travelled to a number of international film festivals,
including Vancouver and Pusan.
27

Mekhong Full Moon Party
Jira Maligool, Thailand, 2002, Thai with English subtitles, 119 mins.
Sat, 23 Oct | 3pm
Every October, mysterious fireballs shoot up from the Mekong River near a village in northern
Thailand, drawing huge crowds for festivities. Local village boy Kan returns from his university studies
in Bangkok and meets an abbot and two doctors who are trying to unravel this phenomenon.
Contrasting religion with science, this film depicts with lightness and humour the tussle between
consumerism, tourism, tradition and superstition. Mekhong Full Moon Party won nine awards at the
2002 Thailand National Film Awards, and the 2003 FIPRESCI award in Hong Kong.
Films from Japan
In December, the Moving Image Gallery presents a visual feast of feature films and artist
documentaries in conjunction with Trans-Cool TOKYO. The three feature films selected alternately
portray legendary tales with a postmodern flourish, depict subcultural lifestyles in louche artist
neighbourhoods, and transform the gritty city into a manic dream playground. Artists Yayoi
Kusama and Yoshitomo Nara, whose works are featured in the exhibition, are captured in two
documentaries that chart their artistic practice and offer a rare peek into their lives. This screening
programme highlights directors and artists with a strong, unique visual sense. Their works all
confidently mine the contemporary and the mythic in very personal ways. All the films will be
shown for the first time in Singapore.
Fri, 10 Dec - Sat, 18 Dec | Moving Image Gallery, SAM at 8Q
$10. Limited seating. Tickets available for purchase at SAM at 8Q.
Please visit www.singaporeartmuseum.sg for film ratings.
Princess Raccoon
Seijun Suzuki, Japan, 2005, Japanese and Mandarin with English subtitles, 111 minutes.
Fri, 10 Dec | 7:30pm
In Japanese folklore, tanuki are raccoon-like creatures known for their shape-shifting powers of
deception. In this comedy-musical-operetta, Zhang Ziyi plays a tanuki princess who falls for exiled
Prince Amechiyo, played by Joe Odagiri. The star-crossed lovers’ story takes backstage to the
film’s astonishing design concepts, stage settings, CG environments, and raucous musical
stylings. Known for his genre work and surreal visual style, Suzuki is a veteran cult filmmaker
celebrated by the likes of Takeshi Kitano, Wong Kar-Wai and Quentin Tarantino.
28

Travelling with Yoshitomo Nara
Koji Sakabe, Japan, 2007, Japanese with English subtitles, 93 minutes.
Sat, 11 Dec | 3pm
A rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of a critically acclaimed artist, this film depicts an intimate
portrait of Yoshitomo Nara, who garnered attention during Japan’s Pop Art movement in the
1990s. Known for his wistful and sardonic paintings and sculptures of children and youth culture,
Nara’s work is emotionally complex, yet accessible. This film follows Nara on a 240-day journey as
he works in and travels to disparate locations such as Bangkok, New York, Soul, Tokyo, and his
hometown Hirosaki.
Miyoko
Yoshifumi Tsubota, Japan, 2009, Japanese with English subtitles, 86 minutes.
Fri, 17 Dec | 7:30pm
Based on the life of pioneering manga artist Shinichi Abe, this stylised biopic documents the life of
Abe and his girlfriend and muse Miyoko, as well as the sensual, free-wheeling bohemian ways of
downtown Tokyo in the 1970s. Mixing historical fact with pure fiction, the film stays true to its
subject through its inventive screen compositions and expressive, manga-like imagery. This debut
film by Tsubota has received awards at film festivals in Rotterdam and Yokohama.
Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me
Takako Matsumoto, Japan, 2008, Japanese with English subtitles, 102 mins.
Sat, 18 Dec | 3pm
Avant-garde sculptor, painter and novelist Yayoi Kusama first rose to prominence through the use
of dots and repeated motifs drawn from the hallucinations of her mental illness. An influential and
highly collected artist, this film documents her creative process as she works on a large series of
monochrome drawings. Kusama’s eccentricities, self-obsession and complex psyche are revealed
as she strives to fulfil her intense dedication to her art.
The Primitchibu World
Kasumi Hiraoka and Takeshi Shirai, Japan, 2009 - 2010, Japanese with English subtitles,
70 mins.
Sat, 18 Dec | 5:30pm
A girl selling flowers meets a piano-playing boy who believes that war will break out once they
traverse the length of a shopping street. An unpredictable mood piece, this film eschews
traditional narrative structure, creating a world that dissolves the boundaries between gods and
humans, men and women, dreams and reality, and the street and the universe. The word
‘primitchibu’ is a play on ‘primitive’ and ‘private parts’, and The Primitchibu World was originally a
stage show with performance and live music. This special film version is the first full-length feature
by Osaka video and performance artist Kasumi Hiraoka, who has been making short films on 8mm
and DV for the past decade.
29

