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‘Why is this here?’: The banks, law firms and hotels in Singapore buying local art
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(Clockwise from top left) Vessels by Singapore ceramist Iskandar Jalil at WongPartnership, Suzann Victor's A Patchwork Tells A Thousand Histories at Morgan Stanley, David Chan's The Grand History in UOB Plaza 1 and Kumari Nahappan's Saranggong at One Farrer Hotel.
ST PHOTOS: JASON QUAH, SHINTARO TAY, CHONG JUN LIANG
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- Singaporean and South-east Asian art is displayed in corporate spaces in Singapore, sparking conversations and reflecting companies' commitment to the region.
- Companies like UBS, Morgan Stanley, UOB and The Farrer Park Company invest in art to build identity, engage employees, and promote regional culture, not purely for investment.
- Art placement faces challenges in logistics and documentation, but companies actively engage employees through tours, catalogues and workshops to increase buy-in.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Stepping into the hush-hush reception area of multinational investment bank UBS in Penang Road, one encounters what looks like a 3m-long gold foil, covered end to end with Danish words in Gothic script.
Someone in search of a meeting room would likely pay it scant attention. But according to UBS art collection specialist Kwok Shao-Hui, it has given those of a particular demographic pause – German and Danish clients, who cannot help but remark: “Why is this here?”
