NTU Museum

Feels like the warm weather is upon us again - did you know that this sculpture consists over 1,200 butterflies that flutter in the wind? Something to think about the next time you walk past Loop (2019) at The Arc B1.

Wishing you a masterpiece of joy, a palette of laughter, and a canvas of unforgettable moments this holiday season. 🎨🏛️ Happy Holidays from our NTU Museum family to yours! 🎁🌟

In frame:
Details of Lim Tze Peng’s Singapore River(2008)

𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 by Delia Prvački! 🎨

Crafted with love, this incredible sculpture blurs the lines between art and the outdoors. Made in 2006, it's a mix of handmade painted and glazed ceramic, cast in fibreglass-reinforced concrete. It now sits outside The Experimental Medicine Building, NTU.

Red Solace is all about capturing the raw beauty of handcrafted ceramics, highlighting their texture, rich colours, and tactile feel. 🏺 Delia seamlessly blends form and function in this contemplative artwork. The mosaic-like assembly method reminds us of the intricate, colourful sand creations tucked inside glass bottles. The range of colours, from earthy reds to the greens and blues of the sky, connects us to the natural world. 🔴🟢🔵

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 by Yeo Chee Kiong

You can find Yeo Chee Kiong's stunning stainless steel masterpiece standing outside the Tan Chin Tuan Lecture Theatre. This 6.6 metre tall piece was crafted in 2010 to commemorate the inaugural Youth Olympic Games hosted right here in Singapore. 🤝🏆

The wind, a force of change, represents the coming together of young athletes from all over the globe. 🌍 Their unity and spirit are beautifully captured in the image of rain and a butterfly, delicately perched on a silvery green shoot. This artwork embodies the exchange of knowledge, respect, and friendship that blossomed at the Youth Olympic Village during the Games. Renowned artist Yeo, famous for his distinctive 'bulbous' style, employs the metamorphosis of a butterfly to convey the transformative experience these athletes had in August 2010. 🦋

𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 (𝘎𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳) by Lim Tze Peng

Located inside the Nanyang Auditorium, NTU Museum's largest painting not only celebrates the old Singapore River but also offers younger generations a glimpse into the disappearing historical landscape of Singapore. 🏞️✨

Lim Tze Peng is acclaimed for his unique style of ink painting, which boasts rich brushwork and tonal details, often seen as a representation of the Nanyang Style in the ink medium. Lim, a former school principal who retired in the early 1980s, was bestowed the prestigious Cultural Medallion by the Singapore government in 2003. 🏅 One of Lim's favorite muses is the iconic Singapore River. He's painted its vibrant and rustic charm countless times, each portrayal capturing a different facet of its allure.

🏡✨ Behind Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering - Integrating Various Elements 🖼️

The choice of furniture and supporting materials in our exhibition serves a crucial purpose – to harmonise seamlessly with the artworks and enrich the narrative as a whole. As you explore our display, keen-eyed observers will uncover subtle clues and traces, linking various elements together.

For instance, we've woven together intriguing hints: from book illustrations and portraits that reveal the very inspirations that fuelled Lucy Davis's mesmerising collages, to historical insights about trees planted during a tree-planting campaign. Remarkably, these trees happen to be the very same species found in Han Sai Por's captivating sculptures, Albezia and Acacia.

🌿 Behind Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering - Unveiling the Colour Palette 🌊

The exhibition's colour scheme revolves around the prominent use of blue and green, which symbolically evoke the essence of the Singapore River and the Singapore Botanic Garden. Our aim is to facilitate a visual dialogue through the juxtaposition of these two distinct colours.

A considerable debate arose as we sought to visually capture the fusion of the old and the new, a reflection of the archival and historical foundations of the exhibition and its diverse range of artworks. After several iterations, we ultimately settled on a serene, understated blue paired with a vibrant, fresh green to create a striking contrast.

