The Padang Sessions

Padang Spotlights #3: Lai Foong Moi

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0800

Welcome to Padang Spotlights, a series of special episodes uncovering the rich histories of Southeast Asian artists and art spaces through archives and exclusive interviews.

In this spotlight, a quiet encounter with "Crossing" (1964) at the National Gallery Singapore leads curator Teo Hui Min into a years-long search into the life of Lai Foong Moi (b. 1931, d. 1994) — the first Malayan-born woman to hold solo exhibitions in Singapore and the Federation of Malaya. Celebrated in her time yet little remembered today, Lai’s story reveals the delicate interplay of forces that shape an artist’s journey.

Accompanied by conversations with her former student, artist Salleh bin Japar, and her contemporary, artist Yeo Hoe Koon, we trace Lai’s path from her promising return from art training in France to her later years on the margins of public memory. We invite you to consider her story not just in terms of artistic innovation or acclaim but as a reflection on the ambition, negotiation, and uncertainties that define an artist’s life and legacy.

Researcher, Host & Co-editor: Teo Hui Min

Co-editors & Producers: Adele Tan, Kelysha Cheah Kassim

Audio production, Music & Sound design: Chong Li-Chuan

If you’ve enjoyed Padang Spotlights, please take a moment to leave us a review.

Go to www.nationalgallery.sg for more podcasts and Southeast Asian art!

The Calligraphic and the Modern in Haryadi Suadi’s Printmaking and Glass Painting | Anissa Rahadiningtyas, Jérôme Samuel & Radi Arwinda

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0800

Artist Haryadi Suadi grew up in Cirebon on the northern coast of Java. The port city was famous for its long history of oceanic trade and rich material culture, including glass painting, a medium that Suadi worked with throughout his artistic career. In 1959, Suadi enrolled at the art school in Bandung, joining Ahmad Sadali and A.D. Pirous. He worked intensively with printmaking before working with glass painting from the mid-1970s onwards. Today, Suadi is known for his substantial contribution to the development of modern printmaking and glass painting in Indonesia.

This conversation with Haryadi Suadi’s son and collaborator Radi Arwinda, scholar Jérôme Samuel and curator Anissa Rahadiningtyas delves into Haryadi Suadi’s experimentations with printmaking and reverse glass paintings in Indonesia.

This programme took place at National Gallery Singapore on 19 July 2023 and was held in conjunction with the exhibition “The Neglected Dimension”.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Vision, Faith, and A Journey in Indonesian Art: A Conversation with A.D. Pirous, Kenneth M. George & Anissa Rahadiningtyas

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0800

Written by Kenneth M. George and Mamannoor in 2002, ‘A.D. Pirous: Vision, Faith, and A Journey in Indonesian Art, 1955-2002’ is a thorough survey of artist A.D. Pirous’s life, works and artistic practice that was born out of the long-term collaboration and friendship between A.D. Pirous and George.

The book details A.D. Pirous’s stories on aspects of his life and artistic journey, highlighting his explorations of calligraphic forms and expressions and his critical position in developing the practice and discourse of modern and modern Islamic art in Indonesia.

This conversation between A.D. Pirous, Kenneth M. George and exhibition curator Anissa Rahadiningtyas explores Pirous’s works in the exhibition ‘The Neglected Dimension’ while delving deeper into the process of making his prints and paintings and the stories behind them.

This programme was livestreamed on 26th August 2023 in conjunction with the exhibition “The Neglected Dimension”. It was supported by Serambi Pirous and CIVAS | Centre for Indonesian Visual Art Studies, Bandung Institute of Technology.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Padang Spotlights #2: Sun Yee

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0800

Welcome to Padang Spotlights! These special episodes are dedicated to unearthing our archives to bring to life the rich narratives of Southeast Asian artists and art spaces.

In this spotlight, our researcher and host Tan Yen Peng traces the legacy of female artist and educator Sun Yee (b. 1919, d. 2010), a pivotal but lesser-known figure in Singapore’s early art scene. As the former head of the Singapore Academy of Arts, and an artist with nearly 100 exhibitions to her name, Sun Yee played a vital role in shaping art education in Singapore but over time, her contributions have quietly faded from public memory.

Through heartfelt conversations with her former student, artist-designer Eng Siak Loy, and long-time friend and gallerist Johnny Yu Ching Chung, Yen Peng pieces together Sun Yee’s contributions to Singapore’s artistic landscape and reflects on the importance of remembering those who laid the groundwork for today’s creative communities.

Researcher, Host & Co-editor: Tan Yen Peng

Co-editors & Producers: Adele Tan, Kelysha Cheah Kassim, Ng Zheng Hong

Audio production, Music & Sound design: Chong Li-Chuan

If you’ve enjoyed Padang Spotlights, please take a moment to leave us a review.

