National Gallery Singapore Debuts at Venice Biennale with Southeast Asian Art
The National Gallery Singapore is making its debut at the 60th Venice Biennale, participating in the main exhibit called 'Foreigners Everywhere,' curated by Adriano Pedrosa from the São Paulo Museum of Art. Since its establishment in 2015, the Gallery has built a collection of over 8,000 modern art pieces from Southeast Asia. In the Biennale’s 'Nucleo Storico' section, works from artists like Lê Phổ, Georgette Chen, and Affandi are on display, providing an alternative view to Western narratives. Notably, John Berger's insights on Affandi from 1952 are cited, featuring significant works like Lê Phổ's 'Jeune fille en blanc' (1931) and Affandi's self-portrait from 1975, highlighting the richness of Southeast Asian art history.
Key facts
- National Gallery Singapore participates in the Venice Biennale for the first time.
- The Biennale's main exhibition is 'Foreigners Everywhere,' curated by Adriano Pedrosa.
- Works from the Gallery's collection are featured in the 'Nucleo Storico' section.
- Artists include Lê Phổ, Georgette Chen, Emiria Sunassa, Chua Mia Tee, Lim Mu Hue, Lai Foong Moi, Hendra Gunawan, and Affandi.
- The Gallery holds over 8,000 artworks and opened in 2015.
- John Berger's 1952 writing on Affandi is referenced in the article.
- The Gallery's 2023 exhibition 'Tropical' explored Southeast Asian and Latin American connections.
- Lê Phổ's painting includes an extract of an eighteenth-century Vietnamese poem.
Entities
Artists
- Affandi
- Lê Phổ
- Georgette Chen
- Emiria Sunassa
- Chua Mia Tee
- Lim Mu Hue
- Lai Foong Moi
- Hendra Gunawan
- John Berger
- Adriano Pedrosa
Institutions
- National Gallery Singapore
- São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP)
- Venice Biennale
Locations
- Singapore
- Venice
- Italy
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Thailand
- Papua
- West Papua
- Irian
- Guangdong
- China
- Shanghai
- Southeast Asia
- Latin America
- Europe