The Swiss watchmaker and jeweller Chopard has opened its first Asian flagship store at Ngee Ann City.
Founded in 1860 in Sonvilier (Switzerland) by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, Chopard stands for innovation, quality craftsmanship and authenticity. Under the impetus of the Scheufele family, who bought the company in 1963, Chopard experienced a spectacular development. Renowned for its creativity, its high level of vertical integration and its state-of-the-art technology, it has become one of the leading names in the high-class watch and jewellery industry.
The 1,750 sq ft store is twice the size of their previous boutique. It is the second Chopard boutique in the world designed by the renowned New York city-based French architect, Thierry W Despont. Mr Despont specializes in unique and high end designed residential projects and hotels as well as museum and historical renovations.
The store includes private areas to cater to VVIP clients and feature a more extensive collection of Haute Joaillerie, jewellery and accessories.
Set in Stone has opened Asia’s premier fossil gallery.
Based in Singapore, they offer specially selected fossil pieces acquired from around the world. Presenting pieces that were previously only available to museums and universities, Set in Stone looks to bring millions of years of natural history directly to your personal collections, living rooms and work spaces.
In addition to selecting rare pieces that are authentic and unique, they ensure that each piece has aesthetic qualities that you will enjoy. From collectors to homes and businesses, they believe that their selection of fossil pieces will catch your eye and stir the imagination of every viewer.
Cliff Hartono is the founder and director of Set in Stone Gallery Pte Ltd. Born in Hamburg, Germany, fossils have been a lifelong passion for him. He has travelled extensively around the globe to dig and acquire fossils for his personal collection.
On his various travels, Cliff noticed that some fossils had aesthetic qualities that were not fully appreciated by traditional hobbyists. Thus, he began to focus his search for fossils that belonged in the same echelon as rare antiques, paintings and sculptures. As his collection grew, Cliff began receiving an increasing number of requests from friends to purchase pieces for them. In 2012, Cliff left his corporate career at Credit Suisse’s London office behind to pursue his passion full-time.
Element Art Space, one of Singapore’s leading galleries for modern and contemporary South East Asian art, have departed their old premises and opening on March 12 at the historic Raffles Hotel Arcade in the heart of Singapore’s Art District.
The gallery first opened in October 2009 under the mentorship of Chua Soobin - one of the most prominent gallerists in South East Asia and was the first to introduce avant garde Chinese art to the region. Initially named S.Bin Art Plus, the gallery changed its name to Element Art Space in 2011. Drawing in from Soobin’s more than 20 years of experience in the art industry, the gallery’s aim remains consistent: to promote great and innovative artists from South East Asia and provide an exchange for dialogue with artists, galleries and collectors from throughout the world. The gallery also offers residencies to a highly selected number of emerging artists from the region.
The director, Aniela Rahardja, has worked in institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Singapore Art Museum, the Alkazi Collection and Christie’s in London. Aniela has also curated a number of public exhibitions. In 2005 she organized an exhibition of works by recent graduates of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts at the Singapore Art Museum. When possible, she continues to curate exhibitions at the gallery today.
Designed by award-winning SCDA Architects, TwentyOne Angullia Park is a new architectural icon that reengineers the shape of modern urban living within the context of Singapore’s tropical climate.
Viewed from the exterior, this 36-storey apartment tower is pure, pristine and pragmatic in design, featuring the lightness and sophistication of glass and steel. Its 54 apartments, which include two penthouses, rise in a formation articulated to maximise natural light, ventilation and views, creating an intriguing facade punctuated by high-rise pockets of green.
Framed by glorious green boulevards and gardens, TwentyOne Angullia Park is strategically located opposite ION Orchard, just steps from the prime intersection of Orchard Road and Scotts Road. So central, yet so green. With Orchard MRT station just two minutes from your door, you’re no more than a few stops from art galleries, museums, the Esplanade theatre and Singapore’s integrated resorts, while getting to the nearby business district is an absolute breeze.
