OH! Potong Pasir

These few weeks, on the green open spaces of the Bidadari Field, passerby will have the opportunity to witness an installation that looks like a wayang stage. This wooden structure conceived by Randy Chan is titled Palimpsest (2016).

Randy Chan's Palimpsest (2016).

In its own ways, this installation give a hint to the key theme of departed spaces that underpins OH! Potong Pasir, an art walkabout. In this year's edition of OH! Open House, artists explore the theme of departed spaces.

For this year's art walkabout, much of the tour was spent visiting spaces in the public housing estate of Potong Pasir. I witnessed for myself that the estate was going through a series of upgrading. Construction can be found easily at many corners of the estate.

Do you know what the words "Potong Pasir" mean? "Potong" means cut, and "Pasir" means sand. One of the artists, Ong Kian Peng, presents two sandscape installations to recall Potong Pasir's origins as a sand quarry by the Kallang River for this year's OH! Open House.

A glimpse of Ong Kiang Peng's Fractal Dunes (2016).

I had the pleasure to attend one of the Director's Cut tours on the first weekend of OH! Potong Pasir. One of my favourite segments of the tour was the visual to a beautiful and scenic view of the Kallang River from Jacob Ballas Bridge that connects St Andrew's Junior School and St Andrew's Junior College. I felt thankful for the good weather. Nature is a brilliant artist!

Other than the privilege to explore the public housing estate of Potong Pasir, OH! Potong Pasir brought us to recollect a place that no longer exist now, the Alkaff Gardens. While learning about a place which I totally had no personal experience of, I start to wonder if I had missed out on any interesting experiences. When wondering, I awed at the ideas behind the work, Consigned, by Tan Wee Lit.

Tan Wee Lit's Consigned. (2016)/

What about more of the art pieces that are showcased during OH! Potong Pasir? Patience please. An art walkabout like OH! Open House has to be experienced, and not read. How about signing up for one of the tours instead?

Interesting observations at OH! Potong Pasir.

Details can be found as follow:

OH! Potong Pasir
12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 March 2016
2 p.m. - 10 p.m.
(Last tour leaves at 8 p.m.)
Each tour is about 2.5 hours in duration.
Admission: 
S$25 per person 
(S$45, For the "Director's Cut tour on Saturdays)
Meeting place: Potong Pasir Community Club.
http://ohopenhouse.peatix.com/view
http://ohopenhouse.org
https://www.facebook.com/ohopenhouse


Tip: Please wear comfortable shoes and appropriate clothing. Bring along a bottle of water. It will come in handy on a hot day especially.

Second weekend of Singapore Night Festival 2015 - Glimpses of humanity

Photo source: Bras Basah.Bugis FB page.

After a fantastic first weekend of the Singapore Night Festival 2015, will you be game for more during the second weekend of the Singapore Night Festival 2015?

The second weekend, while enjoying the glitz and glamour of the nights, I shall look out for programmes that will remind us of our shared humanity. We are so different yet we are so similar and interconnected. So here are my special picks for the second weekend:

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Before the show.

Lost Vegas
By Frankie Malachi (Singapore)
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
7 p.m.
Free admission with registration

The puppets maneuvered by the award-winning puppeteers, Frankie Malachi, may not be real human beings, yet under the skilled hands of puppeteer, they communicate glimpses of humanity. We love, and we fear. We experience sadness, joy, anger and more. Frankie is a pioneer in the use of giant puppets, marionette puppetry and black-light puppetry in Singapore.

News: As of 26 Aug 20115, 5.30 p.m., all tickets to Lost Vegas shows have been taken up.

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Garden of Angels.

Photo source: Bras Basah.Bugis FB page.

Garden of Angels - Performance
By Theater TOL (Belgium)

Parade starting from Armenian Street
28 and 29 Aug 2015 
8.00 p.m. (30 minutes)

National Museum of Singapore, Front Lawn

28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015

9.00 p.m., 11.00 p.m. (25 mins show)

Are you someone who likes the paintings of Russian-French artist, Marc Chagall, whose works were based on emotional association? One essential feature of being human is that we experience emotions. How would a dance move, a facial expression and a body gesture be associated to our emotions?

For the Night Festival supporters who would be willing to wait till the second weekend of this year's festival, they will find themselves joining dancers, musicians and more in a surreal and vibrant parade that will start at 8 p.m. from the Armenian Street. The parade culminates at the National Museum of Singapore.