Go to www.nationalgallery.sg for more podcasts and Southeast Asian art!

The Original is An Illusion | Seng Yu Jin, Simon Soon, and Biljana Ciric

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0800

Can we conceive of exhibitions as a medium? Are exhibitions only neutral spaces for the display of artworks, or do they have agency as an aesthetic, contested and epistemic site Can we conceptualise the exhibition as a medium that generates new ways of thinking about and making art?

When talking about methodology, there is a dilemma in terms of how we can develop approaches to study exhibitions that extend beyond just art history. As part of October Gathering, “Towards a Mystical Reality: A Documentation of Jointly Initiated Experiences by Redza Piyadasa and Sulaiman Esa” (Malaysia, 1974) was restaged. It was used as a case study that could be reconstructed, reconsidered and propositioned as an exhibitionary medium, method, and “conceptual performance” that is participatory, critical and reflexive all at once. Reconstructing such exhibitions proposes a way of thinking that sees the exhibition as method and the exhibition as medium approaches as ways to demystify the original exhibition.

This discussion was part of a workshop that accompanied the restaging of “Towards a Mystical Reality: A Documentation of Jointly Initiated Experiences by Redza Piyadasa and Sulaiman Esa”. Art historian Simon Soon and independent curator Biljana Ciric explored how we could develop approaches to studying exhibitions that extended beyond what we have from art history. This conversation was moderated by then Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin.

This discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 7 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

The Distance Between Us | David Hanan, Kaloy Olavides & Ray Lagenbach

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0800

Bringing together Malaysia-based American artist Ray Lagenbach, Filipino artist and musician Kaloy Olavides and the Indonesian film historian David Hanan, this panel sought to explore the intersections between performance and time-based media which emerged during the 1970s which have largely been left outside the ambit of current art histories in Southeast Asia.

Through the diverse perspectives and experiences of the invited speakers, the panel sought to locate early collaborative and interdisciplinary instances of art-making from the 1970s to the 1990s in order to search for a more multi-modal approach to reading art in relation to the moving image in the region.

The programme opened with a screening of ‘Meta Ekologi’, an experimental film by artist-filmmaker Gotot Prakosa which captures a performance choreographed by Sardono Kusomo, and which was held at the Taman Ismail Marzuki in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1979. This programme was moderated by Clarissa Chikiamco and Cheng Jia Yu, Curators at National Gallery Singapore.

Due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to publish the film online.

This film screening and discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 16 Oct 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Archival Intelligence: Digital Archives | Annie Jael Kwan & Farah Wardani

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0800

Digital access to collections is an important function of many Southeast Asian art archives. As digital resources and nodes for peer-to-peer sharing, these archives play an important role in seeding new research and cultivating a regional historical consciousness.

Focusing on the Southeast Asia Performance Collection and Indonesia Visual Art Archive as case studies, curators Annie Jael Kwan and Farah Wardani examined how these archives have used digital tools to grow their discursive communities, collaborating with organisations and navigating intellectual property regimes in this conversation moderated by gallery curator Kathleen Ditzig.

This discussion was part of an online workshop, “Archival Intelligence,” that brought together artists, researchers and archivists from the region alongside lawyers and Arweave, a blockchain seeking to create a ‘permanent Internet’. Together, they discussed about sustainable Web3 solutions that could serve marginalised artists, independent spaces and cultural histories which are at risk of being lost.

This programme took place at National Gallery Singapore on 9 Oct 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Archival Intelligence: Opening the Archive | Joel Sherwood-Spring, Simon Soon & Tammy Nguyen

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 09:00:00 +0800

Join Joel Sherwood-Spring, Simon Soon and Tammy Nguyen as they advocate for open-access knowledge. This session explored different strategies for reclaiming and granting greater access to knowledge. From institutional partnerships, to leveraging the public domains of specific nations, and to the individual labour involved in creating resource guides and artworks, this panel delved into the techniques and urgencies that have empowered individuals and collectives to resist the legacies of neocolonialism. The conversation also touched on the increasing levels of exclusivity when it comes to who gets to study, write and speak about our cultural histories. This discussion was moderated by Gallery Curator Kathleen Ditzig.

This programme took place at National Gallery Singapore on 9 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Concert for the Haunted | SEMBUH (HEAL) by Kamal Sabran ft. Arif Ayab, Ahmad Taquidin & Syimah Sabtu

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:00:00 +0800

“SEMBUH” is an expanded version of Kamal Sabran’s Ssegar Angin performance, presented at the Venice Biennale in April 2022. Based on Kamal’s sound therapy research on performance as a method for Malay traditional healing, the project offered an alternative take on the revitalisation of the angin (wind) transpiring within the panggung (physical space) through an immersive sound and dance experience. Anchoring the panggung and charging the space with aural energy, the performance moves the public towards healing and recovery.

