Housed within the Gallery's Rotunda, located at the heart of the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery, it is a site of historical importance and now serves as a research hub for the study of art history in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
No prior appointments need to be made or admission tickets need to be purchased to enter the Rotunda Library & Archive. However, users must register at the counter to access the collection.
National Gallery Singapore was established in 2015 as a leading visual arts institution overseeing the world’s largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art. Guided by its curatorial vision to present the art histories of Singapore and Southeast Asia; reflexively (re)write the art histories of Singapore and Southeast Asia; and examine these art histories in relation to the global history of art, the Gallery has developed a significant collection of artists’ archives and a reference library focusing on Singapore and Southeast Asian art.
The Gallery’s Rotunda, located at the heart of the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery (Level 3, Supreme Court Wing), is a site of historical importance. During the building’s former life as the Supreme Court of Singapore, the Rotunda served as the Law Library. Housed in this historical space, the Rotunda Library & Archive extends the memory of this site while serving a new function as a research hub for the study of art history in Southeast Asia.
The Rotunda Library & Archive aims to be a leading library housing one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Singapore and Southeast Asian art-historical resources from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Their collection currently holds over 20,000 physical and digital items, including rare publications, exhibition catalogues, ephemera and digital archives, made possible through generous donations, publication exchanges with various art institutions in the region, and partnerships with the estates of Southeast Asian modern art pioneers, such as Georgette Chen and Lim Hak Tai (Singapore), S. Sudjojono (Indonesia) and Kalaw Ledesma Foundation (the Philippines).
Most archival acquisitions are conducted through loans or donations from the archives’ owners (artists, artists’ families, estates and art communities). The Library & Archive preserves the donated physical archives and digitises loaned archives.
A large selection of materials in their Library & Archive collection is searchable here (You will be redirected to their Collections Search Portal). Due to copyright restrictions and levels of permission from the archive owners, some items are only available for viewing onsite. You can view these items in the Collections Search Portal with our digital viewing facility at the Gallery’s Rotunda Library & Archive.
d’Good Café is dedicated to brewing, baking and cooking. Discover goodness through their handcrafted coffee, specialty tea, cocktails, quality food, fresh bakes, genuine service and welcoming ambience. Exclusive to their Jewel Changi Airport branch, patrons will be greeted by an old slice of Singapore with their interior installations and learn about Singapore’s coffee heritage through their Singapore Coffee Museum that resides within the cafe. There is no better spot than here to tuck into their food and drinks inspired by some of Singaporean’s most loved flavours.
Savour premium DIY salad bowls and grab a cuppa from Singapore’s first commercial robotic barista.
Marina Bay Sands’ signature café SweetSpot has unveiled its all-new flagship outlet at the grand lobby of the iconic ArtScience Museum. The contemporary café marks Marina Bay Sands’ first full-fledged wellness dining concept, as the integrated resort continues to diversify its food and beverage offerings.
A destination already popular with tourists and young families, the museum is now home to the family-friendly café featuring a kid’s corner with games and activities. Visitors can unwind and bask in an expansive setting illuminated by natural daylight through magnificent glass windows.
“SweetSpot at ArtScience Museum is a step forward in our journey to elevate health and wellness dining. We want our visitors to know that eating healthy can also be a fun and flavourful experience. The new café, paired with its scenic location by the waterfront, will be a wonderful complement to our existing line-up of culinary offerings,” said Christine Kaelbel- Sheares, Vice President of Food and Beverage, Marina Bay Sands.
Debuting at the flagship SweetSpot is Singapore’s first commercial robotic barista developed by local entrepreneur Keith Tan. The fully automated 6-axis robot has been customized to make different combinations of coffee at four times the rate of any human barista. Upon payment, all to-go beverage orders are personalized before being programmed to the robotic barista. Once ready, guests can pick up their cup at the service counter fitted with digital screens indicating their names.
Choose from SweetSpot's selection of signature salads, packed with fresh, crisp and juicy greens and meats. Or build your own salad bowl—ideal for calorie counters, busy professionals and even the most finicky eaters. Bring your kids along too, as they’ve prepared healthy meals especially for them.
Get your caffeine fix with a handcrafted cup of artisan coffee, carefully brewed using premium blends that are sustainably sourced from certified farmers. For a quick boost of energy on the go, take your pick from any of their nutritious smoothies.