DOM Lounge has opened at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, a move heralding the dawn of a new age in the Singapore nightlife scene. Guests can now sample authentic elements of Russian culture in this plush lounge, modeled after an ornate Russian palace.
This visually striking two-storey lounge overlooking the Singapore River has an unmistakably regal, old-European feel, containing hand-crafted materials obtained from traditional Russian-style interior decoration retailers across the continent. The first venture by DOM Entertainment Pte Ltd, the lounge looks set to revolutionise the entertainment landscape in Singapore with a slew of unique offerings.
"Having enjoyed the one-of-a-kind Russian lounge experience during my travels in Europe, I felt compelled to recreate the experience in Singapore, and we felt it only befitting to do so at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands," says Mr Lee Jia Jun, Director of DOM Lounge. "DOM Lounge will present guests with a snapshot of culture in historic Russia, filled with rich heritage and subtle architectural and design nuances, adding a new facet to the local nightlife landscape."
The handsome space located in the heart of the new financial and entertainment district of Singapore boasts a dramatic back-lit bar with elegant wrought iron privacy walls leading to a mezzanine level under a vaulted ceiling. Plush interiors and high-backed chairs complete the authentic Czar experience for its guests, who will be treated to the finest Russian-inspired drinks in Singapore.
DOM Lounge is located opposite ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, next to the iconic Helix bridge connecting to Marina Centre.
#01-88 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sans, 2 Bayfront Avenue
The Asian Civilisation Museum has received a $5 million gift from Hong Leong Foundation for the project, the largest cash donation made to the museum to date. The donation will cover part of the cost of the expansion of the museum’s Chinese gallery and acquisition of artefacts for the collection.
With the expansion, the museum has plans to revamp the current China gallery display. One of the highlights of the redesigned space will be an area dedicated to the arts of Fujian. Highlights will include regional specialties from Fujian such as longyanwood furniture and the museum's collection of blanc de Chine porcelain from Dehua, one of the best in the world.
Expected to be completed in 2015, the new galleries will take advantage of natural light and provide you a unique experience.
Together with Indonesia, the Phillipines is the backbone of art in Southeast Asia. Silverlens’ unique vision for the region, through its exhibition program, artist representation and institutional collaborations, aims to place Philippine contemporary art within the broader framework of international contemporary art dialogue.
The brand is all about beautiful clothes that appeal to all ages, ethnicities, and income levels. Offering stylish and high-quality products while at the same time inviting you to experience the inspiration behind it. With a longstanding dedication to innovation and exotic imagery, Vivienne Tam is a truly passionate and symbolic designer in fashion.
In 1994, Vivienne Tam launched her signature collection of Eastern inspired clothing with a modern edge on the New York runways. In 1995, she introduced the influential Mao collection that triumphantly crossed over from the fashion world into the art world. Then in 1997 Vivienne Tam launched the venerable Buddha collection. The public and celebrities around the world quickly embraced both collections. Some of the images became so popular that scores of designers even adopted the look into their designs. Pieces of the collections were ultimately incorporated into the permanent archives of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, The Museum of FIT and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Vivienne Tam melds the aesthetic and feminine mystique of Asia with the spirit of the modern world.
Re-opening in 2014, the new Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, resembling a moss-covered rock, will look as prehistoric as the three dinosaurs it will house. Cutting-edge technology will keep the 150 million-year fossils, as well as the region's largest collection of South-east Asian animals, in perfect condition.
The 7,500 sq m museum will be the new home of the respected Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and the three diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs, bought for under $8 million from the United States. The spacious gallery will be able to display up to 10 times more exhibits than the old museum.
The internal temperature will be maintained in the low 20°C with humidity of about 60 per cent to keep the specimens in optimum condition. Research specimens and offices will be housed together, presenting unique challenges for safety issues. To comply with the strict fire regulations, the sprinklers are specially engineered while the dry collection area is equipped with a gas extinguishing system.