2 nd Singapore International
Photography Festival
Films screenings
Sun, 24 Oct to Sun, 7 Nov | Moving Image Gallery, SAM at 8Q | $12
Post-screening discussion with film curator, Ho Hui May for selected screenings.
Visit www.sipf.sg to purchase online via Paypal. Depending on availability, limited tickets will be
available for sale at the Moving Image Gallery, SAM at 8Q half an hour before screening. Tickets
may not be refunded or exchanged once purchases have been processed.
What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann
Steven Cantor, USA, 2006, 80 mins, rating TBA.
Sally Mann came into prominence in the early 1990s with Immediate Family, a series of intimate
and controversial black-and-white photographs of her young children. This documentary follows
her process of creating this series, traces her artistic explorations from the 1990s to the early
2000s, and captures the strength of Mann's personality and her relationship with her family.
Screening 1: Sun, 24 Oct | 3pm. Followed by post-screening discussion.
Screening 2: Fri, 5 Nov | 8pm
Manufactured Landscapes: Edward Burtynsky
Jennifer Baichwal, USA, 2006, 86 mins, rating G.
Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer renowned for his large-scale colour photographs
of landscapes affected by industries such as mines, quarries and refineries. Reflecting Burtynsky’s
contemplative method of photographing with a large-format camera, this documentary charts his
progress in China photographing massive manufacturing plants in Guangdong and the Three
Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River.
Screening 1: Tue, 26 Oct | 8pm
Screening 2: Sat, 30 Oct | 4:30pm. Followed by post-screening discussion.
A Sense of Place: Todd Hido – Night Studio | Stephen Shore – American Beauty | Naoya
Hatakeyama – The Skin of the City | Danwen Xing – Urban Fictions | Jeff Chien-Hsing
Liao - Habitat 7 and Robin Rhode – New Photography ’05.
Joy of Giving Something, Inc, USA, 2005 - 2009, 65 mins, rating TBA.
This selection of six documentaries provides an invaluable glimpse of photographers at work in
diverse settings and places - depicting suburban and middle America, communities that live around
the No.7 subway line in Queens, New York, capturing street activity on various media, documenting
Japanese cities in a state of flux, and portrays alienation as a result of rapid urbanisation.
Screening 1: Wed, 3 Nov | 7pm
Screening 2: Sun, 7 Nov | 3pm. Followed by post-screening discussion.
30

