Cultural Medallion recipient Goh Beng Kwan holds solo exhibition to celebrate 85 years of his life

SINGAPORE - In celebration of his 85th year, Cultural Medallion recipient and pioneer generation artist Goh Beng Kwan opened his solo exhibition #GBK85 at Conrad Centennial Hotel on Thursday morning (May 19).

The 85 artworks on display are a snapshot of his 60-year career as a painter and mixed-media artist.

The exhibition is curated unconventionally in guest suites on the sixth floor of the hotel, with the artworks arranged chronologically and each suite dedicated to a particular time period.

The exhibition covers his early works from the 1950s, his practice in New York in the 1960s, all the way up to his latest Covid-19 pandemic series.

Mr Goh, who turns 85 in December, said: "When I was 60 years old, someone suggested that I do a retrospective exhibition of my works, but I thought I was too young. Time has passed too quickly since, and now I think this is the right time."

A highlight of the exhibition are his pandemic works, which are mixed media on newspapers. They feature a darker and more muted colour palette to represent the sombre emotions he felt during the lockdown.

The suites are decorated with memorabilia from Mr Goh's 85 years, such as vintage cameras, an old television set, and a closet filled with clothes from his youth.

Inaugurating the opening ceremony on Thursday was President Halimah Yacob, who praised Mr Goh for his life's work and his contributions to the local arts scene.

"It (the exhibition) showcases not only his work, but also his life as an artist to inspire Singaporeans, especially the next generation, through stories of Mr Goh's rich lifetime of experience. This exhibition brings our various communities together to embrace the future of visual arts in Singapore," said Madam Halimah.

Mr Goh has been an influential artist in Singapore, contributing significantly to the development of the local contemporary art scene. He has garnered numerous accolades for his work, such as the UOB Painting of the Year Competition in 1982 for his collage entitled Dune, and the Cultural Medallion for Visual Arts in 1989.

His works have been featured in over 120 exhibitions across Asia, Europe and the United States. Some of them can be seen at Punggol MRT station and Farrer Park Hospital.

#GBK85 marries traditional media with new technology by incorporating augmented reality (AR). Viewers can interact with Mr Goh's artworks through a mobile application developed by ArtAF, an art platform founded by his daughter Hazeleen Goh to honour her father and support his work.

Ms Goh said that since the hotel corridor had many empty wall panels that they could not drill screws into, the AR technology would allow them to display more of Mr Goh's works, albeit digitally. Patrons can use the app to scan the walls of the exhibition space to view these artworks.

"We feel that the app will help more people collect art and make it more accessible," Ms Goh, 42, said.

Four of the AR works were minted as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for the National Gallery Singapore's fund-raiser, Gallery Benefit, in January this year. NFTs are cryptocurrency assets that record ownership of a digital file such as an image, video or text.

A firm believer of the therapeutic uses of art in supporting mental well-being, Mr Goh will donate a portion of every ticket sold to the Singapore Association for Mental Health.

The exhibition is open to the public from May 20 to 29, from 11am to 9pm. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite for $13.65 per adult. It is free for children under the age of seven.