Don’t forget to check out their daily selection of artisan breads, cakes and tarts. And while you’re there, why not explore an ArtScience Museum exhibition or two for your regular dose of art?
Museum @ My Queenstown along Commonwealth Drive is a community museum that showcases the story of Queenstown as Singapore's first satellite town.
Queenstown is named after the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Entirely curated and run by numerous volunteers from civic group, My Community, Museum @ My Queenstown is a small but an educational & well-arranged museum that is worth a visit.
"Our Stories: Do you remember them?" is an exhibition made possible after a 9-year collection effort. It showcases physical and digital artefacts from the community that capture Queenstown’s history & heritage.
The programme spaces on the first and second level of the shophouse museum will host a series of talks, seminars and workshops. And the archival room on the 2nd level of the museum houses a wide collection of old photographs and artefacts contributed by residents and various institutions in Queenstown.
The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum which has been at the Chinese Garden for about 18 years has recently relocated to the ORTO leisure park in Yishun. They welcome you to enter into a rare world of turtles and tortoises.
​Sense the mystery of the river turtle, the awesome power of the Alligator turtle and the majestic beauty of the Radiated tortoise.
​See and feel the spirit of the Sulcata Tortoise for luck, and the Thailand’s Golden Temple Turtle for wealth. Be fascinated by the wondrous Golden Terrapin and the Six Legged Tortoise. Listen to the lonely noise of the Indian Star Tortoise and marvel at the strange looking Soft Shell Turtle from India.
More than just a collection of reptiles - a true learning experience for all.
Don't let the Live Turtle & Tortoise Museum disappear. You can make a big difference by simply making a contribution or volunteering your time. Click here to make a donation to the museum or here to be a volunteer for the museum.
Get ready for an exciting voyage on the turbulent high seas and sail off on an explorer adventure at the newly-unveiled Maritime Experiential Museum on Sentosa Island.
After nine months of extensive overhaul, the Maritime Experiential Museum is the only one of its kind in Singapore reconceptualisation, this is the newest attraction on Sentosa Island and dedicated to the exploration of the iconic Maritime Silk Route.
Housing a total of 15 unique galleries including five brand new zones featuring never-before-seen content and installations, the revamped attraction will engage the senses of guests through a combination of state-of-the-art visual projections, multimedia shows, interactive hands-on exhibits, olfactory experiences and plenty of stunning Instagram-worthy displays.
Greeted by the four world-famous seafarers with holographic effect in the Briefing Room, guests will embark on the maritime adventure through the eyes of Marco Polo, the merchant from Venice; Sang Nila Utama, Palembang prince and founder of Singapura; Ibn Battuta, Moroccan scholar and explorer; and Zheng He, Chinese admiral and fleet commander.
After a glimpse into how maritime trade and cross-cultural exchanges contribute to the progress of civilisation and shape the world today, guests enter the immersive Learning To Navigate chamber – an all-new interactive gallery designed like a lower deck of a ship. Guests can try their hand at reading nautical charts, navigate a mariner’s compass or learn more about the ancient art of celestial navigation. Replicas and projections of early trading vessels that ply the Maritime Silk Route, such as the Chinese Junk, Javanese Jong and Borobudur Ship, offer awe-inspiring 360-degree views and fascinating details on the construction of these sturdy ships.
Next, a vibrant marketplace at The Flavours of Maritime Silk Route depicts how precious merchandise such as silk, spices and gemstones were so highly sought after that traders were willing to risk their lives for them.
Guests can continue their journey and marvel at the Jewel of Muscat – designed like a 9th century Arabian Dhow – which made a tumultuous 138-day voyage from Oman to Singapore in 2010 using ancient navigational methods with a crew of 15. The immersive Typhoon Theater, a must-see anchor attraction, simulates a sinking ship in a treacherous storm, letting guests face the wrath of the sea before descending into the depths of the ocean.
A key element in enhancing "Sense of Place' at the new Changi Airport Terminal 4 is a first ever collaboration between Changi Airport Group (CAG) and National Heritage Board to create a Peranakan Gallery. It offers travellers the chance to learn about traditional Peranakan culture, with exhibits including a beautifully embroidered Sarong Kebaya, an antique wooden wedding bed and Peranakan porcelain ‘nyonyaware’.
The Peranakan Gallery opens to the public 24-7 and is free for all passengers who have cleared departure immigration.
Located in the Departure Transit area, the Peranakan Gallery is part of T4’s Heritage Zone.