As the title of this performance suggests, with a bit of imagination, be prepared to witness an aerial carousel of angels descending from the heavens. Don't many of us hope for miracles in our lives?

May we find enough hope and miracles in our lives.

Rehearsal: Theater TOL Armenian Street.

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Bugis Street. At Cheng Yan Place.

One of the Festival Specials:

Bugis Street
Cheng Yan Place
29 Aug 201
8 p.m. - 12 midnight

This may be the festival special for anyone who would like to catch a one-night only glimpse of Bugis Street in the glitzy days of its past. Those were the days when it was the international go-to place for fun, comedy, cabarets and more. Expect to see staged flamboyantly-dressed women and sailors posing for photographs and dancing to the tunes. This festival special at Bugis Street aptly reveals a common humanity's interest in having fun, lots of fun? Our definition of fun can be subjective however.

Tip: To enjoy the best of this one-night only glamourous Bugis Street event, it could help to leave the children at home or have them being well-supervised and entertained at one of the museums, especially the SAM@8Q, while the adults check this out. While this event does not have adult-only content, we would prefer not to have too many inquisitive questions from our young ones that we could not answer, won't we?

Please keep our expectations moderate for this. This festival special is actually not one of the main highlights of the Night Festival. However, I have chosen to bring special attention to it because it is an one-night only event that will attempt to offer a glimpse of the past flamboyant nights of Bugis Street.

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Eat@Festival Village
SMU Green
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
SMU Campus Green

A trip to the Singapore Night Festival 2015 will not be complete without checking out the Festival Village to enjoy performances by the local artistes. Furthermore, there will be a number of specialty pop-up food stalls reminding us that we human beings need food to survive. Take the MRT train to Bras Basah MRT station to head for the SMU Campus Green.

Being a biased and picky eater, my personal favourite are:
Spinacas for its Meaty Nachos - for the meat-lover who thrives on protein

The quarters - The durian creme brulee is a dessert for the durian lover.

Swag - for people who love having vegetables or like an option that is vegetarian.
Nomad - The Gallant - For its satay-in-a-cup, the affogato and beverages.

Spinacas

The durian creme brulee (duriancanboleh)

Swag

Nomad - The Gallant

The rest of the food stalls also serve delicious food. Could you share with me your verdict please?

More information on Eat@Festival Village can be found here: http://nightfest.sg/festivals-programmes/programmes/festival-village-eat-and-shop

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Garden of Angels. By Theater TOL.

In addition to the above-mentioned picks, you are welcomed to customize and design your own Singapore Night Festival 2015 itinerary by browsing through the Singapore Night Festival 2015's festival website: http://nightfest.sg

Please be reminded that most of the night lights from the first weekend will continue to be showcased during the second weekend, so you could refer to my earlier blog-post: Singapore Night Festival 2015 - Glitz and Glamour for an option or two.

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Singapore Night Festival 2015
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
http://nightfest.sg
https://www.facebook.com/brasbasahbugis

Zone 1: National Museum of Singapore (The main festival zone)
Zone 2: Armenian Street (The edgy and experimental festival zone where music, song and dance take centre stage)
Zone 3: House of Glamour (An eclectic mix of ticketed local performances on Cathay Green)
Zone 4: Festival Village (Local bands, buskers, flea market and pop-up food kiosks)
Zone 5: SAM and Queen Street (The artistic activities gather here)

Festival Tip: Choose one or two zones from this year's Singapore Night Festival 2015 and focus on enjoying what the zone/s has to offer for the night. After which, visit the Singapore Night Festival on another night to check out another zone.

Festival Tip #2: Travel by public transport, especially by MRT train, as there will be road closure and slow traffic on the roads of the vicinity. The nearby MRT stations are: Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut and City Hall.

A visit to Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris

Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris.

It has been slightly more than two months since the opening of the private art museum Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris. This Singapore branch of the renowned private art museum opened its doors to the public on 30 May 2015.

I finally set aside time to make a visit to Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris on the weekend that had past. The word 'Pinacothèque' is derived from the word pinacotheke in Greek which means 'box of paintings'. I learnt that Pinacotheque take its name from the 'cabinets of curiosities' in which wealthy individuals or royal families would gather art and artefacts and display these treasured items in.