The architecture of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum will sport a "prehistoric" boulder-like façade with tiered tropical vegetation. Surrounding the site will be lush indigenous plants and trees, as well as landscaped forests for educational purposes.
The architects put in a two-storey central space in the plan to cater for iconic exhibits such as dinosaurs. This prescient design came in handy when the opportunity to buy three fossils became available. The first long-neck baby dinosaur has arrived and its parents will be shipped in by end of next year.
Complementing Singapore’s position as the Asian hub for business, finance and education is Singapore’s growing importance as a centre for contemporary art in Asia. Events such as the Singapore Biennale, Art Stage Singapore, complemented by public museums, non-profit spaces and commercial galleries, have created a vibrant arts scene that is making waves in the region and beyond. The contemporary arts scene has seen steady growth in the last 10 years, with increasing local and regional interest in events, exhibitions and education. As the number of venues dedicated to contemporary art increases, more international artists are choosing to unveil their new works to the world from Singapore, thus cementing its position as the centre for contemporary art in Asia.
The deliberate development of the local contemporary art industry in the past decade by the state has resulted in a vibrant arts scene that has been propelled by growing commercial activities including gallery exhibitions, art fairs and auctions. Coupled with Singapore’s strategic position within Asia and an extensive infrastructure of support services, there is no better place to establish your contemporary art gallery in this region.
Gillman Barracks will be the new contemporary art destination in Asia. Distinguished as a creative and intellectual centre, it will become a centre for the production, discussion and distribution of contemporary art in Asia. Complementing the local and international galleries and creative industries will be several new initiatives designed to grow the visual arts ecosystem in region, particularly in the areas of exhibition, residencies, and research.
Anchored within Gillman Barracks will be the newly established Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) Singapore which will be one of the key programming platforms in this new contemporary art destination in Asia. Through its diverse exhibition, residency and research programmes, CCA Singapore aims to be the centre for the production, presentation and interpretation of the arts of our times as well as a catalyst for the exchange of ideas and creative expressions.
Exhibition Centre
Devoted to the presentation of innovative and groundbreaking exhibitions of contemporary art, CCA Singapore’s exhibition programmes embrace a global, multi-disciplinary, and diverse approach towards the presentation and interpretation of contemporary art, showcasing the latest developments through exhibitions, as well as new projects by significant and emerging Singapore, international and Asian artists.
International Artist Residency Programme (IARP)
The International Artist Residency Programme (IARP) will be Singapore’s first internationally-tiered offering that will facilitate the production and creation of works by significant established and emerging international and Asian artists and establish Singapore as a centre for contemporary art creation in the region.
Centre for Contemporary Art Research
The Centre for Contemporary Art Research will be a centre of excellence for the study and research for contemporary art in the region. It will contribute to the discourse and knowledge on Asian and international art production as well as informing the context of cultural production today.
Complementing these core programmes will be year-round dedicated programmes focused in the areas of education, community outreach and audience engagement. The former military barracks are slated to open in the second quarter of 2012 as an international destination for contemporary art with the following galleries confirmed to open thus far:
Switch is Timbre Group's latest live music bar offering a new music experience with Mandarin and English performances from Monday to Saturday.