SIPF Portfolio Review
The Portfolio Review is a springboard for works to be picked up by reviewers outside of this region,
and an opportunity for photographers to meet curators, editors, gallery owners and arts dealers
for useful advice and guidance on their works and careers. Meet up to eight reviewers over three
days, with a 20-minute individual session with one reviewer. Please bring their actual portfolio,
presentation of digital files on a laptop is possible but not encouraged.
Wed, 13 Oct to Fri, 15 Oct | 10am - 5pm | SAM Chapel
Limited to 30 selected participants. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
Artist and Curator Series
Towards Contemporary Photography: the Photo Collection of the Musée du Quai Branly
Come and hear Christine Barthe share on the Musée du Quai Branly Photo Quai contemporary
photography collection of works by photographers outside of Europe. Christine Barthe is the
curator of the photographic collection at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, France.
Fri, 15 Oct 10 | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM Chapel
Free admission. Seating limited to 80 people. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
Beyond The Face - Talk by Rifky Effendy
Gain insights into the changing photographic practices in Indonesia, which have become more
market driven, in contrast to works developed by artists such as collectives Mess56 in Yogyakarta,
and Ruangrupa in Jakarta, as well as young photographer Agan Harahap which offer alternative
points of vie and critically question reality and identity. Rifky Effendy is a photographer and critic
based in Jakarta. He has curated exhibitions in Indonesia and abroad since 1997.
Sat, 16 Oct | 3pm - 4pm | SAM Glass Hall
Free admission. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
Boxes/Cases/Buildings/Grids - Talk by Frank Breuer
Cologne-based photographer Frank Breuer share about his photographs of bleak but strangely
beautiful warehouses and of logo-bearing, corporate, pylon-like signs. Frank Breuer’s
photographs are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Photographic
Collection of the Museum Folkwang, Essen; the ZKM Karlsruhe; and the Manfred Heiting.
Supported by Goethe-Institut Singapore.
Sat, 16 Oct | 11am - 12pm | SAM Glass Hall
Free admission. Seating limited to 50 people. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
Landscapes and Figures - Talk by Massimo Vitali
Known for his large format photography series, master photographer Massimo Vitali will share
about his works, techniques and approaches. Massimo Vitali lives and works in Lucca, Italy and
Berlin, Germany.
Wed, 20 Oct 10 | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM Chapel
Free admission. Seating limited to 60 people. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
31

Academic Discourse
Taking on a more serious tone, this series of public talks aims at deepening the understanding of
photography beyond mere mechanical reproduction by a common gadget to a medium that
influences the way we perceive the world and, essentially, a part of our lives.
Aesthetic Journalism: Reality and its Representation
Writer, curator and artist Alfredo Cramerotti speaks about the growing overlap between global
news media and contemporary visual practices with reference to his recent book Aesthetic
Journalism: How to Inform Without Informing.
Sat, 16 Oct | 2pm - 3pm | SAM Glass Hall
Free admission. Seating limited to 50 people. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
Katsura: Picturing Modernism in Japanese Architecture, Photographs by Ishimoto
Yasuhiro and Talk by Yasufumi Nakamori
Nakamori will explore the nuanced and complex relationship between architecture and
photography, and the profound impact these photographs by Ishimoto Yasuhiro, one of the most
influential figures in post-World War II photography, have on interpretations of Japanese tradition
in modern architecture. Yasufumi Nakamori is Assistant Curator of Photography of the Museum of
Fine Arts, Houston.
Sun, 17 Oct | 2pm - 3pm | SAM Chapel
Free admission. Seating limited to 80 people. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
Talking Point
Trends and Approaches in Southeast Asia Contemporary Photography
Join this discussion with international photographers, curators and artists on the prevailing trends,
challenges and thoughts on contemporary photography in Southeast Asia. Is there a commonality
or identity to the photography that is coming from Southeast Asia? Panellists include Ark
Fongsmut, Patricia Levasseur de la Motte, Phu Mon, Rifky Effendy with moderator Sherman Ong.
Sat, 16 Oct | 4pm - 5pm | SAM Chapel
Free admission. Seating limited to 100 people. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
Photography Education in Singapore
Local photography educators and artists opine on the changing demand of current photography
education in view of digital imaging, the community and the prevailing dilemmas that educators
and students face. Panellists include Chow Chee Yong, Professor Oh Soon Hwa and Gilles
Massot, with moderator Gwen Lee.
Sun, 17 Oct | 4pm - 5pm | SAM Chapel
Free admission. Seating limited to 60 people. Register online at www.sipf.sg or call 6339 8655.
The above 2nd Singapore International Film Festival programmes are supported by SAM.
32