One of my favourite paintings in "The Collections" gallery.
Monet's "Suzanne with Sunflowers".

Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris showcases more than forty masterpieces from artists like Rembrandt, Picasso and Money in its Collections gallery. Stepping into "The Collections" gallery, I felt I had entered the modern place of dwelling of a person with a fine taste in fine arts. The gallery space is cosy and inviting. I love the idea of placing seats for visitors to take our time to appreciate the artworks while resting our feet. The artworks that were showcased were sourced entirely from private collections. These artworks were arranged not by when they were painted. Instead, they were arranged in a way that was said to facilitate visual dialogues between the artworks which elicit the common themes and connections between the artworks.

I learnt that this approach of curating art is the signature "transversality" approach of Marc Restellini, founder of Pinacothèque de Paris and Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris. It took me quite a while to appreciate that this curatorial approach is a style of curating art which transcends time and genres to draw interesting connections between different artworks. I quite like this refreshing approach as it got me to look beyond an artwork itself and got me to look at the relationships between the artworks on display.

A glimpse of the Heritage Gallery.

For people who are uncertain whether to venture into this private art museum, they could begin with visiting the Heritage Gallery which was specially created for Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris. Entry is free to the Heritage Gallery, and this arrangement goes a long way to show that art appreciation can be an affordable endeavour. The Heritage Gallery traces Singapore's legacy to diverse cultures and civilizations throughout centuries. I could appreciate this gallery better when I attended one of the museum's highlights tour. Please ask about the highlights tour at the ticketing counter before you start your visit.

Last but not the least, in this cozy and beautiful space of the Fort Canning Arts Centre, is "The Features" gallery on the second level. Currently, the blockbuster exhibition on display at "The Features" gallery is entitled "The Myth of Cleopatra". This exhibition explores the origins of the myth related to Cleopatra. While I had left the exhibition still feeling a rather clueless about Cleopatra, it stuck to my mind that she was not a Egyptian yet she had ruled Egypt.

A few of the exhibits from "The Myth of Cleopatra".

Overall, I think art-lovers who prefer to appreciate works of art in more intimate spaces would find Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris a worthy place to visit. I would think it would be cost-effective to get an all-access pass and spend about two hours in this museum.

There are food and beverage establishments at the basement of Fort Canning Arts Centre in which Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris is housed in. These are:
- Fort by Maison Ikkoku which serve famed handcrafted cocktails and other dishes,
- Myra's, a restaurant serving Mexican, Indian and Italian fare,
- Giovanni L Cafe Deluxe & Seattle Pike Chowder, which serves chowder and gelato
- Brasserie Balzac, a French bistro

Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris also organizes art classes and other art-related courses to engage audiences from all walks of life. To find out more, I suggest that we visit the museum's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/singaporepinacotheque and browse under "Art Academy".

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Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris

Fort Canning Arts Centre

5 Cox Terrace

Singapore 179620

Nearest MRT station: Dhoby Ghaut

For more information, please visit:

http://www.pinacotheque.com.sg
https://www.facebook.com/singaporepinacotheque

OH! Open House, Joo Chat (2015)

No Man's Land. Beside 136 Tembeling Road.

A charming neighbourhood, a curious mind, an interest to view artworks in the private spaces that are usually otherwise out-of-bounds, a physical body that is ready to walk for two hours under any weather condition and a heart that is open to start their journey from the No Man's Land - all these qualities are what will attract anyone to join any one of this year's OH! Open House art walkabouts!

A Golden Class Ticket

I began my journey of this year's OH! Open House with a Golden Class Ticket. This ticket brought me to an exclusive visit to a private house that others with the usual ticket will not get to see. It includes a Golden Class Lounge experience, a Golden Treasure Box, a Golden Guide, other companions and a OH! 2015 journal. I am thankful to be the lucky ones who have ordered one of the Golden Class Tickets before they were fully sold out. In the meantime, I understand that there will still be the regular tickets to OH! Joo Chiat available for sale at door.

The holding area?

This week marks the first week of the OH! Open House tours. After the exclusive visit to a private house and enjoying what was referred to as the "Director's Cut", the tour began like all the regular OH! Joo Chiat tours at No Man's Land, beside 136 Tembeling Road. I recommend that the serious-minded participants get a copy of the OH! 2015 journal to read the curator's note by Alan Oei, the artistic director of OH! Joo Chiat. He weaved some of his personal stories of growing up in Joo Chiat into his curator's note.

