pir vate viewing · patron and founder kwee swie teng, whose personal collection numbers 1,500 and...
TRANSCRIPT
The imporTance of arT ouTside major museums bY joYceLine TuLLY
priVaTeVieWinG
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The value of art, and indeed, the question of
just what makes a piece of work art, really
depends on whom you speak to. As with beauty,
art lies in the eye of the beholder. But while
established artists have their place in the
firmament, and are regularly exhibited in major
museums around the world, lesser-known
artists, whether living or dead, struggle to be
seen. Then there is the unspoken conundrum
that faces all works of art: what happens once
they are bought by patrons? Do they languish
in gilded frames in private dining rooms and
salons, or worse, simply get stored away under
lock and key?
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This is where private art museums have a
part to play. Unlike national museums, which
are typically funded by the government or the
public, private art museums are individually
funded, without obligations and accountability
to the public. They hold private collections
owned by an individual, company or estate,
which are shared with the public, usually (but
not always) for free. Accordingly, the selection
of works is based entirely on a different
set of criteria from national museums, and
sometimes comes down to personal preference
for particular styles, periods or artists.
Governed almost exclusively by their owners’
taste and preferences, private museums
can also afford to be more controversial.
The sprawling white space at the Saatchi
Gallery, probably one of Britain’s most famous
private museums, has housed controversial
contemporary art, including Damian Hirst’s
tiger shark immortalised in formaldehyde.
Earlier this year, exhibits from its Newspeak:
British Art Now showcase included Tessa
Farmer’s Swarm (2004), a striking mixed media
piece that features minute one-centimetre
sculptures of insects with skeletal, distinctly
human forms and real insect wings, suspended
SAATCHI
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in a large glass tank. Nearby is Jonathan Baldock’s unorthodox sculptures
made out of a play-dough of salt, flour and water, some tinged with
food colouring for a vibrant splash. In this context, the private museum
becomes an arena where lesser-known artists stand a better chance of
being seen, exhibited or bought. It also offers fresh perspectives and
paints an alternative to mainstream, institutionalised art.
Closer to home, private art museums have sprouted across the
island, such as The Private Museum, Art Retreat and Art Trove. Says Teo
Han Wue, executive director of Art Retreat, Singapore’s first private art
museum, “We see ourselves complementing public museums; we can put
on exhibitions that the public museums are not able to mount for various
reasons.” In some cases, he elaborates, private museums can also put
together exhibitions that may take much longer to realise in the public
space, and even showcase them for a longer period of time. “For instance,
we have an ongoing exhibition of Wu Guan Zhong’s paintings that the
public can view any time of the year, whereas the Wu Guan Zhong show
at the Singapore Art Museum only ran for a limited period.”
Indeed, private art museums fill a gap and bring a vibrancy and added
scope to the art scene in Singapore. Teo credits the rise of the private art
museum to a growing interest in collecting
art. He astutely observes, “There is also an
increased willingness on the part of collectors
to share their collection.”
Indonesian collector Kwee Swie Teng, who
wanted to share his collection with more
people, and to promote the appreciation of art
through the museum, established Art Retreat
as a non-profit museum. Ditto The Private
Museum, which was established by Singapore
philanthropist and real estate developer Daniel
Teo in 2010. Rachel Teo, one of the museum’s
directors, says, “Our museum was set up
primarily as a space to encourage collectors
to showcase their collections. It also serves as
an alternative platform for artists to showcase
their work.”
And that, for art’s sake, can only bode well
for Singapore’s art scene.
ART RETREAT
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Museum Brief
SAATCHI
THE PRIVATE MUSEUM
ART TROVE
A PRIVATE MUSEUM
Set up in 2010 and housed in what was formerly
Catholic High School, A Private Museum works closely
with private collectors to showcase contemporary
art and collectibles. Exhibitions run the gamut from a
retrospective of Wallace Ting to a showcase by Shou
Jiao, a former art teacher at the Catholic High School.
The museum is constantly on the look-out for “the
quirky, eccentric and wonderful.”
51 Waterloo Street, #02-06. Ph: 6738 2872
ART RETREAT
The first private art museum in Singapore, Art Retreat
was established in 2003. It boasts a large collection
of modern Asian and European art, courtesy of its
patron and founder Kwee Swie Teng, whose personal
collection numbers 1,500 and counting. Kwee’s
collection has several works by Chinese painters Wu
Guanzhong and Lee Man Foong, and Malaysian artist
Siew Hock Meng.
10 Ubi Crescent, #01-45/47 Lobby C, Ubi Techpark.
Ph: 6749 0880
ART TROVE
Another private museum housed in the old Catholic
High School premises, Art Trove was started by Nicolai
von Uexküll, a German national who grew up in
Singapore. The museum’s flagship exhibition was a
showcase of German Expressionist artist Ewald Platte,
followed by a retrospective of another German artist
Strawalde. According to its founder, there are plans
for more exhibitions of German artists who have
been overlooked by history or were persecuted
by governments.
51 Waterloo Street, #02-01/03. Ph: 6336 0915
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