Mind Painters
Work by beneficiaries of Singapore Association for Mental Health
Mind Painters is a collection of paintings by people with special needs from various countries such
as Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore as a way to raise public awareness of mental health. The
display theme emphasises the effectiveness of expressive art in bringing healing, discovery and
improvement to the well-being of an individual. This event is a collaboration among Very Special
Arts Singapore, Hayashibara Foundation of Japan, Centre for Community Cultural Development of
Hong Kong, Singapore Association for Mental Health, and includes artworks from various other
local mental health organisations. The event is supported by SAM.
Sun, 10 Oct - Sun, 24 Oct | SAM at 8Q | Free
The Mind Painters art programme includes a day filled with talks and workshops on the effectiveness
of expressive therapy.
Poetry Recitation by Harris Ng | 12pm - 12:10pm
Role of Art Therapy in Mental Health by Jane Goh | 12:15pm - 1:15pm
Music for Wellness: A Music Therapist's Perspective by Ng Wang Feng | 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Music for Wellness: A Music Therapist's Perspective workshop by David Khlentzos | 2:45pm - 3:45pm
Weaving Dance Movement Therapy in the Community by Agnes Law | 4pm - 5pm
Sat, 10 Oct | 12pm - 5pm | Glass Hall, Level 1, SAM | Free
Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg.
Visit www.singaporeartmuseum.sg for more information.
33

Fridays at SAM
Enjoy contemporary art expressions through music at SAM. Catch Singapore’s very own budding
singer-songwriters in action as they showcase their original compositions on the Originals Only
Open Mike (OOOM@SAM), a joint collaboration by SAM and Singapore Art Café. The most
promising performer stands to win the newly launched Creative HQ-1450 headphones courtesy
of Creative.
Fri, 29 Oct; 26 Nov | 7pm - 9pm | Glass Hall, Level 1, SAM | Free
To register as a performer, please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg. Slots are limited to 20
performers per session.
34

Asian Art Discourse Now:
Institutions, Ideas, Art Market Practices
What is the impact of globalisation on Asian art discourse? What is the relationship between this
discourse, and the market for Asian contemporary art? Tony Godfrey, Programme Director for MA
in Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art Singapore, Ahmad Mashadi, Head of the National
University of Singapore Museum and Tan Boon Hui, Director of SAM will discuss these issues and
their impact on institutional, curatorial and exhibitionary practices in the context of Southeast Asia.
This talk is co-organised by SAM and C-Arts Magazine, and will be moderated by Khairuddin Hori,
Curator of SAM.
Fri, 19 Nov | 7:30pm - 9pm | SAM Glass Hall
Free. Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg.
Christmas Concerts
Enjoy Christmas classics on Fridays at SAM presented by Guitaresque, the Nasum Praise Team and
The Joyful Sound.
Fri, 3 Dec, Guitaresque | Fri, 10 Dec, Nasum Praise Team | Fri, 17 Dec, The Joyful Sound
7:30pm - 8:30pm | SAM Chapel | Free
Open House at SAM
Deepavali | Fri, 5 Nov
Christmas | Sat, 25 Dec
New Year | Sat, 1 Jan 2011
Join us to celebrate special occasions and the public holidays with free entry to all SAM galleries
and a series of fun, hands-on activities for everyone in the family. SAM and SAM at 8Q will be
opened from 10am. Activities start from 1pm to 5pm. Admission is free.
35

Art On The Sands
Photo courtesy of Zouk Pte. Ltd.
ZoukOut 10th Anniversary
“One World, One Music, One Tribe, One Dance”
Sat, 11 Dec | 8pm til dawn | Siloso Beach, Sentosa
Kick off your slippers and kick up some sand as Zouk teams up with Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
to present the freshest and hippest local contemporary artists who will showcase their art and love
all over the idyllic grounds of Siloso Beach. To spread the love of contemporary art around, all
ticket holders for ZoukOut 2010 will also gain complimentary museum entry when they present
their tickets at SAM during the month of December 2010.
36