One of the OH! Journals hidden in a box that triggered a sense of nostalgia.

To keep the element of surprise for everyone else who has not gone for the tour, I shall not attempt to document my experience of OH! Joo Chiat in this post. Instead, I will share a few highlights of this tour from my personal perspective.

My favourite stopping point: 106 Joo Chiat Place

The most nostalgic stopping point for me from the OH! Joo Chiat art walkabout tour was 106 Joo Chiat Place. I have not been visiting the area for more than a year, and now the new development at 106 Joo Chiat Place stands at the site that used to be Studio 106, the art studio of the late local sculptor, Ng Eng Teng. Admittedly, the previous house has more character and appeal to me.

Studio 106, in year 2008.

106 Joo Chiat Place, in year 2013. 14 Mar 2015.

It was a pleasure to see Ng Eng Teng's Sultan of Pahang and another of his works (I do not know the title of this work) plus a replica of the double-heart shaped water feature that used to stand at the site of Ng Eng Teng's art studio.

Ng Eng Teng's Sultan of Pahang stood prominently against the other works.

Admittedly, Ng Eng Teng's works were so overpowering that I overlooked the beauty of Kum Chee Kin and Kum Chee Kiong's works Fragments (2015) and Old Logs (2015). Reflecting after the tour, their works which were made from fragments retrieved from the former Ng Eng Teng's art studio at 106 Joo Chiat Place helped to connect visitors to a glimpse of the past of that very site. It was at 106 Joo Chiat Place that the late Ng Eng Teng had created many of his masterpieces and works of art.

The sculpture with a tear drop and a replica of the water feature.

Fragments, 2015. CK Kum.

The bigger it is, the more it sticks.
The work that struck most in my mind was S.S. Nimby (2015) put together by Randy Chan, Fiona tan and Zenas Deng. The artists added various objects into a lifeboat which one of the volunteers, Boon, had offered to OH! Joo Chiat for use for the art installation. This boat represented his lifetime of longing. In the meantime, in the work, S.S. Nimby, the artists evoked Noah's Ark. A very personal piece of art work in many ways. I suppose the bigger the work is, the more it sticks in our memories?

My brief conclusion
This tour triggered memories. It got me thinking about what development is. It got me acquainted with the community spirit of the Joo Chiat neighbourhood. I was surprised, not, to walk past pubs and even stepped into two hotel rooms! I am thankful to the dedicated golden guide, the hosts who have generously opened up their private realms to host OH! Joo Chiat and the team who has made the event possible.

A pretty interesting art walkabout to spend a weekend away exploring with strangers and other companions. In life, there are no strangers, perhaps like one quote says, "only friends we have not met".

Was Sold Out! Thankfully, more tickets have been released!

At the time of writing, although the tickets to this year's OH! Open House had been sold out previously. I learnt that the organizer will be releasing 80 MORE TICKETS. This translates to five more slots for every door. The tickets will be sold at the door for anyone who is willing to queue for the tickets. Even if you cannot get your ticket, you can explore the neighbourhood and enjoy the charms of the Joo Chiat area.

136 Tembeling Road. Near Koon Seng Road.

OH! Open House, Joo Chiat

Starting Point: No Man's Land, beside 136 Tembeling Road.
Bus services nearby: 33, 16.
(Consider taking these bus services from the bus-stop nearest to Dakota MRT station. Exit by Exit A, on the side leading to Jalan Satu)

Language: OH! Joo Chiat will be conducted in English. 

Tours in other languages can be conducted (subject to availability) upon prior special request, with a minimum of 15 pax.

Tour dates:

14 Mar 2015, Sat

15 Mar 2015, Sun

21 Mar 2015, Sat

22 Mar 2015, Sun

28 Mar 2015, Sat

29 Mar 2015, Sun

Tour timings: 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Last tour leaves at 7.45 p.m.)

Ticket pricing: $25 (excludes booking fee).

Website: http://ohopenhouse.org
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ohopenhouse

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You may also like to visit:
http://oceanskies79places.blogspot.sg/search/label/Open%20House
http://oceanskies79places.blogspot.sg/search?q=ng+eng+teng

Ju Ming Taichi Series, Monumental Outdoor Exhibition at Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Ju Ming's Taichi Series - Preparation for Underarm strike,1985. Bronze.