The bilingual venue is located at NTUC Trade Union House's level one, right beside the Singapore Arts Museum and Bras Basah MRT Station (Exit A)
Resident Artists Schedule:
Monday - Alisa & Daryle from 8.30pm to 11.45pm
Tuesday - Cheryl & The Switch Gang (acoustic) from 8.30pm to 11.45pm
Wednesday - Ground Zero featuring Kelly Arrow from 9.00pm to 12.15am
Thursday - Kexin & Alfred with The Switch Gang from 9.00pm to 12.15am
Friday - Cheryl & The Switch Gang from 9.30pm to 1.00am
Saturday - Ground Zero featuring Kelly Arrow from 9.30pm to 1.00am
Cheryl & The Switch Gang is everything you love. From the old to the new, the east to the west, the sweetest ballad to the most rocking anthem, Cheryl & The Switch Gang has got it covered. The guys are veterans of the Singapore mando-pop scene and have played in some of the biggest and most successful live music venues in Singapore. They have also done stints in the vibrant Macau casino entertainment scene to great reception. Together with their hot new front-liner Cheryl, they are ready to break new ground in the evolving bilingual music scene. Their versatility and musicality will put a smile on your face, no matter what rocks your boat.
Daryle and Alisa performs a mix of modern English and Mandarin pop covers, mixed with a few classics from the 90s and 80s. Daryle is a big fan of Blues from the Delta Blues era, up till the '90s, which were dominated by more energised players like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton, among other genres. Alisa finds herself enjoying modern pop, dance and club music, and various other forms of pop. The Daryle and Alisa duo reflects more of Alisa’s influences, from which she draws her vocal style.
Ground Zero is a dynamic mix of versatility, musical entertainment and good old-fashioned fun. Lead by vocalist Khairul Afwan, the band performs Top 40s popular hits from both the Mandarin and English pop-rock genre with Kelly Arrow on vocals, Chen Xing on keyboard, Merv on bass guitar, Alfie Kim on drums and Misaki Jon on lead guitar. With Switch as their official launch venue, Ground Zero is set to keep you entertained on your toes with their music every Wednesday and Saturday!
Often described as a petite powerhouse, Kexin has been garnering a following in the local music scene since her first solo act at Sentosa's Jazz by the Beach 2008. Her passion for singing was ignited when she first joined the NUS Jazz Band. Her experience has been a delightful musical sojourn, singing for dignitaries, such as President S.R. Nathan, and international events, including the Asian Youth Olympic Games 2009 and at the APEC CEO Summit 2009.
Also a familiar face on local stages, Kexin's fluent ability across a magnanimous repertoire of pop and jazz classics explains her regular appearance at The Esplanade stages and countless of events. Joining the Summertimes Big Band in November 2010, the youngest member took the vocal helm at the band's most recent MediaCorp engagements - including the opening act of MediaCorp Festival 2010 and at the Elle Awards 2010, as well as the most recent Opening of Mosaic Festival 2011 at the Esplanade Waterfront.
Kexin’s vocal prowess was also recognized on international stages when she represented Singapore in Taiwan’s Top Rating Televised Singing Competition, Super Idol 2011, and was coined as the “Jazz Queen” of Singapore by renowned Taiwanese Host Li Jing. Tay Kexin performs every Thursday with Alfred Sim and The Switch Gang.
Conveniently located in the Clarke Quay area, Five Stones Hostel is designed to provide guests with an immersive backpacking experience through specially crafted local elements.
Named after a local childhood game, Five Stones Hostel is the first hostel in Singapore to provide themed rooms designed by local artists. Each of its nine rooms is tastefully designed with a different Singaporean cultural icon, such as Vanda Miss Joaqium, Pick-Up Sticks and Chapteh. The wall murals in each room are accompanied by explanations of each theme. On top of that, special custom-made Five Stones Pillows are placed on each bed for guests.
They believe in creating the personal touch, such as creating custom-designed Five Stones pillows for each guest to use as an extra pillow or back cushion and augmenting our designer wall murals with 3D elements.
Despite the boutique feel to its rooms, beds start at an affordable price of S$30 per night, allowing its guests to experience the authentic side of Singapore without busting their travel budgets. Although hostels are meant to be budget accommodations, at Five Stones Hostel, creature comforts are aplenty, with firm pillows, warm quilts and individual reading lights besides each bed. With top grade 8-inch orthopaedic and anti-dustmite spring mattresses, Five Stones Hostel prides itself on offering the best bedding among Singapore hostels.
