SINGAPOUR.- Cheah Ui-Hoon of the Business Times Online Edition looks at an exhibition on early 20th century art at the Singapore Art Museum and reports; “Abstraction, Expressionism, Pop Art, Action painting, if that’s just weird jargon to you, then you’ll appreciate “Encounters with Modernism”, the latest exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum.” 

Encounters is part of the international art tour ’The Past of the Present’ that Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum has organized with ABN Amro Bank. The bank is in fact the sole sponsor of this tour that started in St Petersburg and Shanghai, and will proceed to Sao Paulo and Chicago thereafter. ABN Amro, the oldest bank here, has its own extensive art collection which numbers over 16,000 pieces (at its headquarters). In fact, five paintings have been loaned to Stedelijk for Encounters, “ also reported Hoon.

Speech by Dr. Lee Boon Yang, Minister for Information, Communications & the Arts at the opening of the “Encounters with Modernism” exhibition held at the Singapore Art Museum It gives me great pleasure to attend the opening of this exhibition. Encounters with Modernism is collaboration between the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, one of the most important modern art museums in Europe, Shanghai Art Museum and the Singapore Art Museum. The exhibition provides Singaporeans a rare opportunity to appreciate first hand, some of the masterpieces in the Stedelijk collection.

The curators of the exhibition noted in the catalogue that ’modernism’, in the broad manner of the term, is an international language. This is indeed very true. Modernity is not found only in one place, one generation or one culture. On the contrary, we can see modernism as it evolves in different cultures and societies. For example, the works of one of China’s greatest painters in the last century, Zhang Daqian, epitomise the cross influence of modernist ideas from East and West, linking abstract expressionism with the free ink splashing technique (po mo) which started in the 9th century.

Singapore’s own experience of modernity in art is an example of the interaction and absorption of diverse cultural developments. The similarities and contrasts existing in our multi-racial, multi-cultural Asian yet cosmopolitan society, has been a source of artistic challenge and inspiration. This was the crucible in which Singapore art was transformed. If there is one idea we may take away with us from this exhibition, it would be this: that culture and art are alive. Their ideas circulate, coalesce and merge to give rise to new forms. Art is not a static object for a brief inspection or a cursory glance. As this exhibition aptly shows, art is an engagement of ideas and of people. It is a prompt to lead us to probe and analyze our own perception and interpretation of what was presented.

In presenting this exhibition on modernism, the curators from three participating museums had in fact engaged in a significant dialogue. The process of curating and mounting such an elaborate traveling exhibition resulted in many exchanges of views, ideas and cultural interactions. In a globalised economy, international collaborations and exchanges are inevitable, and necessary. The success of this exhibition through a tripartite collaboration adds yet another plank in the bridge across the cultural gap between Asia and Europe. This will further complement the economic collaborations and foster stronger artistic and cultural ties to forge better understanding and cooperation.

I am glad to learn that arising from this experience, the museums are collaborating on a number of new projects. For instance, the Shanghai Art Museum given its experience of organizing one of the most important arts biennales in Asia will share its experience with Singapore Art Museum as we develop a Singapore Biennale.

In conclusion, we are particularly appreciative and grateful to the ABN Amro for their support and sponsorship which made this exhibition a possibility. I hope you will enjoy this engagement with the ideas of modernity in art and more importantly, share the contemporary perspective of the art and culture as an important well-spring of inspiration for human achievement. Schnabel portray the artists’ view of art as a means for self-analysis and uncovering fundamental truths.

The other large grouping of works is Conceptual Inventions, where video art takes centre stage. Korean video artist Nam June Paik’s video camera is primed onto a seated Buddha, and projected onto a small TV it faces.

Encounters isn’t a walk in the park if you want to appreciate pretty art. But it sure stretches the imagination and challenges our notion of art and reality, while marveling at artists’ works which made such an impact in the past century and continues to resonate in today’s culture.