Ju Ming Taichi Series, Monumental Outdoor Exhibition 
Singapore Botanic Gardens, Bukit Timah Core 
17 Jan 2015 -16 Apr 2015 
Extended till 31 May 2015
Free admission 

The artworks by Ju Ming have always fascinated me. He is arguably Taiwan's most influential sculptor. Born in 1938, Ju Ming attained fame in Taiwan in the 1970s and in New York in 1983.

Ju Ming's Taichi Series, 1994. Bronze.

Back in the year 2004, I have had the pleasure to see and experience a number of his sculptures at various location in Singapore. The brilliant colours of his "Living World" series caught my attention immediately. It was however his "Taichi" series that I have found intriguing and more innovative. When I learnt that Ju Ming's Taichi series would be exhibited in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, I planned and made time to check out the Ju Ming Taichi Series Monumental Outdoor Exhibition.

Ju Ming's Taichi Series - Taichi Arch, 2000. Bronze.

This monumental outdoor exhibition will feature fifteen of Ju Ming's bronze masterpieces from the Taichi Series, set within the landscaped outdoor spaces of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

I enjoyed viewing Ju Ming's sculptures outside the usual confines of a gallery. The beautiful landscaped spaces of the Singapore Botanic Garden greatly complemented Ju Ming's sculptures from his Taichi Series. Words cannot quite describe the experiences of viewing Ju Ming's sculptures. If forced to find words to describe, in essence, each sculpture is like a poetic form that seems to interact with the surrounding works of Nature.

Ju Ming's Taichi Series, 1996, Bronze.

Go and experience his sculptures in the outdoor spaces of the Singapore Botanic Gardens for yourself. This exhibition is free-of-charge and will continue till 16 Apr 2015.

Members of the public enjoying their recreational activities at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

For visitors using public transport such as the MRT or buses, enter via the Bukit Timah Gate, or take the MRT train to the Botanic Gardens MRT station.

For visitors who are driving and need parking spaces, enter via the Cluny Park Gate and park your vehicles there.

Updates on 10 Feb 2015: iPRECIATION will be organizing a guided walking tour for the monumental sculptures exhibition at the Bukit Timah Core area, near Eco-lake. For more information, please visit Ju Ming Tachi series Walking Tours.

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For more information, please visit:

• Ju Ming Taichi Series, Monumental Outdoor Exhibition at Singapore Botanic Gardens (iPRECIATION)
• Ju Ming Taichi Sculptures at Bukit Timah Core (National Parks)

Signature Art Prize 2014

During one of my recent visits to the Singapore Art Museum, I set aside time to check out the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. The triennial APB Foundation Signature Art Prize recognizes the most outstanding contemporary work by artists from the Asia-Pacific region in the last three years.

The Signature Art Prize 2014 exhibition held at the Singapore Art Museum features the artworks of the 15 finalists which were chosen from a total of 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and territories from the Asia-Pacific region. The 15 finalists were selected by a panel of five eminent judges based on the following evaluation criteria:

- strength of the ideas and the concept

- creative use of medium, material or technique

- artistic insight and interpretation

- imagination and originality

There are a couple of interesting artworks that have caught my attention during my visit to the exhibition. Admittedly, I find contemporary art challenging to understand at times. Thankfully, catalogues are available to provide visitors with insights to better understand each of the selected artworks.

Here are some of my favourite artworks from the Signature Art Prize 2014 exhibition:

Robert Zhao Renhui's Eskimo Wolf Trap often quoted in Sermons.

Robert Zhao Renhui's Eskimo Wolf Trap often quoted in Sermons invoked me to think about the relationship between humans and the snow wolf, the predator and the prey. The installation looked pure and minimalist, yet it was rather thought-provoking. I started to imagine how a snow wolf would cut its own tongue as it is lured by the blood-stained knife and starts to lick the blade.

Nguyen Trinh Thi's Unsubtitled.

Nguyen Trinh Thi's Unsubtitled somehow brings its audience to immerse into a very close experience almost face-to-face with the 19 artists who each performed the acting of eating a food item of their choice, stating their name and identifying what they had just eaten. The freedom of expression cannot be taken for granted. I thought that the use of life-size video projections against a dark setting works out really well. A very creative choice of medium and way of presentation.

Liu Jianhua's Trace.