Can't get enough of Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering? 🌿

Great news! Our e-catalogue is now available through the link in our bio, offering you the chance to immerse yourself in the exhibition's captivating narrative. 🔗

https://ruobingwang.com/sites-and-nature/

We believe that appreciating artwork in its purest form is just the first step in art appreciation. When you dive deeper, when you craft a narrative, you open up new angles and takeaways.

Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a history buff, or someone who's lived through a specific time period, there are a plethora of intriguing details that will spark your interest and forge connections with the exhibition. 💡

Did you know that NTU boasts its very own museum? 😯

NTU Museum, established in 2008, is dedicated to cultivating a deep appreciation for art and heritage as a vital component of a well-rounded education.

As a nomadic museum, our exhibitions move around the NTU Campus, making them accessible to the over 30,000 students, staff and faculty. As you stroll around the campus, keep an eye out for some of the Museum's extensive collection of over 200 artworks. 🏛️🖼️

Want to stay in the loop and get notified of our upcoming exhibitions and activities? Be sure to give us a follow! ✅

In frame:
Image 1
𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘱 (2019) by Fabrizio Galli, Kerin Ng, Ker Ziyi and Jasmine Ng
Image 2
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 (2015) by Sun Yu-li, ERI@N and NTU Museum
Image 3
Installation of photographs by Professor Subra Suresh
Image 4
𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘯 (2017) by NTU Community

Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes before an exhibition comes to life? 🧐 Well, we're happy to give you a sneak peak into the work behind our most recent exhibition, Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering! 👀

Beyond creating a cozy domestic ambiance, we placed a strong emphasis on enhancing the viewer's experience and ensuring a smooth, comfortable flow within the exhibition space. 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️

Our primary concern was to eliminate any dead ends or awkward corners, allowing visitors ample breathing space as they navigated the exhibit. We aimed to establish connections and facilitate an ongoing visual conversation between the pieces. 👁️🖼️ Visitors can view related artworks from different vantage points, seamlessly engaging with the art as if it were a dynamic dialogue.

In frame:
Image 3
Installation of Tang Da Wu's 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘧 (2000), 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 (1998) and 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 (1996)
Partially covered Han Sai Por's 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 (2016)
Image 4
Dr Iskandar Jalil and Sai Hua Kuan's 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 (2015)
Installation of Helen Playford's 1925 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘩 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦 (1993)

Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering has come to an end and we're thrilled to have shared it with you. 👏 A huge thanks to everyone who has visited and interacted with us. 🤗❤️

We've got plenty of cool and interesting content in store. Give us a follow to stay in the loop for upcoming exhibitions and join us as we dive deeper into the museum's work! 👊

One day left to visit!

After over a month of running, tomorrow marks the final day of Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering. We asked Assistant Curators Skye Mo and Celeste Tan which artworks they feel help achieve the exhibition's goal of evoking memories and inspiring conversations.

Two days left to visit!

Last week, the team behind "Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering" hosted an engaging workshop for NTU's students. Our aim was to inspire creativity, encouraging fresh perspectives and challenging participants to test their curatorial skills.

The workshop looked to deepen participants' comprehension of the intricacies and challenges inherent in curating an exhibition. Using the available artworks, furniture and artefacts, we encouraged the participants to brainstorm and craft their own narrative for the exhibition. Throughout, we guided them in the curation process, emphasising the ultimate objective: enhancing the visitors' experiences.

In frame:
Image 3
Workshop participants infront of Lucy Davis’s Pokok 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘢𝘵𝘪 – 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦 (2009) and 𝘐𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 ‘𝘈 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭’ 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 (2009)

Image 4
Workshop participants with Han Sai Por’s 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 (2016) and Chen Wen Hsi’s 𝘎𝘪𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘴

One more week left to visit Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering!

Honoured with the prestigious Culture Medallion in 2003, Lim Tze Peng has made an indelible mark with his artworks often serving as a captivating visual chronicle of post-independent Singapore. Lim's fusion of modernity and tradition breathes new life into the realm of Chinese ink painting, showcasing his ceaseless quest for fresh expressions within the art form.