To create the immersive backpacking experience, Five Stones Hostel offers its guests local meals, such as Nasi Lemak breakfasts on certain days of the week. More customized tours are also in the works, such as visits to hawker centres, public housing estates and nearby islands.
At Five Stones Hostel, they believe that the true enjoyment of travelling comes from meeting new people, learning about local cultures and experiencing situations that takes you out of your comfort zone.
Guests at Five Stones Hostel are also entitled to an exclusive deals and discounts scheme that entitles them to discounts at tourist attractions, spas and F&B outlets such as Duck Tours, Sentosa Luge, Mint Musuem and Feetpress.
They want their guests to get the best deals during their stay in Singapore, so they have gone the extra mile in pampering them with special deal. Five Stones Hostel welcomed its first guests in mid October 2011.
Located in front of the Asian Civilization Museum, the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is considered one of the most historically versatile buildings in all of Singapore. In the course of its nearly 150-year history, the Colonial landmark, which consists of two buildings and a clock tower linked by a common corridor, has served as a town hall, a hospital, and a war crimes trials court before becoming a focal point for arts and cultural entertainment.
The complex is now slated for a $180m makeover that will preserve its heritage elements while providing new and improved facilities and performances spaces for the artists.
The design, led by Mok Wei Wei, the managing director of the Singapore based W Architects, pays homage to the original colonial structure while imparting a contemporary feel to the complex, particularly to the performance space which will be reduced in size to seat 600 instead of 900 people to achieve a more intimate setting for theatre goers and to maximise the performers’ engagement with the audience. Much emphasis will be placed on inserting new technologies to improve acoustics.
The courtyard, which serves as the main entrance to the complex, will be wholly revamped with a new glass roof and the courtyard facades of both structures will be updated. The Concert Hall façade, with its rusticated columns, will be restored while the Theatre’s façade will receive new pre-cast panels. The project is slated for completion in October 2013.
Singapore River Cruise has included Marina Bay Sands in its tour route, opening up more transport options for both tourists and Singaporeans. The operation commences on 1 September, picking passengers up from convenient points such as Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Merlion Park. Ticket prices start at $4 and can be purchased from any Singapore River Cruise jetty. Water taxis plying the Singapore River and Marina Bay will stop at two new landing points along the MBS waterfront including The North Jetty, located next to the ArtScience Museum which opened recently.
The daily service, operating every 15 minutres from 9 am till the last service at 10pm, will drop visitors off at the North Jetty where the world’s first ArtScience Museum is located. The trip will take about 5-10 minutes from Merlion Park or Boat Quay Jetties, located just meters away from the Raffles Place and Clarke Quay MRTs.
The cruises are designed specifically to highlight Singapore’s rich history and point out to visitors from around the world, the journey the Lion City has taken over the decades to become the modern, successful tourism and commercial hub it is today. Marina Bay Sands has firmly established itself as one of the leading icons of Singapore and they are excited to include the integrated resort in their route.
Marina Bay Sands is just days away from the public opening of the stunning Crystal Pavilions, which will be home to Louis Vuitton’s first Island Maison and the pulsating nightclubs Pangaea and Avalon. Also, with the 2011 Formula 1 Grand Prix around the corner, the launch of the water taxis is very timely. Marina Bay Sands want all their guests to have an experience like no other and with all the attractions at Marina Bay Sands, like the ArtScience Museum, the theaters showcasing world-class productions, the stunning stretch of waterfront dining, the launch of these water taxis provides guests an entirely new, refreshing and convenient way to reach Marina Bay Sands for a night out within minutes from key pick-up points.
Singapore's only natural history museum, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has received its latest philanthropic gift of S$25 million from the Lee Foundation. This latest gift enables the RMBR to embark on building a new purpose-designed building for its invaluable collection of animals and plants specimens. To be renamed the 'Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum', the new building will showcase Southeast Asian biodiversity and environmental issues in an exhibition hall that will be 10 times the size of the current gallery.
