It can be a pain to spend a day at a museum in town, particularly if you live at the ends of the island. But for the residents of Tampines, Woodlands and Jurong, that excuse isn’t about to fly for much longer. From April, as the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) undergoes redevelopment, a somewhat replacement travelling art exhibition will brings bits of SAM’s National Collection to those neighbourhoods.
Called the SAM Mini Mobile Museum (or SAMMMM), the initiative partnering SAM and the National Library Board will take contemporary art out of the galleries and into the libraries. The exclusively commissioned works will land at the Regional Libraries of Tampines (Apr 3-May 12), Woodlands (May 15-Jun 23) and Jurong (Jun 26-Aug 4), after being curated by Southeast Asian artists and adapted for non-museum spaces.
For the first installment kicking off Apr 3 at Tampines Regional Library, Filipino artist Rodel Tapaya will present an adaptation of a suite of four dioramas he created in 2009. Currently part of the National Collection, the original works draw from the rich mythology and folklore of indigenous groups across the Philippines. His commissioned adaptation weaves these tales of yore with contemporary issues like environmental damage, urban poverty and pollution.
Pedro and the Witch and Origin of Grain
The Hunter of Pinamaloy and The Wise Monkey and the Foolish Giant
Each exhibition will be accompanied by self-guided and interactive activities, as well as a selection of library books on the artwork themes. It’s the only socially acceptable time you can peruse an exhibition in your pajamas.
SAM Mini Mobile Museum takes place Apr 3-Aug 4 at various venues.