About Concert for the Haunted

As the sonic programme accompanying October Gathering, Concert for the Haunted invited sound artists, musicians and movement artists to respond to the thematic threads and inquiries arising across its sister programmes. How do binaries of self/other, nature/culture, body/mind continue to haunt us even in the present? Through encouraging deep listening, sound becomes a seeding moment for healing, cross-pollination and the unearthing of neglected but deep connections between the human and non-human. Concert for the Haunted proposed a re-alliance with intuitive and embodied ways of knowing and encouraged expanded imaginings of togetherness through modes of listening.

This performance took place at National Gallery Singapore on 15 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Padang Spotlights #1: Chng Seok Tin

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 09:00:00 +0800

Welcome to Padang Spotlights! These special episodes are dedicated to unearthing our archives to bring to life the rich narratives of Southeast Asian artists and art spaces.

In this spotlight, Gallery curator Cheng Jia Yun continues her research journey following her curation of well-loved Singaporean artist Chng Seok Tin’s exhibition Drawn Through a Press (2021). Through intimate conversations with artists Tan Sock Fong, Dahlia Osman, Chen Shitong, and archivist Koh Nguang How, Jia Yun delves deeper into the impact of Chng’s work and how her collaborative spirit has allowed the printmaking community in Singapore to thrive.

As an added bonus, listen out for the harmonica melodies by the artist, which she performed for her student Dahlia Osman’s birthday celebration!

Researcher, Host & Co-editor: Cheng Jia Yun

Co-editors & Producers: Erica Lai, Joleen Loh, Kelysha Cheah Kassim

Audio production, Music & Sound design: Chong Li-Chuan

If you’ve enjoyed Padang Spotlights, please take a moment to leave us a review.

Go to www.nationalgallery.sg for more podcasts and Southeast Asian art!

Two Planets | Love Loves Difficult Things: Tini Aliman, Zarina Muhammad

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0800

This lecture performance by artists Zarina Muhammad and Tini Aliman draws from and unfolds from fragments from each of the auto-ethnographic aspects of Zarina and Tini's respective practice. The performance was presented as part visual conversation, part pragmatic prayer, part eulogy, part temporal installation that traverses the hiding places of love, grief and queer spirits, the soundscapes of trees as conduits, the inventories of intimacies, the necessary spaces of silence and the ways love loves difficult things.

Following this is a conversation between the artists, historian Chris Baker, economist Pasuk Phongpaichit and curator Adele Tan.

This performance lecture took place at National Gallery Singapore on 16 Oct 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Two Planets | Desire Deny Defy: Chris Baker, Pasuk Phongpaichit

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 09:00:00 +0800

Desire is both powerful and fundamental. In old Siam, the expression of desire in words and pictures was open, celebratory and humorous. Among non-elite women, sexuality was seen as a strength and was something that was not confined to the young. Royals were portrayed as passionate.

However, modernity brought about change. Some sought to deny the power of desire and to limit its expression, and female sexuality was seen as dangerous. Yet, old currents still swirl under the surface and defy this denial of sexuality. Historian Chris Baker and economist Pasuk Phongpaichit explore the power of desire: from temple murals in the 18th century, to poetry in the 15th century, and protest in the 21st century.

This talk took place at National Gallery Singapore on 15 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: This talk contains some sexual references. Listener discretion is advised. The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

I am an Artist (He Said): Live Readings & Discussion | Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Amanda Lee Koe, Heman Chong & Roger Nelson

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0800

“To be an artist is ... just like shit in a clogged toilet, stubborn shit that can’t decide whether it wants to be flushed or to stick around…”

Composed as an irreverent dialogue between masculine and feminine narrators, this book of essays by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook is an uncategorisable fusion of art criticism, feminist theory, art pedagogy, gossip and autofiction. This first English translation of her essays was prepared by eminent translator Kong Rithdee and edited with an accompanying essay by Roger Nelson and Chanon Kenji Praepipatmongkol.

This event marked the launch of the new research publications imprint, National Gallery Singapore: Art Writing. This peer-reviewed imprint celebrates the diverse voices and genres of writing that create the discourse of art in Southeast Asia, both historically and in the present. Going beyond conventional art history, books in this imprint include compilations of artist writings, art criticism and experimental approaches to the image.

This live reading and discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 15 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.