The new museum will also be home to the existing collection of 500,000 specimens of mammals, birds, amphibians and other invertebrates. This is the oldest natural history collection of animals in Singapore, including some century-old artefacts and extinct animals. It is also one of the largest collections of Southeast Asian animals in the region and is the second oldest natural history collection in Southeast Asia after Indonesia's Bogor Museum.
The University believes strongly in the national significance of this project and has provided the museum with a larger and highly strategic site on their Kent Ridge campus. The new Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which is expected to be ready by 2014, will be located adjacent to the NUS University Cultural Centre along Kent Ridge Crescent. When ready, the natural history museum would, with its neighbours the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, the NUS Centre for the Arts and the NUS Museum, be part of a heritage and cultural hub at Kent Ridge.
The RMBR embarked on a fundraising campaign in late 2009 to build a new natural history museum for Singapore after an overwhelming response to an International Museum Day Open House held in May 2009. The open house attracted more than 3,000 visitors, which severely stretched the museum's physical and manpower resources. An unnamed donor, responding to media reports, came forward with a pledge of S$10 million to support the fundraising project. The latest philanthropic donation by the Lee Foundation and with donations from other donors brings the total funds raised to S$46 million.
The funds raised to date will be used for the development of the new natural history museum building. The RMBR Fundraising Committee will soon embark on the next phase of its fundraising efforts to equip the new museum with high-quality new exhibits for the galleries. The RMBR team also hopes to develop a strong public programme.
The RMBR at NUS is the custodian of one of the earliest natural history collections in Southeast Asia. The 160-year-old collection was inherited from the then Raffles Museum and Library at Stamford Road in the 1970s, after the museum was renamed the National Museum and refocused its attention on the arts and history. Over the past 40 years, the collection has grown to more than 566,000 specimens.
In recent years, environmental issues such as climate change and global warming have captured the world's attention. There is increased awareness of the importance of biodiversity as an economic and scientific resource, and how human activities such as the overharvesting of species, introduction of alien species and habitat destruction have caused dramatic losses in biodiversity. The RMBR provides vital scientific expertise in aiding the research that may one day find solutions to these problems.
Public support for the museum and its collections and research has grown tremendously over the years. With the resources bestowed by the benefactors, the new museum hopes to provide larger and more comprehensive exhibition galleries, display even more specimens of historical and scientific significance, and include modern interactive exhibits to further enhance its role in reaching out and engaging the public.
Funds are still needed to make this museum a reality. A website has been launched to accept donations from the public. Your gift will help to create a museum that we all can be proud of! You can donate online, by cheque or call to make donations in cash or other gifts.
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road
Construction workers complete work on the roof of the Singapore ArtScience Museum on February 8, 2011 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the 50,000 sqft, lotus- inspired building, is the worlds first ArtScience Museum and will house 21 galleries.
The large roof dish collects rain water which falls through the center atrium of the building as a waterfall, at night the roof then transforms into an amphitheatre displaying a light and laser show with the Singapore skyline as a backdrop.
The museum is set to open to the public on the 17th of February at 1.18 pm, the time chosen by the projects Feng Shui master.
The Hotel Fort Canning building is the result of the restoration of a former British Military structure.The military building was built in 1926 as the Administration Building of the British Far East Command HQ. The General-Officer-Commanding, Lieutenant-General Percival, had an office in this building. The building was occupied by the Japanese Military during the Occupation (1942-1945). The British Military took it back after the war and used it as part of the British Military Administration.
The building was taken over by the Singapore Armed Forces when Singapore became independent. In 1970, the building was used by the Singapore Command & Staff College (SCSC). In 1976, the SCSC moved out of the building, and it remained unoccupied until 1995, when it housed the Fort Canning Country Club. The Legends Fort Canning Park took over the premises in November 2002, and on 1 November 2010, it the restored heritage building re-opened as Hotel Fort Canning, the hotel wing of The Legends Fort Canning Park.
