Saturday, December 07, 2013

A visit to Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris



The largest private art museum in Paris, Pinacothèque de Paris, will open its first venue outside of Europe in Singapore! Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris is set to fully open by the first quarter of 2015 at the Fort Canning Centre, within the Fort Canning Park.

Before the full opening of Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris, there will be an exhibition entitled "The Art of Collecting, Masterpieces from the Pinacothèque de Paris" held at the Fort Canning Centre from 14 Sep - 31 Dec 2013. This exhibition "will span over 500 years of art history through prestigious works of art by 20 world-famous artists. In the intimate spaces of the exhibition, I felt as if I was a private collector enjoying these beautiful works of art in my personal showroom.


At the exhibition, Pablo Picasso's Jacqueline left the deepest impression on me. It was my very first time seeing face-to-face a tapestry work by Picasso. I learnt that he did more than 340 tapestries throughout his career. The tapestry looked visually interesting with its monochromatic colour scheme and balanced design. It also offered a practical function during the cold weather.

Rembrandt's Bust of an Old Man with Turban which was essential oil painted on wood was strikingly realistic. I could see for myself that this work was created by a master in portraiture.

Lovers of Andy Warhol's art would look forward to viewing his Marilyn Monroe (1967). This is possibly one of Andy Warhol's representative works. After catching a glimpse of Warhol's Marilyn Monroe, my mind was recollecting whatever I could remember about Pop Art.

For the first time in my life, I saw the artwork entitled Suzanne with Sunflowers (1890). Somehow the style and colours used reminded me of Claude Monet. What a sheer sense of surprise when I learnt that it was indeed a work by Monet himself!

On the side, I was rather attracted to Ter Brugghen Hendrck's The Singing Lute Player (1624). This could be because I play a musical instrument and I had the pleasure to listen to a lute recital several months ago. I learnt that "in the beginning of the 17th century in Utrecht the Netherlands, portraits of musicians in half-length enjoyed popularity".

Although the exhibition space was rather intimate, there were a good number of noteworthy works that will make this exhibition worth a visit. For more information, please visit: http://www.pinacotheque.com.sg

ICOM, OCBC, OCBC Arts, PAssion cardholders, Mastercard Holders as well as members of the French Association of Singapore and the Les Clefs' d'Or Concierges Singapore will enjoy savings at Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris. For more information, please visit: http://www.pinacotheque.com.sg/promotion

Please take note that photography is not allowed in the exhibition.

Nearby the Fort Canning Centre.

***
Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris
The Art of Collecting: Masterpieces from the Pinacothèque de Paris
14 Sep - 31 Dec 2013
Fort Canning Centre
5 Cox Terrace
Singapore 179618
Tel: +65 6883 1588
Admission hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Mon - Thu, Sat - Sun), 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. (Fri)
http://www.pinacotheque.com.sg

Monday, December 02, 2013

Snippets from the 32nd UOB Painting of the Year

Stefanie Hauger's Space Odyssey.


The winning paintings from the 32nd UOB Painting of the Year are currently on display at 72-13 Gallery till 7 Dec 2013. The UOB Painting of the Year competition is the longest-running art competition in Singapore.

This year, the organizer has revised the award categories of the competition. Two distinct categories have been created, i.e. the Emerging Artist and the Established Artist. At this year's exhibition, winning entries from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are being displayed.

Less than a week ago, I took a trip to 72-13 Gallery to view the winning paintings. The 2013 UOB Painting of the Year, "Space Odyssey" by Stefanie Hauger caught my eyes. Another painting which had caught my attention was Lim Quan Zhao's "The Transcendence of Love".

72-13 Gallery is located nearby Singapore Tyler Print Institute. To get to 72-13 Gallery, one can take bus services 32, 54, 139 or 195 to River Valley Road. Alternatively, the nearest MRT train stations are Clarke Quay and Dhoby Ghaut. It will take about 15 minutes to walk from the stations to the 72-13 Gallery. For a map to get to 72-13 Gallery, please visit this site: http://www.72-13.com/


32nd UOB Painting of the Year
From 26 Nov to 7 Dec 2013
3 p.m. - 9 p.m. (27 Nov 2013)
1 p.m. - 9 p.m. daily (28 Nov - 7 Dec 2013)
72-13 Gallery
72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road
Free admission
http://www.uobpoy.com