Arts Picks: Glistens at National Gallery, NLB’s Rare Gallery tours and Nanyang pioneer artists
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Glisten by Lisa Reihana is a kinetic work made up of 114,000 shimmering discs.
PHOTO: NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE
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Glisten by Lisa Reihana
New Zealand artist Lisa Reihana’s new work comes right on time for the Hari Raya Haji long weekend. The kinetic work on the roof of the National Gallery Singapore is made up of 114,000 shimmering discs, twinkling in sunshine and accompanied by the sound of wind chimes.
The geometric patterns in red, black and gold are inspired by the weaving traditions of South-east Asian songket and New Zealand Maori taniko fabrics. The work is a homage to women weavers in these cultures whose labours date back to pre-colonial times and whose practices have kept traditions alive.
Beyond the serious message, the work offers an Instagram-friendly touch of colourful bling that pops brightly against the horizontal roof lines, vertical skyscrapers and blue skies of the gallery’s panoramic view.
This is the seventh edition of the gallery’s Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission.
Where: National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road nationalgallery.sg
When: Till March 30, 10am to 7pm daily
Admission: Free for Singaporeans and permanent residents, $20 for general admission
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Press & Print: Early Imprints Of Singapore
Cermin Mata is one of the first Malay journals published in Singapore.
PHOTO: COLLECTION OF NATIONAL LIBRARY, SINGAPORE
Bibliophile alert. Here are opportunities to gawk at some of the National Library’s rare materials in a series of tours of the Rare Gallery. Press & Print: Early Imprints Of Singapore showcases some of the rarest early examples of publications produced by the first printing houses operating here in the 19th century.
The first printing press here was established by Christian missionaries in 1823. So the oldest item on display is a Malay translation of the Bible’s Sermon on the Mount, one of 500 copies printed in 1829.
The Straits Times Almanack, published by the newspaper a year after it was founded, was an annual compilation of residents, business and government organisations in the port.
PHOTO: COLLECTION OF NATIONAL LIBRARY, SINGAPORE
Also on display is The Straits Times Almanack, Calendar And Directory by the newspaper from 1846, a year after it was established. The annual compilation listing residents, businesses, government departments and other organisations in early Singapore reflects the colony’s growth as a port settlement.
Look out, too, for the beautiful pages, reminiscent of illustrated mediaeval manuscripts, of Cermin Mata, one of the first Malay journals published here from April 1858. Scholar and translator Munshi Abdullah Abdul Kadir probably had a hand in its publication.
Gnana Sooriyan, a weekly Tamil newspaper printed at the Denodaya Press, which was owned by Jawi Peranakan philanthropist Makhdoom Sahib Ghulam Mukhyuddin Sahib.
PHOTO: COLLECTION OF NATIONAL LIBRARY, SINGAPORE
There is also a Dec 11, 1882, edition of Gnana Sooriyan, a weekly Tamil newspaper printed at the Denodaya Press, which was owned by Jawi Peranakan philanthropist Makhdoom Sahib Ghulam Mukhyuddin Sahib.
Tours for June and July are full, but keep an eye on the Eventbrite page for upcoming tours. There are more tours scheduled till Nov 16. There are also talks, in person and over Zoom, on topics related to this exhibition.
Where: Rare Gallery, Level 13 National Library Building, 100 Victoria Street str.sg/GUQp
When: Till Nov 16
MRT: Bugis/City Hall
Admission: Free with registration
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We Shape The World That Shapes Us
Pioneer artist Cheong Soo Pieng’s Returning Home is a 1952 work and one of his largest known ink paintings.
PHOTO: CONFLUENCE ART SPACE
Some rare works by pioneer artists have been put on show recently. Hot on the heels of Sotheby’s spring sale display, which included a rare Georgette Chen and three Cheong Soo Pieng works, comes Confluence Art Space’s latest exhibition.
There are 14 works by 11 first- and second-generation artists. One of the highlights is Cheong’s Returning Home, a 1952 work that is one of his largest known ink paintings. Its vertical composition and use of space reflect his Chinese ink training.
Contrast this with Tan Oe Pang’s striking Skyscrapers And Highways, which similarly waves its Chinese ink heritage with an almost exaggeratedly vertical composition.
The show is themed on Man And Nature, but another theme that seems to link the works is the artists’ use of space.
Tay Bak Koi’s Buffaloes At Sunset centres frolicking animals in front of a cluster of trees on flattened horizontal planes for graphic effect, while watercolourist Ong Kim Seng’s Sanctuary In Bali showcases his masterly use of white space to convey light.
Where: Confluence Art Space, 02-29 Havelock 2, 2 Havelock Road confluenceartspace.com
When: Till July 14; 1 to 6pm, Wednesdays to Sundays; by appointment only, Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays
MRT: Chinatown
Admission: Free
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