An urban oasis, the 86-room Hotel Fort Canning promises a unique sojourn. Presenting all of the amenities of a 5-star city-resort inclusive of state-of-the-art gym equipment by Techno-Gym, renowned Thai Spa operator - Thann; outstanding food & beverage outlets including Gattopardo Italian Grill & Pizza Bar by the Garibaldi Group of Restaurants; two full-sized swimming pools and extensive meeting facilities, Hotel Fort Canning epitomizes the concept "urban oasis meets heritage hotel".
Surrounded by the lush greenery of a historical park, this unique setting straddles not only the Orchard Road shopping belt, the Clarke Quay entertainment hub, but also the Central Business District, and the Civic District. All in all - a most coveted address.
Hotel Fort Canning’s location in a City Park is truly central – to one side is Orchard Road, the main shopping drag and the Champs Elysees of Singapore; to another is the Clarke Quay Entertainment Hub, where myriad bars and restaurants can be found; and yet on another side is the Museums & Civic District, with at least 4 major museums within walking distance!
The Museum of Contemporary Arts aims to bring the public the very best in contemporary from the region. Set in the lush surrounds of Loewen Road, MOCA is devoted exclusively to contemporary art. A grand opening of MOCA is scheduled for Quarter 2 2011.
Linda Gallery is a prominent gallery group with branches in Beijing's 798 art district, Jakarta and Singapore. The idea was to boost the arts and heritage scene by creating a private museum there. The museum cost $500,000 to refurbish and works owned by husband-and- wife gallery owners Ali Kusno and Linda Ma, as well as pieces from other private collectors and overseas museums will be showcased.
The museum's first exhibition, titled Going Forward, Going For Money, features sculptures created by the husband-and-wife team of artists Wu Shaoxiang and Jiang Shuo. The China-born, Austria-based artists fled China days after the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989 and their works are a reflection of growing materialism and consumerism in China. Their works had been previously exhibited at Linda Gallery in Dempsey Road in 2006.
The private museum is only one element in the larger development of the space there. About $2 million will be spent in total to develop the site into a centre for Asian contemporary art. The next phase of the plan includes the creation of a museum shop, a cafe and an outdoor sculpture garden. These are expected to be completed by September next year.
The world's first ArtScience Museum (picture), located at Marina Bay Sands, will open its doors on Feb 17. There will be 21 gallery spaces totalling 50,000 sq ft. The museum will showcase exhibits reflecting influences from art and science, media and technology, design and architecture. Visitors to the museum will be able to explore it through three galleries - Curiosity, Inspiration and Expression.
The museum will also play host to marquee exhibitions curated by leading museums as well as collections from around the world. The showpiece exhibition, ArtScience: A Journey Through Creativity, will feature a series of permanent exhibits representing the latest in technology, design as well as culture. The museum also plans to launch a speaker series that will bring globally renowned thought-leaders in the field of ArtScience to Singapore.
Designed as a symbolic gesture of welcome to guests from across the globe, the lotus-inspired ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands is set to become the spiritual home of the burgeoning ArtScience movement, as well as a premier destination for major international touring exhibitions from the most renowned collections in the world.
The ArtScience Gallery, is an homage and introduction to the nascent field of ArtScience. What unites Art and Science is the instinct to observe, connect, take risks and explore new ideas and ways of understanding nature’s wisdom and experiences that shape our culture.
Unique to the region, the ArtScience Museum expresses Singapore’s priorities and ambition to be the exchange capital of the world, providing an internationally renowned forum for the exchange of the latest ideas and theories. The ArtScience Museum is an endowment to Singapore’s creative class, and it is Singapore’s gift to the world.