Visitors will be greeted by a doll house model display of Peranakan shophouse architecture.
Historical portraits of pioneers many decades ago lined the walls of the 150sq m gallery.
Expect an extended design experience at the Red Dot Design Museum, with the exhibition galleries, museum shop and the design cafe & bar opening late till 2am daily!
As the only museum in Singapore that opens past midnight, the Red Dot Design Museum is an alternative night-time desitination to visit after-hours.
In 1955, the “Ständige Schau formschöner Industrieerzeugnisse” (Permanent Show of Elegant Industrial Products) was established in Villa Hügel in Essen, Germany. It evolved over the years to become the Red Dot Design Museum.
Today, the Red Dot Design Museum in Germany and Singapore presents the world’s largest exhibition of contemporary design.
Red Dot Design Museum Singapore now sits on a glass building located along the Marina Bay Waterfront. The building used to be the Marina Bay City Gallery that showcase the story of Singapore’s urban transformation and the development of Marina Bay.
With the museum as the new tenant, the iconic building has been given a new lease of life with clever space transformations to include several galleries, retail, cafe and outdoor seating space to host year round design exhibitions.
The Vintage Camera’s Museum, itself is set in the form of a Rolli camera, and the entry is shaped like a lens. There are around 1000 cameras on display right from replicas of the world’s biggest camera - the mammoth camera till the latest technological gadget, a 11 gram camera. Some of the other unique cameras which can be viewed in the museum are a walking stick camera, spy cameras, pigeon cameras, first 3D camera and pistol cameras to name a few. Besides, the museum also has on display, rare collection of photographs featuring interesting facets about photography including an authentic replica of the first ever photograph taken.
To understand any concept fully, one needs to understand its history. And so it goes with the camera as well. The Vintage Camera’s Museum features a detailed documentary on the evolution of cameras and its journey thus far. It also caters to the curious minds by screening interesting documentaries on some of the unique cameras of those days. One such invention was the pigeon camera.
In addition, the Vintage Camera’s Museum also has a rare collection of negatives, film rolls and books on photography.
A distinct feature of the museum is that one can take a ‘selfie’ with Lumiere Brothers, who were the pioneers in photography. Lumiere Brothers were French inventors and pioneer manufacturers of photographic equipment who devised an early motion-picture camera and projector called the Cinématographe.
Some of the cameras on display can be touched and felt for a complete hands-on experience. There is also a guided tour to help visitors appreciate the functionality and limitations of the cameras.
Following a year-long revamp by the National Archives of Singapore (NAS), Former Ford Factory now houses the Japanese Occupation exhibition which recounts the events and memories surrounding the British surrender, and the Japanese occupation of Singapore, and outlines the legacies of war.
Through oral history accounts, archival records and published material that tell the story of the period, this exhibition highlights the diverse experiences of people during the crucial time at then in our history.
The gallery now features four zones, each illustrating different periods of Singapore’s time under the Japanese Occupation. It has many new archival materials like letters, war artefacts and maps which were donated by members of the public after the NAS made a call for contributions last year.
Gallery10 is National Museum of Singapore’s first digital gallery.
Its permanent showcase is titled Art of the Rehearsal; a three-channel immersive video installation which you can see at this new gallery.
Art of the Rehearsal is by multidisciplinary artist Sarah Choo Jing. This artwork depicts Singaporean dancers across various cultures practicing along the back lanes of cultural districts in the city. Reflecting on the rigorous and intense training behind the performance, the artist seeks to bring out the consistent determination of the performers. The emphasis of the installation work is on the process rather than on the nal outcome.
The dance performance in the video is presented by Apsaras Arts Ltd, Era Dance Theatre and Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Dance Theatre.
Two new permanent exhibitions were launched at the National Museum of Singapore on 10 December 2016. The museum's glass rotunda has re-opened after 2 years of renovation work and is home to the Story of the Forest installation by internationally renowned art collective teamLab, as well as Singapore, Very Old Tree, which is a special exhibition featuring photos by local photographer Robert Zhao.
Story of the Forest and the Singapore, Very Old Tree are the first of what museum officials said are many projects that will provide a dialogue between the historical and the contemporary. The two new works are part of the museum’s $11-million revamp of its permanent galleries.
Parkview Museum, is a swanky new art space from the Parkview Group. Located in the heart of the art and cultural districts, Parkview Museum will be a platform for the expression and popularisation of contemporary art in Singapore with its vast column-less space and 7 metre high ceilings – certainly a hint to the immense potential of things to come.
