Arts Picks: Haridas Contemporary’s reopening show, Apad’s 63rd anniversary, Roots & Resonance

Small Things Brought Together

Art gallery Haridas Contemporary is ready to cut the ribbon after

its move

from Lavender Street to art cluster Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

Small Things Brought Together is the inaugural exhibition at this new white cube space, with Singapore artist Melissa Tan’s suspended stainless-steel sculpture as the centrepiece. The group show features nine emerging and mid-career artists – mostly from Singapore, as well as some from Malaysia and the Philippines.

Tan’s eye-catching irregular forms, determined by asteroids’ trajectories, are joined by the paintings of Lucas Tan, Esmond Loh, Jeremy Sharma and Minstrel Kuik, among others.

Filipino artist Lyle Buencamino has two paintings from his Completely Agreeable series, after his successful No Fighting In The Museum series (2009 to 2010) that critiqued austere behaviour in museums with stills of 1950s fist fights drawn from film archives in the Philippines.

Founder Christiaan Haridas says he was sworn to secrecy about the meaning of the Completely Agreeable works that have “Yes” painted on them.

The exhibition doubles as a preview of the gallery’s programming for the next 12 months, which consists of solos of some participants.

Where: Haridas Contemporary, 04-01F Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 37 Keppel Road
MRT: Tanjong Pagar
When: Aug 2 to 31; noon to 7pm (Thursdays to Saturdays), noon to 5pm (Sundays), by appointment only on Wednesdays, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Admission: Free
Info: 

haridascontemporary.com/exhibitions

Cipta – Art Through Time

Malay art association Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (Apad), or Association of Artists of Various Resources, is turning 63. This special five-day exhibition at the School of the Arts is titled Cipta – or create in Malay – showing works by 33 artists from Apad and other art societies.

Most of the over 50 works, spanning sculpture, ceramics, painting, video, installation and mixed media are for sale, with 30 per cent of proceeds going to Apad.

They include the stoneware of Cultural Medallion recipient Iskandar Jalil and the lucid watercolours of Idris Ali.

There are also works by late Malay art pioneers Abdul Ghani Hamid, S. Mohdir, Sulaiman Suhaimi and Sarkasi Said, to whom the show pays special tribute.

Apad president and Maya Gallery co-founder Masturah Sha’ari says: “The 26 Apad members are between the ages of 22 and 85. This ensures the association’s continuity and renewal.”

Where: School of the Arts Gallery, 1 Zubir Said Drive
MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/Rochor
When: Aug 1 to 4, noon to 8pm; Aug 5, 9am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Info:

str.sg/LZJ3

Roots & Resonance

In addition to collector

Chong Huai Seng’s major show

at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, this is yet another collector who has brought out his private acquisitions to honour Singapore’s 60th birthday.

Financial adviser Stephen Teo has selected 25 works from his collection of more than 100 works for a show at Carlton Hotel Singapore, opening on Aug 2.

They span oil, watercolour, acrylic, ink and woodcut, and are by familiar names including second-generation oil painter Koeh Sia Yong, watercolourist Ong Kim Seng and the late ink master Lim Tze Peng.

Expect nostalgic scenes of tranquil kampung, bustling riverside and market trades, as well as heritage architecture of temples and shophouses.

For those who have not had enough of the

samsui woman mural

controversy, look out for Koeh’s more traditional rendition of samsui women squatting for a lunch break, painted in 2024. The exhibition is presented by gallery artcommune.

Where: artcommune gallery, 01-01 Carlton Hotel Singapore, 76 Bras Basah Road
MRT: City Hall
When: Aug 2 to 17, noon to 7pm daily
Admission: Free
Info:

artcommune.com.sg