Liu Jianhua's Trace had unconsciously made me felt its powerful impact when I walked past it while walking up the museum's central stairwell. This site-specific sculptural installation harmoniously bridged three different zones. As I walked up the stairway, I felt beckoned to imagine the nuances of tonality, shade, texture and depth that black ink can take. I like the idea of turning inkflow into sculpture. This somehow forced me to look at black ink and the Chinese art of calligraphy in a different way.

Choe U-Ram's Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole).

Choe U-Ram's Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) intrigued me with its use of machinery and robotics to realize a imaginary creature that originated from a myth written by the artist. I cannot help but to take many looks of it to figure out how this machine-like artwork works.

Arin Rungjang's Golden Teardrop.

Arin Rungjang's Golden Teardrop was one of the artworks that attracted my interest. The  title of the artwork alludes to a traditional egg-yolk dessert that was first created in mediaeval convents in Portugal and introduced to the 17th century Siamese court by a Portuguese-Bengali-Japanese woman. I like the narrative story-telling character of the documentary video which gave me a glimpse to some of the key historical events and cultures that have shaped the Southeast Asian region.

The sculpture formed by almost 6000 brass teardrops suspended from a large frame made of timber salvaged from a traditional Thai house and steel beams from an old factory somehow formed an interesting backdrop for me to reflect as I watched the documentary video that was framed through Thai history.

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The above-mentioned are my favourite artworks from the exhibition, not in any particular order. I was eager to support my favourite artworks. The good news is that voting for our favourite arwork has began on 14 Nov 2014. Members of the public can vote for their favourite artwork from the 15 finalists. The finalist artwork with the highest number of public votes will win the People's Choice Award, which is one of the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014 awards. Voters can vote once a day from 14 Nov 2014 until the votes close at 11:59 p.m. on 21 Jan 2015. Voters stand to win prizes too.

To vote for your favourite finalist artwork, please visit: https://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/signatureartprize/gallery.php

*****
APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014
14 Nov 2014 - 15 Mar 2015
Singapore Art Museum
71 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189555

https://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/signatureartprize/index.php

Opening hours:
Mondays - Sundays: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Fridays: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Admission:
Citizens and permanent Residents - Free
Foreign visitors, adults - S$10 each
Foreign visitors, students - S$5 each
Foreign visitors, senior citizens - S$5 each
Free for children under six
For more details, please visit: http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg

Recommended: Leonardo da Vinci's Earlier Mona Lisa, the exhibition

From 16 Dec 2014 to 11 Feb 2015, I highly recommend art enthusiasts visit the historic The Arts House at the Old Parliament to marvel at the world premiere of the exhibition entitled Leonardo da Vinci's Earlier Mona Lisa. This exhibition offers visitors the exceptional opportunity to see in person the painting now known as the "Earlier Mona Lisa".

In this exhibition, each visitor will be treated to an interactive tablet-led audiovisual-guided tour that will guide visitors to explore the scientific and historical evidences supporting the painting's attribution to Leonardo da Vinci. Participants of all ages can enjoy the audiovisual-guided tour. The tablet-led multimedia application is available in two version:, one for the adults and one for the children. Visitors will be requested to produce their identity documents to exchange for the interactive multimedia tablet. The identity documents will be returned upon the return of the tablet at the end of the tour.

I think it was an apt idea that the painting, the "Earlier Mona Lisa", was being exhibited in the former Parliamentary Chamber of the historic Old Parliament House. I simply felt I was being transported back in time the moment I stepped into the former Parliamentary Chamber. In this chamber, Singapore's first parliament session was opened by the then President Yusof bin Ishak on 8 Dec 1965.

Visitors could take a seat on one of the seats in the former Parliamentary Chamber to admire and marvel at Leonardo da Vinci's "Earlier Mona Lisa" against the backdrop of the Neoclassical design prominent of the building. The lucky visitors may find themselves sitting on seats that had been sat on by notable politicians. Please take note that according to the signs that were being put up, a maximum of 80 visitors is allowed into the Chamber at each given time.

The "Earlier Mona Lisa" attributed to Leonardo da Vinci is simply beautiful and awe-inspiring. I spent time looking at the sfumato technique that was used in this painting. The graduations are so subtle from light to dark areas, without any sharp outlines. I have yet to figure out the kind of lighting that has been used to cast on the painting. I will be interested to find out more about it.

In the Chamber.