Parkview Museum is set to open in mid-March 2017 with global travelling art exhibition, ‘On Sharks and Humanity’.
The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum is Singapore’s best contender for A Night at the Museum. Located within the NUS campus, it showcases nature’s very own - from dinosaurs to critters from the deep sea.
Explore 16 themed zones that will open your eyes to the biodiversity and environmental issues that may affect their livelihood. Apart from the skeletons of an orang utan, dugong and pilot whales, you’ll also be surprised that Singapore is home to dinosaur fossils of our own.
A trailblazer when it comes to redefining the dessert experience, Janice Wong is undoubtedly pushing the boundaries between the sweet and savoury, integrating disciplines in her drive to create “edible art”. So it’s almost no surprise that the two-time San Pellegrino Asia’s Best Pastry Chef (2013 and 2014) winner will be opening her flagship Janice Wong Singapore restaurant and sweets boutique at the National Museum of Singapore’s new dedicated digital media space.
Creative confections are displayed through edible installations that resemble both an art gallery and a fashion boutique. Sweets include multicoloured lollipops, chocolate bon bons, fruit rolls, chocolate balloons, bottles, mochis and pop cakes.
Empress at the Asian Civilisations Museum offers an elevated dining experience with authentic Chinese cuisine in a modern waterfront setting.
Located in the iconic Asian Civilisations Museum, Empressis a smart casual Chinese restaurant for guests who are looking to have an uplifting and lively dining experience. Offering a contemporary setting, with both indoor and alfresco dining options by the waterfront, Empress aims to make everyday a celebration with traditional cuisine, friendly service and a vibrant atmosphere perfect for socialising over some signature roast meats and drinks.
Looking for an unconventional private dining space? Empress' private dining room, Canton Room, provides the perfect balance of intimacy and vibe. Boasting spectacular views of the Singapore River and CBD skyline, Canton Room comfortably accommodates up to 14 guests and is the ideal venue for all events from business lunches to social dinners.
Boasting a breezy alfresco deck and stunning views of the colourful Boat Quay façade and Singapore River, Empress Bar (opening soon) is a casual waterfront bar ideal for drinks and cocktails. Grab a few friends and kick back while you indulge in interesting Asian-inspired cocktails and bar bites.
In a new exhibit like "Overcome the Supernatural", visitors will be able to "levitate" and pose with skeletons and vampires. If you are not a horror movie fanatic, then "Escape into Fantasy" where you can "ride" a unicorn and dance with fairies.
With the new 4D element, one of the things that visitors can do is to undergo a quick head-scan on "Dancing Star" where they can view an avatar of themselves dancing in different traditional costumes on-screen.
Privé at the Asian Civilisations Museum is a casual all-day dining concept offering both indoor and outdoor dining options with unbeatable views of the Singapore River.
Serving the same approachable and simple food that has become synonymous with the brand, Privé is perfect for a quick breakfast or lunch during the work week or to luxuriate with the family on the weekends. At night, the colourful Boat Quay and stunning CBD skyline is the backdrop for post-work drinks or a hearty meal with friends and colleagues.
But perhaps the most distinctive part of Privé is the unique atmosphere and stunning views accorded to it by being right next to the Singapore River. No matter where you choose to sit, whether in air-conditioned comfort or at the breezy alfresco deck, waterfront views are never more than a few meters away.
Come mid-September The National Museum will be refreshed with updated stories and content on Singapore’s post-independence history. The new galleries recapture the nation’s defining moments, challenges and achievements from its earliest beginnings 700 years ago to the independent, modern city-state it is today.
Celebrate the opening with fun-filled activities where you can dress up in vintage costumes and take pictures, listen to mesmerising tales of yesteryear, treat yourself to some nostalgic local eats, and many more!
ArtBlue Studio has opened a new space in the heart of the vibrant Tiong Bahru neighbourhood.
Founded and headed by Phuong Nguyen, a Vietnamese national, residing in Singapore, they strive to provide a bespoke, personalized service which is unparalleled.
Their personal connections with many of Vietnamese’s most established and up-and-coming artists, combined with their personal approach, ensure that they can to offer you the best possible access to some of the most exciting artworks coming out of Vietnam.
Their philosophy is to work closely with museums, galleries and private clients to ensure satisfaction. This is achieved through one-on-one consultations, private viewings and regular invitation-only viewings events.
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