SAM revamp - Positioning Singapore’s contemporary art scene for the future

Ms Jane Ittogi, Chair of the Singapore Art Museum Board

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good morning. I am very pleased to be able to join you today, as we take stock of the Singapore Biennale and look ahead to the future of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

2. SAM was the organiser of the Singapore Biennale, held from Oct 2016 to Feb 2017. Titled – “An Atlas of Mirrors”, the exhibition was one of the highlights of our visual arts scene. It sought to map and reflect the complex social, historical and geographical relationships shared by people and places in Asia. It also prompted viewers to contemplate how they can picture themselves and the world in such polarising times.

3. A record number of over 614,000 people attended the Biennale, and showed strong interest in the educational programmes and outreach activities. We are encouraged by the results, and value your suggestions on how we can do better for the next Biennale. So thank you for attending this feedback session. Your views are important to us.

Strong support for the visual arts sector

4. We have invested much in the visual arts sector in the past few years to build up our arts ecosystem.

5. To support local artists, the National Arts Council (NAC) provides various grants to encourage creation and production of works, and presentations at exhibitions locally and internationally. For example, artist Jack Tan was awarded a Creation Grant in 2015 for the creation of a new work, which was adapted and presented as an installation titled “Hearings” at the recent Singapore Biennale. NAC’s grants have also allowed artists such as Jeremy Sharma to hold a solo show in Berlin; and for the Singapore artist collective Spang & Lei to organise an art festival in Singapore, that explores how digital technology can foster human interaction and build community through art.

6. We also offer art scholarships to outstanding individuals who wish to hone their capabilities. Previous recipients of the NAC Scholarship include curator Joleen Loh, who has since joined the National Gallery Singapore as an assistant curator; and artist Debbie Ding, whose work was featured in the recent Biennale. Artists are also given opportunities to take part in international artist residencies. In 2015, Hilmi Johandi and Muhammad Izdiharuddin participated in the Dena Foundation international residency programme in Paris, while Sai Hua Kuan took part in the prestigious year-long Künstlerhaus Bethanien residency programme in Berlin.

7. In addition, we provide artists with arts housing support too. Telok Kurau Studios, for example, is home to 27 artists and arts groups. Other arts venues such as Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre also offer artists subsidised arts housing.

8. To foster the growth of art audiences and deepen art engagement, we support the work of art groups such as OH! Open House. The organisation, which nurtures art appreciation through its popular art walkabouts in neighbourhoods, is a former NAC Seed Grant recipient that has matured into an NAC Major Company.

SAM’s integral role in promoting arts excellence and strengthening national identity

9. As Singapore’s first dedicated national art museum, SAM has played an integral role in the growth of Singapore’s visual arts scene. It has been vital in presenting the works of home-grown, Southeast Asian and international artists to audiences here. It has also brought works by Singapore artists to audiences overseas through shows jointly curated with top international museums. Since its opening in 1996, SAM’s visitorship has steadily increased over the years, hitting record highs of 900,000 in 2015. This is three times the number a decade ago.

10. More than that, SAM has played the important role of being the crucible for our local works and enriching our dialogue on national identity. For its exhibition titled “5 Stars” in 2015, SAM commissioned five Singapore art luminaries – Ho Tzu Nyen, Matthew Ngui, T.K. Sabapathy, Suzann Victor, and Zulkifle Mahmod – to ponder and respond to the five values represented by the five stars of the Singapore flag – peace, justice, equality, democracy and progress. In doing so, it invited Singaporeans to come together to contemplate what these shared ideals mean to us and how they might help us envision our future. Zul did another work titled “SONICreflection” at the recent Biennale, that captured the quintessential Singapore life - the everyday sounds in our neighbourhoods -  and brought to life the presence of many otherwise obscure and often unappreciated communities around us. Through their voices, we become aware of the struggles and pains, and aspirations and hopes of people, who share this place we call home. 

11. SAM’s education and outreach programmes have also expanded our social commons by making art more accessible to both young and old, and have made SAM a place for reflection and creation. An example would be SAM’s “Think! Contemporary” Programme, where it partnered six primary schools to use artworks from SAM’s Learning Gallery for teaching and learning. The programme culminated in a six-week-long exhibition featuring artworks of the students, who collectively explored themes such as identity, family, home and heritage.

Positioning Singapore’s contemporary art scene for the future

12. At MCCY, we are committed to developing our visual arts sector, and creating more relevant spaces for our artists to showcase their works. We also want SAM to remain at the forefront of contemporary art in Southeast Asia.

13. Hence, I am pleased to announce that we will be embarking on a revamp of the current premises to meet the needs of our artists. This is expected to start later this year and be completed by 2021. It will enlarge and improve our existing spaces, to offer a better visitor experience for the appreciation of artworks.

14. Let me share with you our preliminary ideas for the revamp.

15. We would like to add a double-volume space to provide space for expansive and voluminous exhibitions, programmes and art works. A space that can accommodate   Suzann Victor’s “Rainbow Circle”, which was exhibited in the rotunda space of the National Museum of Singapore in 2013, would be a lovely addition to SAM.

16. The revamp should also give SAM enhanced capabilities to work with artists who push the technological frontier and create using multiple media. An example is Vietnamese artist UuDam Tran Nguyen’s work titled “Draw 2 Connect with License 2 Draw”, which allows the audience to create a sophisticated digital drawing together. SAM should be able to facilitate the creation of these types of works.

17. We would also like to see the two SAM buildings – the former SJI building, and the former Catholic High School building, now known as SAM at 8Q, be connected so as to make better use of the spaces and provide the audience with a more seamless visitor experience.

18. SAM will also be made more accessible for visitors with special needs, as we believe that art should be enjoyed by everyone. Conservation work will also be carried out to ensure that our historical buildings are restored, in accordance with the Preservation of Sites and Monuments guidelines. With this, Singaporeans can therefore look forward to an enhanced SAM, a better SAM.

19. During the revamp, SAM will continue its work by going out of Bras Basah, perhaps to the community spaces and possibly to the spaces of other cultural institutions.

20. The revamp is estimated to cost about $90 million. The Government stands ready to fund up to $80 million, and hopes that SAM, like the other art and cultural institutions, will harness the resources and support from private and corporate donors for this worthy cause.

21. We believe the revamp of SAM is timely and necessary, as we chart the next phase of development in Singapore’s contemporary art scene. We call on patrons and supporters of art in Singapore to support SAM on this important project.
    

Conclusion

22. In closing, I would like to thank all of you again for being here. As artists, curators, writers, docents, educators and art supporters, many of you have made significant contributions to SAM over the years.

23. Let us work together to take Singapore’s contemporary art scene into the future. Thank you.