This is a recording of a live reading of extracts from Araya’s compelling and humorous writings by artist Heman Chong, writer Amanda Lee Koe and Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook herself, and a sharing on the development of the book by Roger Nelson.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Darkened Rooms | Charmaine Toh, Janice Loo, Mintio & Sean Lee

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:00:00 +0800

Photography has been seen on the walls of the art museum since the 1930s. However, since then, questions have continued to be raised as to what sort of photography and whose photography should be collected and displayed? The role of photography within an art museum is often complicated by its varied, multiple roles in daily life – its non-art functions, which have caused confusion, arguments and schisms. Artists Sean Lee, Mintio, and librarian Janice Loo revisit this medium with respect to a museum’s role in society. This discussion was moderated by Gallery Senior Curator Charmaine Toh.

This panel discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 16 Oct 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

An Uncommon History of the Common Fence: A Prologue | Jason Wee

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:00:00 +0800

"An Uncommon History of the Common Fence" is a research project that suggests that the common fence—often used as a protective safety urban device or as a boundary marker demarcating permissible and non-permissible movement—has had an uncommon history within the biography of Singapore.

The fence is so commonplace within the urban environment that it recedes from active vision. In fact, the common fence has been a participant in key events in the history of Singapore: as a witness to history, as a site of its making and as its casualty. In these ways, the fence, as an urban design element, has enacted key dimensions of citizenship within this city.

To account for these various dimensions, the research in "An Uncommon History" is manifested as equal parts design and photographic history, sculptural and installation objects, as well as text and speech. Singaporean artist and writer Jason Wee explores the common fence as a participant in key events in the history of Singapore.

“A Prologue” was part of a larger programme titled: “An Uncommon History of the Common Fence: A Prologue + Reading Spiral”.

This talk took place at National Gallery Singapore on 16 Oct 2022, as part of ‘October Gathering’.

The Neglected Dimension | Arahmaiani, Anissa Rahadiningtyas, Noorashikin Binte Zulkifli & Syaheedah Iskandar

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0800

To dwell on the questions concerning Islam and Islamic religiosity/spirituality is to acknowledge its position in mainstream art historical narratives and museological practices. Islam is rarely discussed in this largely secular field and the circles of modern and contemporary art. There are only a few scholarships on art in Southeast Asia that address the continuing role of Islam in the region's modern and contemporary artistic practices.

This conversation highlighted this "neglected dimension" by focusing on how Islam and Islamic objects are contextualised within museums. It observed how artists have worked with religious-derived principles, spiritual dimensions and how they are preoccupied with the ritual and performative aspects of their devotional experience, inseparable from a larger cultural system.

Artists, curators, and scholars looked at the absence of Islam and Islamic religiosity/spirituality in modern and contemporary art historical narratives in Southeast Asia, and how its aspects have been packaged and framed within international exhibition spaces.

This panel discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 15 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.

This talk formed part of research for the Gallery's 2023 exhibition The Neglected Dimension curated by Anissa Rahadiningtyas.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Singapore Art from the 1950s – 1970s | Jeffrey Say

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0800

In this episode, art historian Jeffrey Say explores one of the most important phases in the development of Singapore’s modern art history—the 1950s to the 1970s. This period saw the emergence of distinctive movements like the Nanyang Style, visual imagery that drew from the lives and struggles of the common people, and the first sculpture show in Singapore.

This session was held in July 2017 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

How Easily Modernism Could be Disturbed | Session 2: You Will Never Understand

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0800

Founder and editor of the Indonesian magazine Tempo, Goenawan Mohamad recalls one of Indonesia’s most cherished poets, Chairil Anwar, and offers perspectives on possible genealogies that have constituted modern Southeast Asian literary production since the 1950s.

This session was held in December 2018 as part of the symposium How Easily Modernism Could be Disturbed in conjunction with the exhibition Latiff Mohidin: Pago Pago (1960-1969). This travelling exhibition by National Gallery Singapore was also presented at Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

How Easily Modernism Could be Disturbed | Session 1: The Play of Light

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0800

Writer and literary translator Pauline Fan traces the literary frontiers in Latiff Mohidin’s travel writings and poetry from the 1960s in this conversation with Gallery Director of ILHAM Gallery Rahel Joseph.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Performing Paik, Connecting the World: Sook-Kyung Lee and Rudolf Frieling

Thu, 04 May 2023 09:00:00 +0800

Co-curators of the Nam June Paik exhibition Rudolf Frieling (of SFMOMA) and Sook-Kyung Lee (of Tate Modern) briefly trace Paik’s legacy by focusing on some of his key works. They also address multiple intersecting narratvies of music and performance, collaboration and artistic networks as well as transnational interests and trajectories.

