Online Brochure - Singapore Art Museum

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Building the National Contemporary Art Collection Since its inception in 1996, SAM has sought to collect and present art from Singapore as well as Southeast Asia. In 2009, SAM shifted the focus of its activities towards contemporary art, as the upcoming The National Art Gallery, Singapore, will be responsible for showing modern and historical art. Like the region itself, the contemporary art of Southeast Asia is diverse, dynamic and multifaceted. Moreover, contemporary Southeast Asian art possesses its own distinctive aesthetics and artistic traditions, as well as unique approaches to art-making and art practices. With this in mind, SAM has embarked on an initiative to build a stellar collection of contemporary Southeast Asian art. Consequently, 80% of SAM’s new acquisitions will be devoted towards Southeast Asian art, and the remaining 20% will be geared towards the wider Asian region, like China, India, Korea and Japan, to provide a broader cultural context for the core collection. SAM is guided by a number of broad acquisitions philosophies and strategies. The museum concentrates on collecting iconic works of art – works that represent a defining moment in the artist’s practice, and/or the culmination of a major phase or period of artistic experimentation. In addition, some of the museum’s acquisitions are done through artist commissions, in order to spur artists to create major pieces of artwork. Besides this, SAM adopts a ‘country representation’ approach for the Southeast Asian countries. In this regard, artworks are assessed and chosen against the broader context of the respective country’s artistic development, concerns and trends. An artwork is thus acquired for its artistic merits and innovation, as well as what it may reveal or reflect about 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. The works by the latter group are usually experimental and may draw on new media and technologies. Through its acquisition policy and continued funding support from the government, individuals and corporate donors, SAM hopes to showcase the best in contemporary art from the region, as well as encourage artists to create important new pieces of artwork. 18 19
Recent Acquisitions: Status by Jane Lee Jane Lee’s imposing installation Status is a compelling and contemporary take on the age-old medium of painting. Monumental in scale, the spectacle of Status defies simplistic categorisation of media, as it crosses boundaries of painting, sculpture and installation. No longer just a representational medium in Lee’s work, the skeins of red paint in Status have literally escaped from the conventional canvas to become their own frame. In this work, paint is a physical entity in its own right, demanding the viewer to approach it from different angles and perspectives. Status is at once sensuous in all its rich colour, viscosity and textural variations as it is imposingly commanding in its scale. Resembling a doorway or a hallowed portal, Status heralds new ways of thinking about and practising painting in this era of art. About the artist Singaporean artist Jane Lee has a background in both Fine Arts and Fashion. The recipient of the inaugural Singapore Art Exhibition Prize in 2007, Lee has participated in several notable exhibitions in the region and in Europe, including the 2008 Singapore Biennale where she presented the memorable Raw Canvas. In 2009, the artist had her first major solo exhibition at Osage Gallery (Singapore), which showcased her continued experimentation with painting as a medium as well as a subject. The acquisition of this artwork was funded by BinjaiTree Foundation in honour of Chia Yew Kay. Jane Lee, Status, 2009, mixed media installation, 480 x 420 x 20 cm, Singapore Art Museum collection 20 21
Page 1 and 2: COMING SOON Credit Suisse: Innovati
Page 3 and 4: About SAM Director’s Message Dawn
Page 5 and 6: Tags & Treats: Works by Vincent Leo
Page 7 and 8: Public Talk: Imagining Nanyang: Sou
Page 9: Credit Suisse: Innovation In Art Se
Page 13 and 14: Recent Acquisitions: Dear Cai Xiong
Page 15 and 16: Night Festival: New World 2010 at S
Page 17 and 18: Singapore HeritageFest 2010 at SAM
Page 19 and 20: Deutsche Bank Art Bus Programme Wor
Page 21 and 22: Dining Shopping DÔME introduces a
Page 23 and 24: SAM Moments Art Garden: Children’

Online Brochure - Singapore Art Museum

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