Contributions to Southeast Asian Art at National Gallery

My Parliamentary colleague Mr Baey Yam Keng,

Chong Siak Ching, CEO, National Gallery Singapore,

Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, Chairman, National Gallery Singapore, 

Dr Eugene Tan, Director of National Gallery Singapore,

Families of Wu Guanzhong and Mr Chua Ek Kay, 

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Evening.

1. I am happy to be here today for the opening of the Wu Guanzhong and Chua Ek Kay exhibitions at the National Gallery Singapore.

2. Wu Guanzhong is considered to be one of the greatest modern Chinese painters and Chua Ek Kay has been hailed by many as the “bridge between Asian and Western art”. Both artists are seminal figures widely respected for their contributions to art and culture. We are deeply honoured to be able to showcase some of their most important works here in Singapore. 

3. Thanks to the generosity of partners and friends of National Gallery Singapore, as well as the families of both artists.  This exhibition would not have been possible without their support.  Visitors to the Gallery will now have the opportunity to marvel at the masterpieces that reflect the illustrious careers of both artists.
   

Significance of the exhibitions

4. Through the work of Wu Guanzhong and Chua Ek Kay, visitors to the galleries will be able to explore major developments in the evolution of ink painting. Both artists have highly distinct styles and approaches, and use innovative techniques to synthesise Chinese and Western art traditions.

5. Located in the epicentre of a bustling trade route that connects China and the Malay Archipelago with the rest of the world, Singapore has been a unique melting pot of cultures since antiquity. The intermingling of cultural influences has inspired many great artists in this region and we hope to encourage more of that with this showcase of Wu Guanzhong and Chua Ek Kay's key works.

6. The Wu Guanzhong and Chua Ek Kay exhibitions will help Singaporeans better understand not just our own art history, but also our unique cultural identity amidst the diversity of Southeast Asia and the world. After all, the more we learn about art, the more we learn about ourselves and the world we live in.

Impact of cultural partnerships     

7. The works on display at this exhibition have been specially selected to highlight the unique approaches of the two artists. Many of them are on public display in Singapore for the first time and I hope that the exhibitions will serve as a catalyst for spirited discussions about Chinese art, and increasing awareness of the legacies of both artists. I know that the Gallery is extremely appreciative of its partnerships with 5 key arts institutions in China and Hong Kong, which include: the National Art Museum of China; China Art Museum, Shanghai; Hong Kong Museum of Art; Zhejiang Museum; and the Nanjing Museum. With the strong support from its counterparts in China, the Gallery is now able to bring you one of the most comprehensive Wu Guanzhong exhibitions in recent times. I hope that this is the beginning of more meaningful collaborations to come.

8. Singapore and China have always been building strong bilateral cultural ties. Under the MOU on Cultural Cooperation, we have set out broad areas of arts cooperation. We hope to enable our artists to have more opportunities for collaborations with their counterparts in China and vice versa. This also means that those of us who are not art practitioners can look forward to more exchanges of cultural performances and museum exhibitions like the one we have at the Gallery today.

9. Lastly, I would like to thank the private collectors, public institutions and family members of both artists for the generous support they have given to National Gallery Singapore. I look forward to generations of Singaporeans passing through the hallways of these galleries as they enjoy and appreciate the timeless beauty created by two of the most important artists of our times. With this, now allow me to say a few words in Mandarin.

   
   
   各位嘉宾们
   大家晚上好！

10. 今天非常高兴能在新加坡国家美术馆为吴冠中先生和蔡逸溪先生画展主持开幕仪式。

11. 吴冠中先生名冠天下，被许多人尊称为中国现代画坛泰斗，而蔡逸溪先生则享有“亚洲与西方艺术之间的桥梁”的美誉。两位画家一生对艺术文化的深刻执着与卓著贡献，广受世人所尊崇。而新加坡现在有机会展出两位大师的重要代表作品，这是非常难能可贵的。

12. 在这里，我要感谢国家美术馆的伙伴、朋友们，以及两位画家的家人，因为你们的慷慨捐献与无私分享，美术馆的访客才有机会欣赏两位大师的杰作，从中更贴近地认识两位画家丰富辉煌的艺术人生。

画展的意义

13. 透过吴冠中先生和蔡逸溪先生的画作，国家美术馆的访客可以一窥水墨画发展的几个重要演变阶段。两位大师画风鲜明、自成一家，更以独树一帜的技法，将西洋油画色彩的丰富细腻与中国水墨画的传统艺术精神完美地融为一体。

14. 新加坡地处于繁忙的商贸枢纽，是中国、马来半岛与世界相连的中心点，自古以来就是个独特的文化大熔炉。这多元文化的交流与融合，为这个区域的许多艺术家激发了巨大的创作灵感泉源。如今借着吴冠中和蔡逸溪两位大师的重要画作，我们希望能鼓励更多跨越文化的艺术创作火花。

15. 透过吴冠中先生和蔡逸溪先生的画展，新加坡人民不只可以认识美术史，更会进一步了解到，处在东南亚和整个世界的多元文化里，我们拥有自己独一无二的文化认同与定位。毕竟，对艺术有多一层认识，也就对自己和我们所处的世界有深一层体会。

文化合作与交流的影响

16. 这次展出的画作都是经过精心挑选的杰作，力求展现两位大师各自的独特风格。当中好多幅作品还是首次在新加坡展出。我希望通过这次画展能激发更多对中国美术的兴趣和讨论，也让后人更深刻地体会这两位画坛前辈留下的艺术成就与创作精神。这次展览，获得中国内地和香港地区五个重要艺术机构的合作与支持，他们分别是：中国美术馆、上海中华艺术宫、香港艺术馆、浙江美术馆、南京博物院。在这里，我要真诚的感谢他们的支持，正因为有了中国这些艺术伙伴的合作，美术馆才有办法办这么一场近几年来最完整的吴冠中作品展。这次合作是个好的开始，希望今后还能看到更多意义深远的合作项目。

17. 今年是新加坡与中国建立25周年的里程碑年。今年七月陈庆炎总统在中国的国事访问取得巨大的成功，而习近平主席在11月上旬对新加坡进行的国事访问把双方的关系推向另一个高峰。新中两国在政治，经贸和民间这几个环节上一直都保持着密切的关系。而今天举行的吴冠中和蔡逸溪画展，更进一步的开拓了两国在文化艺术交流上的领域。

18. 新加坡与中国长期维系着友好而坚固的双边文化联系。在新中文化合作谅解备忘录框架下，我们确立了广泛的文化艺术交流与合作模式。我们期待新中两地艺术家能有更多合作交流的机会，这也意味着我们这些非艺术创作者可以期待看到更多如这一场画展一样的文化表演和艺术展览。

19. 最后，我要再次感谢私人收藏家、公共机构、以及两位画家的家属给予新加坡国家美术馆的慷慨支持。我期许着今天以后，一代代的新加坡人能穿过这些展厅，细细欣赏和品味我们这个时代的两位重要画家所留下的永恒的艺术价值与光辉。

    谢谢。