Support SAM
Business Circle Partnership
A Singapore Art Museum Business Circle Partnership goes a long way to help us deliver quality
exhibitions and educational programmes to people in Singapore. Membership also promises
exclusive art experiences and branding opportunities for your company, staff and the people you
wish to reach out to. With a donation of at least S$50,000, be rewarded with:
- One complimentary use of the Museum Glass Hall and Courtyard facilities for your event,
complemented by a customisable after-hours museum tour or art programme.
- Acknowledgements in the Museum Lobby Roll of Honour 2010 Listing.
- Personal invitations to 2010 Exhibition Opening Receptions for up to 10 pre-identified executives
or guests.
- Up to 200 complimentary museum passes OR complimentary admission for your staff and their
accompanying guests.
- Up to 50 complimentary exhibition catalogues.
- Corporate tax deductions up to 2.5 times the cash amount donated.
To contribute
Please make your donation cheque (minimum S$50,000) payable to “Singapore Art Museum” and
mail it with your business card to The Development Office, Singapore Art Museum Administrative
Office, 61 Stamford Road, #02-02 Stamford Court, Singapore 178892. For enquiries, please
contact our Development Office at 6332 6854 or email nhb_supportus@nhb.gov.sg.
37

Support SAM
Credit Suisse: Innovation In Art Series
The Credit Suisse: Innovation In Art Series began in 2007 as a long-term partnership between the
Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Credit Suisse AG. The Series enables SAM to showcase
important Asian contemporary art practices, ground-breaking artists, as well as significant
exhibitions from around the world. Exhibitions presented under the Series include Seeing. Feeling.
Being: Alberto Giacometti, Accelerate: Chinese Contemporary Art, FX Harsono: Testimonies and
the prestigious President’s Young Talents. In 2009, as part of Credit Suisse AG’s commitment to
promote emerging artistic talent, the Bank also sponsored the inaugural President’s Young Talents
Credit Suisse Artist Residency Award which confers a cash award and sponsored artist residency
to a winning President’s Young Talent.
With the visual arts as a key focus, Credit Suisse AG builds lasting relationships with important
museums and other institutions around the world. The Bank’s support has given SAM the creative
freedom and resources to plan ahead, while supporting the Museum’s efforts to offer unique, varied
experiences to its visitors and create a stimulating environment through contemporary art. For its
contributions to SAM, Credit Suisse AG has been conferred the National Heritage Board’s Partner
of Heritage award.
38

Support SAM
Singapore Biennale 2011
Singapore Biennale 2011 is Singapore’s largest
international contemporary visual arts exhibition. True
to the title ‘Open House’, the Curatorial Team - led by
Artistic Director Matthew Ngui - has invited artists
from across the world to join Singaporean and
Southeast Asian artists to create exciting site-specific
and cutting edge works as they explore the sites and
culture of Singapore. Play an active role in supporting
these Biennale artists!
Singapore Biennale 2011 is organised by the
Singapore Art Museum with the support of the
National Arts Council.
Support Individual artists
Be part of the excitement of the Biennale by making
a donation in support of one or more of the 50 artists
coming to Singapore.
Non-cash Sponsorships
Sponsor art materials for a Biennale workshop, provide refreshments to our crew of hardworking
volunteers, or provide partial sponsorships for event and exhibition services. There are many ways
to support the Biennale, so call us and find out how.
Friends of the Biennale
Friends of the Biennale enjoy exclusive up-close and personal meetings and events with
participating Biennale artists, or previews of Biennale Exhibitions with other VIPs.
Entitlements
Beyond the satisfaction of supporting Singapore’s vibrant and growing art scene, your contribution
gives you privileges such as free admission to the museum, complimentary publications and
recognition of your gift. In addition, cash donations given in 2010 are entitled to tax exemption up
to 2.5 times your donation amount.
Call our Development Office today at 6332 6854 or email info@singaporebiennale.org to find out
how you can get more involved in supporting Singapore Biennale 2011.
All donations cheques should be made to ‘Singapore Art Museum”, indicating “For Singapore
Biennale 2011 costs” at the back of the cheque; and mailed to “Development Office, Singapore
Biennale 2011 c/o Singapore Art Museum, 61 Stamford Road, #02-02 Stamford Court, Singapore
178892”.
39

