Almost a decade on, the National Gallery Singapore has ticked off many of the goals it was hoping to achieve. But Singaporeans want more.

Abstract

Some nine years after the National Gallery Singapore opened its gates after a S$532 million construction, some Singaporeans are satisfied with how it has fared, while others want to see it do more. The NGS staff, art experts and some artists are happy that the gallery has made inroads in achieving its goals of becoming a thought-leader in Southeast Asian art. The gallery’s efforts to educate the youth through programmes at the Keppel Centre for Art Education have also been praised by artists and parents alike. But others in the community, including art enthusiasts, want to see more local works and expert discussions on art-related topics. Others, who are unaware of the gallery’s mandate to show modern works, also want to see more contemporary works being displayed. Ahead of the NGS’ 10th anniversary, the local art history exhibition will be revamped to show more works, including those by female artists and contemporary practices in the late 1980s.