Photography has been seen on the walls of the art museum since the 1930s. However, since then, questions have continued to be raised as to what sort of photography and whose photography should be collected and displayed? The role of photography within an art museum is often complicated by its varied, multiple roles in daily life – its non-art functions, which have caused confusion, arguments and schisms. Artists Sean Lee, Mintio, and librarian Janice Loo revisit this medium with respect to a museum’s role in society. This discussion was moderated by Gallery Senior Curator Charmaine Toh. This p ..read more

"An Uncommon History of the Common Fence" is a research project that suggests that the common fence—often used as a protective safety urban device or as a boundary marker demarcating permissible and non-permissible movement—has had an uncommon history within the biography of Singapore. The fence is so commonplace within the urban environment that it recedes from active vision. In fact, the common fence has been a participant in key events in the history of Singapore: as a witness to history, as a site of its making and as its casualty. In these ways, the fence, as an urban design element, has ..read more

To dwell on the questions concerning Islam and Islamic religiosity/spirituality is to acknowledge its position in mainstream art historical narratives and museological practices. Islam is rarely discussed in this largely secular field and the circles of modern and contemporary art. There are only a few scholarships on art in Southeast Asia that address the continuing role of Islam in the region's modern and contemporary artistic practices. This conversation highlighted this "neglected dimension" by focusing on how Islam and Islamic objects are contextualised within museums. It observed how art ..read more

In this episode, art historian Jeffrey Say explores one of the most important phases in the development of Singapore’s modern art history—the 1950s to the 1970s. This period saw the emergence of distinctive movements like the Nanyang Style, visual imagery that drew from the lives and struggles of the common people, and the first sculpture show in Singapore. This session was held in July 2017 at National Gallery Singapore. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording ..read more

Founder and editor of the Indonesian magazine Tempo, Goenawan Mohamad recalls one of Indonesia’s most cherished poets, Chairil Anwar, and offers perspectives on possible genealogies that have constituted modern Southeast Asian literary production since the 1950s.    This session was held in December 2018 as part of the symposium How Easily Modernism Could be Disturbed in conjunction with the exhibition Latiff Mohidin: Pago Pago (1960-1969). This travelling exhibition by National Gallery Singapore was also presented at Centre Pompidou, Paris. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions ..read more

Roger Nelson (Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University and Curator) and Seng Yu Jin (Deputy Director, Curatorial & Exhibitions, National Gallery Singapore) discuss how we can account for the allure of the exotic in depictions of crowds in Southeast Asian places and people through Louis Rollet’s Market at Memot and U Ba Nyan’s At the Jetty.  This talk was held online on Zoom in June 2021 in association with the In-Gallery Sessions programme series. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Galle ..read more

Associate Professor of History Dr Timothy P. Barnard (National University of Singapore) explores how animals fit into colonial society in Singapore, an aspect of the period’s history that is often overlooked. While animals no doubt played an important role in everyday life by providing transportation, labour and food, they also symbolically represented the colonisation of nature. They were used as metaphors for imperial control in media like paintings and photographs, and became integral to perceptions of Singapore and how its place in the tropics was understood. This talk was recorded live in ..read more

Architecture historian Dr Lai Chee Kien examines murals and architecture produced during the heady years just before and after independence in Singapore and Malaysia from 1945 to 1969, and also into the 1970s. This talk was recorded live in March 2020 at National Gallery Singapore as part of the programming for Suddenly Turning Visible: Art and Architecture in Southeast Asia (1969–1989). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained b ..read more

Former Director of the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota discusses the implications of significant shifts in the way art museums work with artists and how they engage with the public, with special reference to the evolution of Tate. This talk was recorded live in October 2018 at National Gallery Singapore. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners ..read more

Assistant Curator Jennifer Lam discusses the history and practice of collecting art in Singapore during the early 20th century, with reference to the Xiu Hai Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy.    This talk was recorded live in September 2017 at National Gallery Singapore in association with the exhibition "Rediscovering Treasures: Ink Art from the Xiu Hai Lou Collection". Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are ..read more