Dining
DÔME introduces a rustic coffee haven for executives on the go. Relax in style with al fresco dining
or choose a speedy take away. Dôme offers a comprehensive range of freshly baked breads,
pastries, cakes and pizzas which complement our range of gourmet coffees. Signature items
include Focaccia Gourmet Sandwiches, Dôme Gourmet Pie, Caesar Salad and Chocolates
Brownies. 10% off regular menu price* | Sun - Thu & PH, 8:30am - 10:30am | Fri, Sat & Eve
of PH, 8:30am - 11pm | www.olio.sg | 6339 0792 Food for Thought is all about serving up
Good food for a Good cause. Nosh on comfort food such as root beer, braised pork, homestyle
marmalade cake and fresh baked goods. Or do some ethical shopping in the merchandise section
for homemade jams, funky tee-shirts, preloved books and other beautiful things from all over. Daily,
9am - 10pm | www.foodforthought.com.sg | 6338 9887 Standing Sushi Bar
Beautifully-sliced, perfectly-formed, deliciously-made…every sushi at Standing Sushi Bar is a piece
of art. Indulge in sake, enjoy a few sticks of robatayaki, and enjoy our sushi selections. Fresh fish,
every day. Daily, 11am - 10:30am | www.standingsushibar.com Trattoria Lafiandra Owned by
Chef Cataldo and Brenda Lafiandra, the 42-seater Trattoria Lafiandra al Museo has an extensive
selection of antipasti, homemade pasta, risotto and main courses, offering a wide and exciting
selection of Italian fare. 5% off all drinks* | Daily | Lunch, 11:30am - 3pm | Dinner, 6pm - 11pm
| www.lafiandra.com.sg | 6884 4035 Via Mar @ SAM offers signature paella dishes and
delectable tapas, a wonderful variety of succulent appetizers, delightful mains, tempting desserts
and a fine range of wines. With its elegant indoor seating and alfresco dining area, Via Mar @ SAM
is the perfect place for business meetings, dinner dates or simply catching up. 10% off regular
menu price* | Mon - Thu & Sun, 11:30am - 10:30pm | Fri & Sat, 11:30am - 11pm | 6423 0900
* Present the SAM Admission Ticket to enjoy these promotions.
40

Shopping
Art-To-Go Now, you can bring home a piece of work from the national art collection! Pick your
favourite image from Singapore’s permanent collection and have it reproduced digitally on an
A2-size canvas in under one hour! Prices start from S$160 for an unstretched print. For more
information, please approach our friendly museum services staff at the reception desk or
email nhb_sam@nhb.gov.sg Museum Shop Inspired by the museums’ intriguing collections,
Museum Shop by Banyan Tree continuously develops quality museum replicas, objects d’art,
ethnic handicrafts, apparel and accessories. Currently located at Asian Civilisations Museum,
National Museum of Singapore and Singapore Art Museum, each outlet carries a range of products
unique to the thematic focus of the museum it is located in. 10% off regular price-item (Not
applicable for books, promotional and nett price items)* | Mon - Thu, Sat & Sun, 10am -
7pm | Fri, 10am - 9pm | www.museumshop.com.sg | 6338 1016 Showcase Number Eight
//////// A concept that brings artistic creations and art ownership together to form a new and
untapped synergy. Marrying the creative passion of art with the desire of art lovers to fashion the
space around them, //////// aspires to make Singapore Art and Design more accessible and to bring
it into a greater variety of spaces. A retail gallery, //////// aims to showcase Singapore’s creative
talents and their exciting and inspiring works. 10% discount storewide and receive a limited
edition paper weight with a minimum spending of S$188 (Limited to one paper weight per
customer, terms and conditions apply)* | Daily, 10am - 7pm | www.showcasenumbereight.com
| 6333 4563
* Present the SAM Admission Ticket to enjoy these promotions.
41