Accordingly to the publicity materials, I learnt that the adult tour is designed to take 1 - 1.5 hours. However, art enthusiasts who would like to examine the various supporting evidences that are being presented at this exhibition could consider setting aside more time to tour the entire exhibition. I spent more than three hours at this exhibition browsing through the various supporting evidences.

All the sections in the exhibition were engaging and interesting to me:

• Historical Evidence: The historical evidence involving the history of the painting during the Italian Renaissance. The names Giorgio Vasari, Agostino Vespucci and Salai stuck on my head after viewing through this section.

Historical evidence.
Reproduction of Vasari's Vite.

• The Discovery of the Century: Hugh Blaker (1873 - 1936) and his rediscovery of the painting now known as the "Earlier Mona Lisa" in the early 20th century.

About Hugh Blaker and his discovery.

John Eyre's "The Two Mona Lisa".

Henry Pulitzer's "Where is the Mona Lisa?"

• Science and Mathematics: I spent quite a fair amount of time at this section being intrigued by geometrical and mathematics principles that Leonardo used in his works of art. The Goldblatt Thesis had also caught my attention. Bring along a jacket or some warm clothings. This section of the exhibition was rather cold during my visit.

Intrigued by Harmonic Geometry and the ancient geometric code used by Leonardo da Vinci.

Treatment of the canvas.

• Comparative Analysis: I was drawn to the observations that Leonardo da Vinci put in a lot of attention in painting unique embroidery patterns based on geometrical shapes in the portraits that he executed. Intricate embroidery patterns can be found painted on both the "Earlier Mona Lisa" and the Lourve version.

• See the painting: Concluding the exhibition, visitors get the opportunity to witness firsthand the "Earlier Mona Lisa" with a full light show that is designed to illuminate Leonardo's marvelous interplay of light and shadow. 

In my opinion, I would say that this painting is an artwork by a great master. Based on the various supporting evidences that are being presented at this exhibition, I also concur with many of the experts that the painting is a work attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and it predates the Lourve version.

I felt thankful that there were not many people at the exhibition yet during my visit. I think this lack of visitorship will not last for long. Sooner or later, visitors will be flocking into The Art House at the Old Parliament to marvel at Leonardo da Vinci's "Earlier Mona Lisa".

This is an exhibition that I would highly recommend. If you only have the time to attend one exhibition that is related to Leonardo da Vinci in Singapore from now till 11 Feb 2015, this is the exhibition that you could choose to go. If you wish to be further convinced, watch this trailer of the exhibition: http://youtu.be/3yL9F5IEEuE

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Leonardo da Vinci's Earlier Mona Lisa

16 Dec 2014 - 11 Feb 2015

11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

The Art House at the Old Parliament

1 Old Parliament Lane

Singapore 179429

Tickets are available from SISTIC and all SISTIC counter. The tickets are open tickets (i.e. you can buy the tickets first and decide on the date of your visit later) and each ticket is good for one single entry to the exhibition. A standard adult ticket costs $21 including SISTIC booking fee.

Family Packages are available!

American Express Card Members who make payment with American Express Cards issued by American Express International Inc. in Singapore (excluding American Express Corporate Card and American Express Cards issued by Citibank Singapore Limited, DBS Bank Limited, EZ-Link Pte Ltd and United Overseas Bank Limited) enjoy exclusive savings on ticket prices. Maximum 10 tickets per eligible Card per day.

Website:

http://www.monalisaexhibition.com

https://www.facebook.com/monalisa.org
https://twitter.com/earliermonalisa

#earliermonalisa

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Please also read:

• Today's Leonardo da Vinci's 'Earlier Mona Lisa' exhibition to hold global premiere in S'pore
• Metropolitant's World Premiere of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Earlier Mona Lisa"
• On inSing.com,Yong Jing Yi's Da Vinci's 'Earlier Mona Lisa' in Singapore
• On Artnet, Sarah Cascone's Did Leonardo Vinci Paint the Mona Lisa Twice?
• On The Telegraph, by Catherine Gee and Reuters, 'Early Mona Lisa' goes on public display for the first time
• BBC News' Disputed 'earlier Mona Lisa' goes on display in Singapore
• GlobalPost's Da Vinci's earlier Mona Lisa makes first world debut in Singapore 
• On Channel NewsAsia, Haikal Latiff's Early version of Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa makes world premiere in Singapore.