In frame:
Lim Tze Peng's Singapore River (2008)

The exhibition thoughtfully transforms the white box exhibition space of NIE Gallery into calming blue interval rooms. Each room is defined by a time period offering a chronological time sense.

Furthermore, the exhibition skilfully intersects old furniture, books, plants, artefacts (such as old iron, suitcases, etc) and archival materials (such as stamps, postcards and maps, etc) with the display of artworks to stimulate a homely ambience.

In frame:
Lim Cheng Hoe's 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 (1971)

Based on the selection of artworks, the fictional story conjures up two key local phenomena — Singapore’s intricate economic botany trade and colonial past. The story seeks to highlight the charisma of a personal chronicle, a captivating blend of resilience during a turbulent era and enchanting encounters.

In frame:
Image 1
Lucy Davis, 𝘗𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘬 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘢𝘵𝘪 - 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦 (2009)
Image 2 (left to right)
Tang Da Wu, 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 (1996)
Tang Da Wu, 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘪s𝘢𝘯𝘨 (1998)
Tang Da Wu, 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘧 (2000)

Against the backdrop of Singapore in the 20th century to the present day, a fictional story is written based on a character born in Singapore in 1906, who lived near the Singapore River area, and worked at the Botanic Gardens.

Through the character’s intervolving lens of artworks and research, the exhibition presents Singapore’s history through creatively interweaving historical time stamps.

In frame:
Visitors at Lucy Davis' 𝘐𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 '𝘈 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭' 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 (2009)

Opening Day @ Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering by NTU Museum

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the over 250 wonderful guests who made our opening day a resounding success! 🎉✨ Your enthusiasm and support mean the world to us! ❤️

A special shoutout to our Guest of Honour, NTU Board Chair Ms. Goh Swee Chen, for gracing of the occasion. 🙌

Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering runs till 27th October, so those of you who missed the opening day can still come visit us at the NIE Art Gallery. 🏛️

Tomorrow marks the grand opening of Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering! We're excited to see you guys come down to visit our exhibition. Wondering how to get here? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

The best part? The exhibition is open to everyone! Whether you're a NTU student or a member of the public, no registration or ticket purchase is required. Just come on down to the NIE Art Gallery, we're looking forward to seeing you.

Still have questions? Feel free to leave a comment or drop us a DM!

Chen was a pioneer in the local art scene. His intricate and vivid portrayals of birds, flowers, and animals in his iconic '𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢' series continue to captivate and ignite our creativity.

His artistic legacy lives on, most notably work from his '𝘎𝘪𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘴' series, proudly featured on the Singapore $50 bill. Chen's art beautifully bridges the gap between tradition and the contemporary, eloquently showcasing the timeless elegance of Chinese culture while embracing the spirit of innovation.

Featured: Chen Wen Hsi's 𝘎𝘪𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘴

Han Sai Por's art is a beautiful fusion of nature and creativity that truly captivates. She has an amazing way of bringing the environment to life through her sculptures. Using materials like wood and stone, she crafts intricate pieces that seem to breathe with the spirit of the natural world itself.

Han's talent is not only recognised but celebrated, with her receiving the prestigious Cultural Medallion for Visual Arts in 1995. Her artwork carries a powerful message, inviting us all to pause and contemplate our connection with the environment and the sheer beauty of Mother Nature.

Featured: Han Sai Por's 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮

Welcome to Sites & Nature: A Collection of Remembering, an exhibition featuring selected artworks from the NIE and NTU permanent art collections embedded with a fictional narrative.

Inspired by the intricate threads of Singapore's history. From rivers to flowers, birds to hills, houses to streets, each artwork is a portal to reminisce, converse, reconnect, and let imagination flow. Explore not only visual impressions but also the stories within, accompanied by archival gems and research books, enriching your exhibition experience.

Opening reception: 21 September 2023, 5 – 6.30 pm
Exhibition runs 22 September to 27 October 2023
Monday to Friday, 11am – 5pm

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