This talk was held online on the Gallery's YouTube and Facebook channels on 17 December 2021 in association with the exhibition Nam June Paik: The Future is Now.

This programme was made possible with the support of U.S. Embassy Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

The Crowd: In conversation with Seng Yu Jin and Roger Nelson

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0800

Roger Nelson (Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University and Curator) and Seng Yu Jin (Deputy Director, Curatorial & Exhibitions, National Gallery Singapore) discuss how we can account for the allure of the exotic in depictions of crowds in Southeast Asian places and people through Louis Rollet’s Market at Memot and U Ba Nyan’s At the Jetty.

This talk was held online on Zoom in June 2021 in association with the In-Gallery Sessions programme series.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Animals and Imagery in Colonial Singapore | Timothy P. Barnard

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 09:00:00 +0800

Associate Professor of History Dr Timothy P. Barnard (National University of Singapore) explores how animals fit into colonial society in Singapore, an aspect of the period’s history that is often overlooked. While animals no doubt played an important role in everyday life by providing transportation, labour and food, they also symbolically represented the colonisation of nature. They were used as metaphors for imperial control in media like paintings and photographs, and became integral to perceptions of Singapore and how its place in the tropics was understood.

This talk was recorded live in September 2019 at National Gallery Singapore in association with the Art in Singapore programme series.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Murals and Architecture in Singapore and Malaysia, 1945-1969 | Lai Chee Kien

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 09:00:00 +0800

Architecture historian Dr Lai Chee Kien examines murals and architecture produced during the heady years just before and after independence in Singapore and Malaysia from 1945 to 1969, and also into the 1970s.

This talk was recorded live in March 2020 at National Gallery Singapore as part of the programming for Suddenly Turning Visible: Art and Architecture in Southeast Asia (1969–1989).

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Thought Leader Series | Sir Nicholas Serota on Art Museums as Forum

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 09:00:00 +0800

Former Director of the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota discusses the implications of significant shifts in the way art museums work with artists and how they engage with the public, with special reference to the evolution of Tate.

This talk was recorded live in October 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

The Romance of the Emporium: Donna Brunero on Collecting and Documenting the Asian Port City in the Era of the Sail

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Senior Lecturer of History Dr Donna Brunero (National University of Singapore) explores how the material culture of the port city and representations of an idealised Asian trading emporium, became important ways of considering Asia in the 1880s.

This talk was recorded live in September 2019 at National Gallery Singapore in association with the Art in Singapore programme series.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Ceramic Art Through a Filmmaker’s Lens | Royston Tan on Iskandar Jalil

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 09:00:00 +0800

In this episode, award-winning filmmaker Royston Tan shares his perspective on Iskandar Jalil as a master potter and educator, and sheds light on how Iskandar’s art-making philosophy has influenced his filmmaking.

This talk was recorded live in September 2017 at National Gallery Singapore in association with the exhibition "Iskandar Jalil: Kembara Tanah Liat (Clay Travels)".

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

The Art of Collecting | Jennifer Lam

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Assistant Curator Jennifer Lam discusses the history and practice of collecting art in Singapore during the early 20th century, with reference to the Xiu Hai Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy.

This talk was recorded live in September 2017 at National Gallery Singapore in association with the exhibition "Rediscovering Treasures: Ink Art from the Xiu Hai Lou Collection".

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Artist Talk | Zhang Jian-Jun: The Way of Experimental Ink

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Contemporary ink artist Zhang Jian-Jun probes into China’s rapidly changing cultural and physical landscapes through his paintings, photography, videos and installations.

This talk was recorded live in September 2019 at National Gallery Singapore as part of the Gallery's annual programme series Ink Masters.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

To Singapore River, With Love | An Artist Talk by Cheo Chai Hiang

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Artist Cheo Chai Hiang shares his personal connections to the social and cultural narratives of the Singapore River, and how this deep bond with his homeland has influenced his art practice.

This talk was recorded live in August 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition Lim Cheng Hoe: Painting Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Pictorialism is Dead. Long Live Pictorialism. | Charmaine Toh

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Accounts of pictorial photography have typically traced its beginnings from Europe in the 1890s to its supposed end in North America in the 1930s. This talk by Gallery curator Charmaine Toh considers the transfer of pictorial photography to Singapore and how values associated with Pictorialism were re-coded within the local context.

Particular attention will be paid to the way photography was incorporated into national narratives in the 1950s and 1960s.

This talk was recorded live in August 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition (Re)Collect: The Making of our Art Collection.

