Museums and art galleries weren’t just made for rainy days. As we roll right into the second half of the year, so do the new shows just keep on coming. If you’re ever feeling stuck for what to do on a weekend (that doesn’t involve copious amounts of booze and cash), a trip to any of these inspiring exhibitions should do nicely. The best part: they’re all free admission.
En Bloc, or Buildings Must Die (Through Sep 23)
What do getai ghosts, Golden Mile Complex and the Singapore Girl have in common? They’ve all, unwittingly or not, become icons of heritage in a time where dying buildings and profiting off local culture have become part and parcel of life. En Bloc, or Buildings Must Die is The Substation’s first installment in a year-long look at heritage, itself one part of a three-year curatorial direction to scrutinize (and critique) our city. For this one month, the experimental art space on Armenian Street will transform into a hubbub of new art exhibitions, panels, and parties that look at the conservation discourse and practices in Singapore.
Where: The Substation, 45 Armenian St.
Before It All Goes: Architecture from Singapore’s Early Independence Years (Through Sep 29)
With heritage and en bloc fever in the spotlight, local architectural photographer Darren Soh’s latest solo exhibition blends seamlessly into the conversation. He’s documented some of Singapore’s most recognized buildings and sites—some in danger of being demolished, some already disappeared—including iconic buildings like Pearl Bank Apartments, People’s Park Complex and Rochor Centre. In 50 images, come appreciate the richness of our early landscape and architectural histories.
Where: Objectifs, Chapel Gallery
The More We Get Together: Singapore’s Playgrounds 1930–2030 (Through Sep 30)
After their last show (a blockbuster war exhibition remembering the fall of Singapore), the National Museum’s current exhibition is a walk in the park—or playground, actually. For the first time, the museum has collaborated with the Housing & Development Board (HDB) to celebrate the historical icon that is Singapore playgrounds. More than just play spaces, playgrounds here were a place to build community and inspire intergenerational bonding; from the famous “spider web” climbing tower in West Coast Park to the unassuming playground sets in HDB estates. Journeying through 100 years, the exhibition reminisces on the crucial development of local playgrounds past, and explores their evolving role in the decades to come. Four “vignettes” (or rooms) even innovatively incorporate classic playground textures (think mosaic tiles and rubber flooring) into the design for a nostalgic walk through history. Don’t be mistaken—this exhibition isn’t just for the young; but the young at heart.
Where: National Museum of Singapore, Stamford Gallery
Wind Walkers: Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests (Through Sep 30)
Dutch artist Theo Jansen is sending his prized Strandbeests to our shores. In fact entirely non-living, his world-renowned creatures made of PVC and wood are powered by wind, and spend their days moving gracefully across beaches (hence their name, which translates to “beach animal” in Dutch). Head to the ArtScience Museum for an exclusive look at this new species, where you can look at “fossils” of past beests, and even walk alongside 13 original Strandbeests. What a story that’d make to tell your grandkids, aye?
Where: ArtScience Museum
Marvel Studios: Ten Years of Heroes (Through Sep 30)
2018 has shaped up to be a fantastic year for Marvel. Besides the two epic movies releasing to staggering global success, they’re also presenting an exhibition at the ArtScience Museum, which delves into the science and tech behind the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe. Look forward to ten themed sections dedicated to your favorite superheroes from the MCU, complete with interactive experiences—like projection mapping of Iron Man’s suit and motion-sensor dancing Baby Groot— exploring the art, science and technology behind the superhero stories that have become so integral to our pop culture today.
Where: ArtScience Museum
Most people were silent (Through Oct 10)
Singapore’s first Nobel Peace Prize photographer Sim Chi Yin is exhibiting exclusive photos and videos from her series Fallout, which documents life and landscapes in the nuclear age. The series was commissioned in 2017 by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons for the Nobel Peace Prize exhibition, and features haunting images of nuclear sites in North Korea (the only country to test nuclear weapons in the 21st Century) and the United States (the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons)—juxtaposing the two to reveal the similarities between both. Sim recently joined Magnum Photos, and is currently a photojournalist on assignment for publications like National Geographic and The New York Times.
Where: Earl Lu Gallery, Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, LASALLE College of the Arts
Amek Gambar: Peranakans and Photography (Through Feb 3, 2019)
The Peranakan community has always been a topic of interest, whether it’s to do with their food, culture, practices or background. It’s also a little-known fact that Peranakans were amongst the first to adopt photography when it first arrived in Southeast Asia back in the 1840s. Dive into all that rich heritage yourself at the Peranakan Museum’s latest exhibition, which explores more than 160 years of photography in the region, pictured through the lives of the early Peranakans.
Where: Peranakan Museum, 39 Armenian St
Selling Dreams: Early Advertising in Singapore (Through Feb 24, 2019)
The advertising world has come a long way since the mid-1800s, particularly for a young nation like Singapore then, still finding its feet under colonial rule amid a sudden economic boom. From Cold Storage to Tiger Balm, the National Library’s latest exhibition charts the nostalgic growth of advertising in Singapore, focusing particularly on print advertisements from the 1830s to 1960s. Ads across all industries—including traditional medicine, travel, retail and even our local supermarkets—are organized in a department store set-up. Aside from just print advertisements, the exhibition also includes interactive multimedia stations for you to experience life as a consumer in early Singapore.
Where: Level 10 Gallery, National Library Building
The Little Prince: Behind the Story (Through Mar 17, 2019)
On the year of its 75th anniversary, the magical story of a certain little French prince comes to life at the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Digging deeper into the story, more than 250 exhibits will be on display—including personal items belonging to the author (and aviator) Antoine de Saint-Exupery, letters, stamps and other philatelic materials relating to the novella and author, as well as rare, unpublished illustrations of The Little Prince by Saint-Exupery himself. Since its publishing in 1943, the book has been officially translated into 300 languages, and is one of the most-translated books in the world.
Where: Singapore Philatelic Museum, 23B Coleman Street
Lim Cheng Hoe: Painting Singapore (Through Jun 9, 2019)
For an eye-soothing break from reality, there are the 60 works from Lim Cheng Hoe, one of Singapore’s pioneer and leading watercolor artists. The artist passed in 1979, but his work lives on—in brush strokes that capture the country’s evolving landscapes and people from the 1930s to the 1970s, documenting our growth from kampongs and fishing villages into a burgeoning city of independence.
Where: National Gallery Singapore
