SINGAPORE.- The National Art Gallery, Singapore shortened its name to National Gallery Singapore and unveiled its brand identity and curatorial vision today at a brand launch event graced by Mr Lawrence Wong, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.

Since the announcement of its formation was made in 2006, the National Art Gallery, Singapore has been used as a working title. Ms Chong Siak Ching, CEO of National Gallery Singapore, said, “With the impending opening of the Gallery in 2015, we felt that the time is right to develop a new identity which better encapsulates the creative spirit of the Gallery and the art which will be showcased within the majestic buildings. We wanted a brand identity that will reflect the Gallery’s personality to be dynamic, inspiring, confident and at the same time, welcoming to all our stakeholders.”

The logo was developed by Asylum Creative, an award-winning creative agency known for its multi-disciplinary portfolio. Mr Chris Lee, Founder of Asylum, said, “We wanted to give the Gallery an expression that offers limitless interpretations which in turn encourages and inspires creativity. Distilling the silhouette of the two buildings’ architecture, the logo took on the form of two rectangular blocks which can be interpreted in every imaginable way - two building blocks, two dialogue boxes, two platforms; two plinths or simply two spaces for visual arts. The visual identity is bold while remaining respectful of the buildings’ heritage and the Gallery’s vision.”

The Gallery’s logo comes in two colours, charcoal grey or red, and its font is Akzidenz-Grotesk, a modern typeface which is simple while remaining versatile and harmonious when placed alongside the Gallery's artworks. These visual signifiers reflect the brand’s personality of being welcoming, dynamic and inspiring and confident.

Dr Eugene Tan, Director of National Gallery Singapore, said, “The representation of our iconic building through basic geometric forms references the moment of abstraction, a significant development of modern art, which is the focus of the National Gallery. While these two forms are derived from our building, they also engage with the concept of representation by opening up the possibilities of what these forms can mean, a reflexivity which is fundamental to art itself. It is a distinct identity and one which we hope will become a unique signature for the Gallery in time to come.”