This talk features works by photographer Lee Lim, who is also featured in our virtual exhibition Stories in Light: Four Modern Photographers in Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

To see what you see is what you think you see: A Conversation with Mak Kum Siew

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Learn more about London’s art scene in the 1960s and what it takes for a Singaporean artist to suceed in a foreign metropolis, in this dialogue between artist Mak Kum Siew and Jennifer K. Y. Lam (Assistant Curator, National Gallery Singapore).

This conversation was recorded live in May 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition (Re)Collect: The Making of our Art Collection.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Clarissa Chikiamco | From History to the Real: Two Sides of Juan Luna

Wed, 04 May 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Learn about the different sides of Filipino painter Juan Luna’s artistic practice in this talk by Clarissa Chikiamco (Curator, National Gallery Singapore). By comparing two of the artist’s masterpieces– Cleopatra and Les Ignorés (The Unknown Ones) –this talk examines Luna’s stylistic shift from history painting to realism during his time in Paris.

This lecture was recorded live in January 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna.

*Note: Due to the tour format of the talk, the sound quality is affected during certain portions of the episode.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

John Clark | Raden Saleh and Juan Luna: Artist, Identity and Colony

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 11:00:00 +0800

This lecture by art historian and Professor Emeritus John Clark compares the different ways that Raden Saleh and Juan Luna approached creating art in a colonial context. It refers to two of their Salon paintings - The Arrest of Diponegoro and Spoliarium - and examines how each made nationalistic statements about colonial rule while adhering to European norms. It also touches on how their lives diverged, with Saleh becoming an aristocratic ironist and Luna becoming a nationalist insurrectionist.

This lecture was recorded live in January 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Women and Minimalism | In Conversation with Goh Sze Ying and Joleen Loh

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Listen to Gallery curators Goh Sze Ying and Joleen Loh as they examine approaches to seriality and form in the practice of artists Kim Lim, Midori Takada, Anne Truitt and Charlotte Posenenske. They will also discuss the contribution of women artists to the development of Minimal Art.

This lecture was made possible with the support of the U.S. Embassy of Singapore and recorded live in December 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition Minimalism: Space. Light. Object.

*Note: Click these links to listen to Steve Reich's Drumming (1970-191) from the debut album of Colin Currie Records (released 9 March 2018), and the reissue of Midori Takada's Crossing (1983) by Palto Flats & WRWTFWW Records (released 3 March 2017) which were played live during the lecture at 18:27 minutes and 19:33 minutes respectively.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Joan Kee | Minimalism in Asia Major

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 09:00:00 +0800

Despite the significant role that Asian artists and Asia played in contemporary art, nearly every discussion of Minimalism fails to account for this. This lecture by art historian Joan Kee offers a maverick view of Minimalism, addressing how and why Asia and Asian artists mattered in relation to one of the most important art movements in the 20th century, as well as how contemporary art can be a fluid geography of imagination.

This lecture was possible with the support of the U.S. Embassy of Singapore recorded live in November 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition Minimalism: Space. Light. Object.

*Note: Due to technical issues during recording, the audio was affected. The sound quality improves greatly after 7 minutes 51 seconds.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Gallery Keynote: Future Glocal Museum Perspectives By Dr Marion Ackermann

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 09:00:00 +0800

The future of our museums and the search for new concepts in rapidly changing societies is an important issue in present museum debates. Social transformation processes, changes in communication and the transfer of knowledge, which have been extremely accelerated by the digital revolution and globalisation, are also visible in everyday museum life.

Prof. Dr. Marion Ackermann, Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlung Dresden, or SKD), discusses the current situation of museums from a local and global perspective, and point out possible development trends for the future.

This Gallery Keynote lecture was recorded live in July 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

About the Gallery Keynote series

The series invites the world’s visionaries, thinkers and industry and opinion leaders to consider issues fundamentally relating to the future of museums and their role in culture and society. Speakers in this series lead us to confront the challenges faced by art museums and the ecology they belong to—both locally and globally—and consider solutions for the way forward, and the principles that should guide them.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Why Do We Leave?: Jose Tence Ruiz in Conversation with Shabbir Hussain Mustafa

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 09:00:00 +0800

How do artists bear witness to changes and shifts in their homeland, and why do they leave? Join Senior Curator Shabbir Hussain Mustafa in tracing the journey of multimedia artist Jose Tence Ruiz from Manila, where he was involved in the Kaisahan Social Realist movement, to his life in Singapore as a political cartoonist.

