Exploring Singapore

Written by and Photography by Amanda Jaffe

Whether you prefer your art on the street, along a river, on the side of a building, or in a garden, Singapore has it. While its art trails allow you to combine art with a good walk, Singapore also offers first-class spaces where art lovers can be visually refreshed (or challenged), free of charge, with a little less exertion and a bit more shade. The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore On entering The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore, you’re greeted by “Cornucopia,” Frank Stella’s three-ton, hanging fiberglass sculpture. To your left and right, Dale Chihuly glassworks, “Sunrise” and “Sunset,” face one another from opposing ends of the lobby. This stunning collection’s highlights can be found across the hotel’s public spaces on Level Three. In addition to several other larger works,

(EXCEPT WHERE NOTED) known artists. Located inside, on, and in the vicinity of Marina Bay Sands, these pieces blend audacious art with iconic architecture. Antony Gormley’s massive “Drift,” comprised of over 16,000 steel rods, hangs in the A trium above the gargantuan ceramic vessels of Chongbin Zheng’s “Rising Forest.” Meanwhile, Ned Kahn’s kinetic pieces “Wind Arbor,” “Rain Oculus,” and “Tipping Wall” capture wind and water in their powerful and playful forms. Descriptions of the works and their locations are available online (search for the PDF using the term “Marina Bay Sands Art Path”). Combined with The Ritz Carlton collection, plan on an enjoyable two to three hours. Parkview Square Museum Parkview Square is another special building in Singapore, known for its unique art deco-inspired design. Parkview Square’s plaza and lobby feature world-class works by Salvador Dali, Fernando Botero,

"Cornucopia": photo provided by The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore

notably a pair of Stella wall sculptures (“Moby Dick,” on Level One), the collection includes other smaller pieces thoughtfully placed in the hotel’s public spaces across Levels One through Three. Expect to spend 30-60 minutes enjoying them all. A welldesigned Art Tour brochure is available from the Concierge (be sure to note Henry Moore’s “Floating Rock” sketches behind the desk) or online from the hotel’s website (in the “Hotel Design Inspiration” section of the Hotel Overview page). The concierge leads a complimentary art tour at 5 p.m. daily. Marina Bay Sands Art Path From The Ritz Carlton, it’s a short walk past the delightful artwork of Singapore schoolchildren at Youth Olympic Park (Singapore’s first art park) and over the Helix Bridge to the Marina Bay Sands Art Path, a collection of 11 installations by eight internationally

Youth Olympic Park

and Roberto Barni. If you can tear yourself away, visit the third floor. There you’ll find the Parkview Museum, a flexible space tailor-made for exhibiting thought-provoking contemporary art – both large installations and smaller works that require more personal interaction. Past exhibitions have included works from the extensive collection of the Parkview Group, the building’s developer. UOB Art Gallery Anyone who’s spent time at UOB Plaza along the Singapore River knows “Bird,” Botero’s captivating sculpture of an outsized avian. Just inside the lobby of UOB Plaza 1 is another artistic jewel – the UOB Art Gallery, which champions Southeast Asian art and artists. The gallery features rotating exhibitions from works in UOB’s 2,300-piece collection, as well as winning entries in its Painting of the Year competition and special exhibitions by competition artists. While the gallery is compact, its art is impactful. Before leaving, take a moment to view the stunning watercolor by Ong Kim Seng on the mezzanine overlooking the gallery. Mapletree Business City Near the corner of Pasir Panjang and Alexandra Road, five minutes from the Labrador Park MRT, the Mapletree Business City (MBC) complex contains a lovely collection of outdoor art. While MBC features four commissioned pieces under the collective theme “Culture City. Culture Scape.,” eight more large-scale, exciting pieces await – half

www.awasingapore.org by Singaporean artists. If you like your art clever, colorful or whimsical, this is your place. While they’re outdoors, the pieces are accessible via covered pathways. From the Alexandra Retail Centre’s second (not ground!) floor, exit to one of the covered walkways leading to MBC. Beforehand, download a map showing the location of all pieces from https://www.mapletreearts.sg. Note: if you get to where the map says there should be art but can’t find it, look up, around and down over railings. The art is everywhere! "Wave," Mapletree Business City

More to Explore Singapore offers many other free art spaces that are accessible to the public and worthy of your time. Both the JW Marriott and the St. Regis Hotel, for example, boast collections available for viewing in their lobbies and surrounding public spaces. In the Bras Basah-Bugis arts district, visit the Lim Hak Tai and Ngee Ann Kongsi Galleries in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film. At Marina Bay, view the installations in the tunnel connecting Esplanade to the Citylink Mall. This list is undeniably incomplete. Explore Singapore and expand it!

In addition to exploring Singapore for Bamboo Telegraph, Amanda Jaffe writes about her travel adventures on her blog, Rambling Llama (www.ramblingllama.com).