An iconic presence along the Marina Bay waterfront, the Museum is a living, breathing embodiment of the ArtScience theme. The Museum features 10 "fingers" anchored by a unique round base in the middle. The design of each finger reveals different gallery spaces featuring skylights at the “fingertips” that illuminate the dramatically curved interior walls. The Museum’s dish-like roof channels rainwater through the central atrium of the building creating a 35-meter water drop into a small, reflecting pool. The rainwater is then recycled for use in the building’s restrooms. Material such as Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), typically used in high-performance racing yachts, which has never been used in a project in Singapore, was used for the construction of this architectural wonder.
With a form reminiscent of the lotus flower, ArtScience Museum designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie has been called "The Welcoming Hand of Singapore" by Mr. Sheldon Adelson, the visionary chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp.
The iconic ArtScience Museum will host blockbuster international exhibits as well as permanent exhibits on three floors of gallery space across over 4,800 square meters. There are 21 galleries in total.
The roof of ArtScience Museum allows rainwater to be harvested and channeled down a 35-meter water drop through the center of the structure to the reflecting pond at the lowest level of the building. Rainwater is recycled and redirected through the water feature to create a continuous cylindrical waterfall. The rainwater is also recycled for use in the museum’s bathrooms as part of Singapore’s Green Mark program.
Surrounded by a 4,000 square meter lily pond reflecting pool, ArtScience Museum floats over a dynamic new urban terrace with commanding views of Singapore and Marina Bay Sands.
A total of 10 "fingers" that make up the building form plus two bay windows with special views of Singapore and Marina Bay Sands. The tallest "finger" stands 60 meters above ground.
The interiors of the “fingers” are unique gallery spaces with natural lighting from the fingertips illuminating the sculptural interior wall forms.
Light Editions is a fine art printmaking studio that specializes in reproducing exceptional museum quality and yet personalized art and photographic prints. The gallery believes in understanding there clients first in order to achieve a result most appropriate for each piece of artwork. Many of there clients are themselves fine artists, professional photographers, own established art galleries and are private art collectors. The continuing research and efforts to apply the best available technology together with an eye for details will consistently produce prints that can truly live up to the name of a Master Printmaker.
39 Keppel Road Unit 02-02, Tanjong Pagar Distripark.
An innovative look at the history of the Maritime Silk Route
The Maritime Xperiential Museum will take you back in time to one of the greatest eras in history: It is here that the tale of maritime adventurers, sea pirates, and the growth of sea trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe is told. The museum provides a fascinating look at the history of the Maritime Silk Route along the Strait of Malacca and Asia's greatest ports and coastal cities from 9th to 19th century, when explorers discovered and opened up trade new maritime routes.
The museum's centerpiece is a huge 360-degree multimedia theatre, where visitors "board" an Arabia-bound sailing ship docked near Singapore 1,100 years ago. Laden with cargo, the ship runs into a storm. The sea roars, the skies darken and the ship rolls, pitches and turns. Lights dim as the vessel sinks, with "passengers" also experiencing that sinking feeling as the theatre floor descends. When the lights finally come on, the ship's passengers find themselves in the depths of the ocean, up close with the shipwreck and magnificent marine life. Get ready to set sail with the Maritime Experiential Museum's tales of Asia's legendary seafarers.
An awe-inspiring creation, hosting blockbuster exhibitions from around the world.
Designed as a symbolic gesture of welcome to guests from across the globe, the lotus-shaped Museum at Marina Bay Sands is set to become a premier destination for major international touring exhibitions from the most renowned collections in the world. Embracing a spectrum of influences from the relationship between art & science, to media & technology, to design & architecture, this unique structure will feature over 60,000 square feet of galleries, both permanent and touring exhibitions that will inspire visitors from the region and beyond.
Located at the Marina Bay waterfront, visitors will appreciate the iconic architecture of the building, the world-class exhibits hosted within, and the museum's innovative roof, which channels rainwater through the central atrium of the building as a waterfall.
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