MADE FOR SAM
From mid-October 2010
SAM
SAM is proud to present MADE FOR SAM, a new range of locally-designed products that reflect Art
in everyday objects and which visitors can own and take home with them. MADE FOR SAM is a
curatorial collaboration between SAM with FARM, a local cross-disciplinary design studio known for
its collaborative approach, and with Hans Tan, alumnus of Design Academy Eindhoven and lecturer
of Industrial Design at National University of Singapore. 40 artists & designers in Singapore were
approached to create 40 unique everyday products, presented for sale in the SAM Lobby.
MADE FOR SAM is true to the nature of SAM as contemporary art museum, reflecting the
accessibility of Art and its inherent presence around all of us in everyday objects. Own a piece of
art product before they disappear!
42

40 DESIGNERS 40 PRODUCTS
JEREMY SAN
TZER NING,
STZERN STUDIO
TOTE BAG
JING QUEK,
SUPERHYPPEREAL
TOTE BAG
JUSTIN LEE C K
TOTE BAG
FFURIOUS
TOTE BAG
TAN ZI XI,
MESSYMSXI
TOTE BAG
BASSAM JABRY,
CHEMISTRY
PIGGY BANK
B.A.L.L.S
PIGGY BANK
RANDY CHAN,
ZARCH
COLLABORATIVES
PIGGY BANK
WONG MUN SUMM
& RICHARD HASSELL,
WOHA
PIGGY BANK
YONG JIEYU ,
J. YU STUDIO
PIGGY BANK
JUSTIN LONG
& JERRY GOH,
HJGHER
BADGE
KELVIN LOK
& ZANN WAN,
COUPLE
BADGE
SEBASTIAN CHUN,
SUPER BEAR
BADGE
WINSTON CHAI
& JOHN CHAN,
TRIGGERHAPPY
BADGE
YUKI MITSUYASU
BADGE
ASH Y.S. YEO
RULER
HAN KIANG SIEW
RULER
JASON ONG,
JIENSHU
RULER
ONG KER-SHING
& JOSHUA
COMAROFF,
LEKKER DESIGN
RULER
TIMO WONG
& PRISCILLA LUI,
STUDIO JUJU
RULER
CASEY CHEN
ERASER
COLIN SEAH,
MINISTRY O F
DESIGN
DAWN NG
ERASER
JACKSON TAN
& TANNY WONG,
BLACK DESIGN
CHANG SHIAN WEI
ERASER
ERASER
ERASER
ALVIN HO
& CLARA KOH,
H O K O
GREETING CARD
DONNA ONG
GREETING CARD
KENNETH CHEE,
ANTFARM DESIGN
GREETING CARD
GRACE TAN,
KWODRENT
GREETING CARD
ELI MARC
GREETING CARD
DARYL HO
& CHERYL TAN
MAKE
MUG
EDWIN LOW,
DESIGN
FACILITY
MUG
FRANCESCA
LANZAVECCHIA
& HUNN WAI,
LANZAVECCHIA
+ WAI
LAURA MIOTTO,
GSMPRJCT
MUG
LOW JUN JEK,
YOLK
MUG
MUG
CHRIS LEE,
ASYLUM
PENCIL BOX
FELIX NG,
SILNT
PENCIL BOX
OUTOFSTOCK
PENCIL BOX
LEE TZE MING,
HALF & HALF
PENCIL BOX
WONG MUN SUMM
& RICHARD HASSELL,
WOHA
PENCIL BOX
43

SAM Moments
Tags and Treats: Works by Vincent Leow
Exhibition Opening
From left: Mr. Tan Boon Hui, Director, SAM; Ms. Jane
Ittogi, Chair, SAM; Mr. Edmund Cheng, Chairman,
National Arts Council; Mr. Vincent Leow, Artist and
spouse, Ms. Yvonne Lee, Art Consultant and Mr. David
Chew, Assistant Curator, SAM.
Vincent Leow and spouse, Yvonne Lee.
On 5 th August, SAM announced the launch of
an annual series of solo exhibitions to pay
tribute to important Singaporean contemporary
artists who have contributed tremendously to
the growth and development of Singapore’s
contemporary visual arts scene. This series of
annual exhibitions has commenced with a
mid-career survey of works by one of
Singapore’s most established contemporary
artists, Vincent Leow.
Guests viewing Vincent Leow’s works.
This exhibition showcases over 50 works from
the artist’s prolific career, including some 20
new works especially created for this project.
44

