5 Ongoing, Permanent Exhibits You Should See at National Gallery Singapore

Singapore is home to many galleries and each of them focuses on a specific form, subject, and style that visitors appreciate. If you haven’t ticked the box for the National Gallery in your must-visit museums yet, it’s time to free up your schedule and check out these ongoing and permanent exhibits.

‘Familiar Others’: Emiria Sunassa, Eduardo Masferré and Yeh Chi Wei, 1940s-1970s

“Familiar Others” explores the question “What does it mean to represent people of a culture or ethnicity other than our own?” through the works of Southeast Asian modern artists Emiria Sunassa (1894-1964), Eduardo Masferré (1909-1995), and Yeh Chi Wei (1913-1991). Running until May 14, this exhibit features paintings and photographs of people from the Indonesian archipelago, the Cordillera region of the Philippines, and the indigenous of Sarawak and Sabah. View the brochure here.

Location: Supreme Court Wing, Level 3, UOB Southeast Asia Gallery, Dalam Southeast Asia

‘Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia’

“Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia” features over 300 works that let visitors trace the evolution and functions of photography in Southeast Asia. From studio portraits to an immersive 3D installation, see how photography has shaped the way we see the world and ourselves. Running until Aug. 20, this exhibit is divided into five sections: Colonial Archives, Portraits and Performance, In Real Life, New Subjectivity, and Contemporary Imaginations. View the brochure here.

Location: City Hall Wing, Level 3, Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery

‘Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method’

“Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method” celebrates Taiwan-based artist Liu Kuo-sung’s 70-year career (1950s-2020). Dubbed “the largest exhibition by a Singapore public museum dedicated to the Chinese ink master,” this retrospective show features over 60 paintings and 150 items from Liu Kuo-sung’s personal archive. Running until Nov. 26, the exhibit lets visitors see how the ink master has contributed to the development of modern Chinese ink painting. View the brochure here.

Location: City Hall Wing, Level 4, Level 4 Gallery and Wu Guanzhong Gallery

‘Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore Since the 19th Century’

“Siapa Nama Kamu?” or “What is your name?” in Malay is a long-term exhibit that examines how Singaporean artists coped since the 19th century when Southeast Asia was mostly under European colonial rule. It’s both “a question and an invitation” where guests can contemplate about “how art can operate as a mirror to but also complicate our reality.” The exhibit is divided into six parts: Tropical Tapestry (1880s-1930s), Nanyang Reverie (1930s-1970s), Tradition Unfettered (1940s-1980s), Real Concerns (1950s-1970s), New Languages (1960s-1980s), and Shifting Grounds (1980s-Present).

Location: City Hall Wing, Level 2, DBS Singapore Gallery

Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century

“Between Declarations and Dreams” is credited to the 1948 work of Indonesian poet Chairil Anwar called “Krawang-Bekasi,” which grieves over the massacre of villagers in West Java by Dutch colonial forces and helped pave the way for desiring national independence during that time. Visitors can find this exhibit at the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery, which houses the world’s largest permanent display of modern Southeast Asian art. It’s divided into five parts: Authority and Anxiety, Imagining Country and Self, Manifesting the Nation, Dalam Southeast Asia, and Re:defining Art.

Location: UOB Southeast Asia Gallery, Supreme Court Wing, Level 3-5

The National Gallery Singapore is open daily from 10 AM to 7 PM. Ticket rates are S$20 for Gen Ad with free guided tours; S$25 for Special Exhibition; and S$30 for All Access Pass.

General admission is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs), gallery insiders, children aged six and below, PWDs (and their caregiver), and locally based students and teachers from qualifying institutions. For more information, visit their website.