This conversation was recorded live in October 2018 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of Art in Southeast Asia: In Transition, a day of programmes dedicated to mapping the complexities of crossing boundaries, political and spiritual, within Southeast Asia.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Re-Imagining Home: Vietnam as Sign, Site, and History in Contemporary Art

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0800

Join art historian Dr Pamela Corey as she surveys the works of diasporic Vietnamese artists that draw on themes of transnational history, such as competing nationalisms, contested historiographies, wartime trauma and diasporic migration. This talk offers new interpretations of their artworks, such as through the lens of craft, mass media and urban form, thus illuminating other art historical connections and engagements with time, place and materiality.

This talk was recorded live in August 2017 at National Gallery Singapore in line with Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission: Danh Vo.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Epitaph IV: Nationalism Through Spirituality in Art

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 09:00:00 +0800

Assistant Curator Zulfadhli Hilmi discusses the themes of spiritualism and nationalism in AD Pirous’ artwork Epitaph IV. The conversation explores the turn towards creating new languages and dialogues in art in the 1960s in Bandung and the rest of Southeast Asia.

This talk was recorded live in September 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Iskandar Jalil: Inspired and Inspiring

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 09:00:00 +0800

Join academic and ceramic artist Dr Suriani Suratman, who trained under Iskandar Jalil, in a conversation with Syed Muhammad Hafiz (Assistant Curator, National Gallery Singapore). Dr Suriani shares her personal insights on Iskandar’s teaching philosophies and how his teaching legacy continues to have an impact on the local art scene.

This conversation was recorded live in January 2017 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of the exhibition "Iskandar Jalil: Kembara Tanah Liat (Clay Travels)".

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

The Power of Multitude: A Survey of Artists' Collectives in Singapore from 1935– 1988

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 09:00:00 +0800

In this lecture, Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin examines different types of artists' collectives and how collectivism influences the ways artists think about and make art. Listen as he traces the shifts in the Singapore art scene from "organisational collectivism" that sought to professionalise art, to "exhibition collectivism" that championed group exhibitions, and "collaborative collectivism" that created opportunities for artists to collaborate.

This lecture was recorded live in August 2017 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Frames Within and Without: The Art of Chng Seok Tin | Seng Yu Jin in Conversation with Koh Nguang How

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 09:00:00 +0800

Researcher Koh Nguang How joins Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin as they discuss on the late artist and cultural medallion recipient Chng Seok Tin- looking at her multi-hyphenated practices as artist, writer, and musician.

This session was recorded live in May 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Conserve and Contrast: Perspectives from Two Curators and a Conservator

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0800

What can conservation and art history learn from each other?

Gallery curators Clarissa Chikiamco and Roger Nelson are joined by conservator Mar Cusso in an exchange of perspectives on two paintings: a detailed 1930s portrait of a formally attired Burmese gentleman by Saya Myit and a 1940s dream-like depiction of a hunter by Emiria Sunassa.

Both paintings, outstanding examples of the artists’ styles, required extensive conservation and restoration before they could be displayed. And the artists of these works- Saya Myit from Myanmar and Emiria Sunassa from Indonesia, are today recognised for their contributions to the development of modern art in Southeast Asia.

This session was recorded live in November 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

In Flux: Impermanent Galleries | A Conversation with Cheng Jia Yun

Wed, 05 May 2021 09:00:00 +0800

The UOB Southeast Asia Gallery, along with the DBS Singapore Gallery, house National Gallery Singapore's long-term exhibitions. However, the displays in these two "permanent” galleries are anything but permanent: artworks are regularly removed so that they can be returned to the lender or sent for conservation, making space for new loans and acquisitions.

Led by Gallery curator Cheng Jia Yun, this session from 2019 highlighted additions to UOB Southeast Asia galleries 11 to 15, including works by contemporary artists such as Sulaiman Esa, Pinaree Sanitpitak, Svay Ken and Semsar Siaahan.

This session was recorded live in October 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Doors into Constancio Bernardo: a Conversation with Clarissa Chikiamco

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0800

In this session, Gallery curator Clarissa Chikiamco discusses artist Constancio Bernardo's pursuit of abstraction in post-war Philippines, through his painting Bernardian Synthesis No. 1.

This session was recorded live in May 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Low Kway Song: A Trailblazer | Lim Shujuan In Conversation with Richard and Arthur Low

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 09:00:00 +0800

Join Gallery curator Lim Shujuan in conversation with Richard and Arthur Low, the grandsons of Singapore artist Low Kway Song (1889–1982).

Low was not only a forerunner who popularised oil painting and a prominent portrait artist commissioned by many famous personalities, but also a publisher and owner of a photographic studio. Learn little-known facts and anecdotes about him through his grandsons as they share their memories and years of research.