Solo performances by The Island Divas
Night Festival:
New World 2010 at SAM
Inspired by the amusement park of the past,
visitors explored and had fun as the pulsating
arts and heritage district was reinvented as a
magical playground. For two nights, 17 and
18 July, featuring Singapore and Southeast
Asian artists, SAM was transformed into a
whimsical and irreverent entertainment arena,
adding to the dazzling spectacle of magical
lights and carnivalesque play.
Night Festival: New World 2010 is organised
by National Museum of Singapore,
conceived and curated by Ong Keng Sen,
produced by Theatreworks with SAM as a
programme partner.
Music Hall at SAM Chapel by Ruangrupa
Visitors at Vertical Submarine’s Abusement Park
World’s Slowest SMS Billboard by artist,
Wit Pimkanchanapong
45

SAM Moments
Istana Art Event
The Istana Art Event is an annual arts and heritage festival brought to you by SAM, and in
conjunction with the Istana National Day Open House. It is a community outreach programme that
encourages families with children to celebrate art and heritage in the lush grounds of the Istana.
Highlights included the much-anticipated On-the-Spot Art Competition and the Arts & Heritage
Village where families can enjoy an array of art activities. There was also an installation designed
by the students of the NUS School of Design and Environment featuring a special representation
of artworks created by over 2000 students for Self-Portrait, Our Landscape, or SPOL, a project of
the Singapore Biennale 2011.
46

General Information
OPENING HOURS
Mondays to Sundays | 10am to 7pm
(Last admission at 6:15pm)
Fridays | 10am to 9pm
ADMISSION
Adult $10
Student $5
Senior citizen aged 60 and above $5
20% off admission tickets for 20 or
more persons.
ADDRESSES
Singapore Art Museum is located at
71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555.
SAM at 8Q is located at
8 Queen Street, Singapore 188535.
WEBSITE
www.singaporeartmuseum.sg
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
6332 3222
Admission is free for visitors aged 6 years
and below, Singaporean and PR senior
citizens, full time NS men, and students and
teachers from local schools.*
Free admission to SAM every Friday from
6pm to 9pm and on Open House days.
*Unless otherwise indicated.
MUSEUM TOURS AT SAM
Tours in English
Mondays | 2pm
Tuesdays to Thursdays | 11am & 2pm
Fridays | 11am, 2pm & 7pm
Saturdays and Sundays | 11am, 2pm &
3:30pm
Tours in Japanese
Tuesdays to Fridays | 10:30am
Tours in Mandarin
Fridays | 7:45pm
HOW TO GET TO SAM
By bus
SBS 7, 14, 16, 36, 111, 131, 162, 175, 502,
518
SMRT 77, 167, 171, 700
By MRT
2-minute walk from Bras Basah MRT station
10-minute walk from Dhoby Ghaut, Bugis or
City Hall MRT stations.
By car
Carparks available at Waterloo Street, Queen
Street, NTUC Income Centre, Plaza by the
Park, Hotel Grand Pacific and Singapore
Management University.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS/LOCKERS
Lifts provide easy access to galleries.
Lockers are available for visitors’ use.
Bayview
Inn
Waterloo Street
P
P
Queens Street
SAM at 8Q
Bugis
MRT station
Dhoby Ghaut
MRT station
Bencoolen Street
P
Plaza by
The Park
Singapore
Art Museum
P
Kum Yam
Church
Bras Basah
MRT station
NTUC
Income Centre
Victoria Street
City Hall
MRT station
Bras Basah Road (towards Marina Centre)
Singapore Management University

C o m i n g S o o n
Negotiating
Home, History and Nation
11 March to 26 June 2011
Singapore Art Museum
Tang Da Wu, The Supreme Game (No.23/27, Angel 2), Chinese ink on handmade cotton paper, 102.5 x 69.3cm,
Singapore Art Museum collection