This conversation was recorded live in March 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Latiff Mohidin: Pago Pago (1960–1969) a Talk by Shabbir Hussain Mustafa

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 09:00:00 +0800

Gain insights into the contexts surrounding poet-painter Latiff Mohidin’s seminal Pago Pago series. This talk by Senior Curator Shabbir Hussain Mustafa places the artist within the Berlin art circles of the 1960s, as well as the cultural, political and art historical milieus of Southeast Asia.

This conversation was recorded live in July 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

She Takes Her Path: Amanda Heng in Conversation with Charmaine Toh

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0800

In conversation with curator Charmaine Toh, award-winning multi-disciplinary artist Amanda Heng introduces her performance S/he, as well as her broader art practice through the decades. Recounting her experiences with The Artists Village and Women in the Arts, the discussion provides a personal viewpoint on the history of socially-engaged art in Singapore.

This conversation was recorded live in June 2019 at National Gallery Singapore, as part of programmes for the exhibition Awakenings: Art in Society in Asia 1960s–1990s.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Walking with Alwin: Alwin Reamillo in Conversation with Shabbir Hussain Mustafa

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0800

Filipino artist Alwin Reamillo investigates the idea of nationhood and its surrounding narratives, through looking at artworks by Juan Luna, Felix Hidalgo, and Victor Edades in the UOB Southeast Asia Galleries. Together with Senior Curator Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, Reamillo also discusses figures in Philippine art history that have influenced his own artistic practice.

This conversation was recorded live in January 2020 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Collaging Ancestries: Goh Beng Kwan in Conversation with Seng Yu Jin

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0800

In this session, Singaporean artist and Cultural Medallion recipient - Goh Beng Kwan and Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin discuss how collage offered a way for Goh to explore new ways of art-making, through using an expanded range of materials and cultural sources.

This conversation was recorded live in November 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Collaboration, Coal, Contemporaneity: Trần Lương in Conversation with Roger Nelson

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0800

Trần Lương is one of Vietnam’s most celebrated contemporary artists. In this conversation with Gallery curator Roger Nelson, he discusses his artistic practice and how the emphasis on creative collaboration heralded a new era of artmaking in contemporary Vietnam after the demise of the Cold War.

This conversation was recorded live in August 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Reflections on Art: Tan Oe Pang in Conversation with Teo Hui Min

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0800

One of the most innovative practitioners working in the medium of ink today, Tan Oe Pang joins Assistant Curator Teo Hui Min to discuss the artistic concepts expressed through his work, the essential qualities of art and the dialogue between Western and Eastern aesthetics.

This conversation contains segments in Mandarin with accompanying translations by the curator. It was recorded live in October 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Act 1.5… My Time With The Artist Village: Khairul Anwar Salleh In Conversation with Jennifer Lam

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0800

How did artists with different practices begin collaborating? Is there a relationship between performance art, theatre and new media? Join artist Khairul Anwar Salleh and Assistant Curator Jennifer K.Y. Lam in exploring the development of interdisciplinary approaches to art in Singapore.

This conversation was recorded live in August 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Under Wraps: Edgar Talusan Fernandez In Conversation with Clarissa Chikiamco

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0800

Initially a painter of abstract art, artist Edgar Talusan Fernandez turned to overt political subjects after Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law in 1972. Join Fernandez and Gallery curator Clarissa Chikiamco as they explore the multiple facets that make up Fernandez’s artistic practice since the 1970s.

This conversation was recorded live in April 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Nanyang Colours: Remembering Tchang Ju Chi | Lisa Horikawa in Conversation with Seng Yu Jin

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0800

In collaboration with the artist Tchang Ju Chi's family, Senior Curators Seng Yu Jin and Horikawa Lisa present their ongoing research. They speak about Tchang as an artist who bridged the worlds of art and literature through the concept of 'Nanyang Colour' that called for art, literature and theatre practitioners in Singapore to depict local concerns, conditions, and contexts here by drawing from their immediate tropical surroundings as sources for their works.

This conversation was recorded live in September 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

The Blurring Echo: Ahmad Fuad Osman In Conversation with Shabbir Hussain Mustafa

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0800

Artist Ahmad Fuad Osman discusses the evolving contexts of his art since the early 1990s, in relation to the artistic self and how one may trace historical moments in contemporary art.

This conversation was recorded live in January 2019 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Evoking the Southeast Asian Contemporary: The United World College Arts Festivals 1972–84 | Teo Eng Seng in Conversation with Joleen Loh

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0800

Join artist Teo Eng Seng and curator Joleen Loh, as they discuss the contexts and significance of one of the earliest sites in Singapore for the display of contemporary art from the region, as well as Europe and the United States.

This conversation was recorded live on April 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

Trailer: Padang Sessions

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0800

Welcome to the Padang Sessions!