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Your Excellency, Miles Kupa, Australian High Commissioner to Singapore,
Mr Michael Koh, CEO, National Heritage Board,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.
It is my pleasure to join you here at the opening of the “Matthew Ngui: Points of View” exhibition.
The Matthew Ngui Exhibition
2 As one of Singapore’s most internationally recognised artists, Matthew Ngui, has in the course of the last 20 years, been an example of the talent and creativity we have in Singapore. Mr Ngui is the first Singapore artist to be invited to exhibit at top international biennales, like the 23 rd Sao Paolo Bienal 1996 and Documenta X 1997. He was also one of four Singaporean artists presented at the first Singapore Pavilion in the 49 th Venice Biennale 2001 and the 4 th Gwangju Biennale 2002. With his vast experience in the international arts scene, I am happy to know that Matthew Ngui is furthering the development of the contemporary arts scene here, through his appointment as one of the curators of this year’s Singapore Biennale.
3 Today’s exhibition marks the first time an international touring exhibition has been organised by a foreign arts institution, in this case, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, for a local contemporary artist. It is fitting, therefore, that Singapore, which is home to Mr Ngui, is the first international venue for this travelling exhibition. The Museum of Contemporary Art is dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art and ideas. This collaboration with Mr Ngui will present to the audience Mr Ngui’s works, which are drawn from the past two decades of his practice. Even as he moves between his two bases in Singapore and Perth, Australia, his playful installations, videos and public art projects continue to draw upon the rich imagery and cultural elements of his Singaporean birthplace.
Role of Museums in Growing the Arts
4 Our museums play a key role in facilitating collaboration with partners in support of our creative talents. The Matthew Ngui exhibition is a good example of the National Museum engaging with and providing a platform for local talent. Many contemporary artists have already taken advantage of this new opportunity to take their art to a new level. For example, the Art-On-Site programme allows artists an opportunity to create new art in public spaces that were not possible before. Local artists like David Chan, Yeo Chee Kiong, Miguel Chew, Otto Fong and Ng Joon Kiat have all been commissioned to create new work. In particular, David Chan’s installation, Singa Merlionus, was subsequently selected by the Soka Arts Centre for exhibition in Beijing and Taiwan.
5 One of the Museum’s main strategies is to collaborate with creative talent by opening up the Museum’s rich collections, facilities, programming and research expertise to them. To this effect, the stories of Singapore in the Singapore History Gallery and the Singapore Living Gallery in this Museum have benefited through the participation of over 400 Singapore visual artists, theatre scriptwriters, actors, voice talents, film directors and sound artists, among others. Such encounters between artistic talent and Singapore’s heritage mutually enrich our local artists and the Museum.
Conclusion
6 In closing, I would like to thank the Museum of Contemporary Art, whose strong support has made the Matthew Ngui touring exhibition possible. Locally, the National Arts Council and the Singapore Arts Festival have come in to support this project. As the premiere arts festival of Singapore, it is only fitting that the festival uses this opportunity to partner with the National Museum to showcase our very best of creative talents.
7 It gives me great pleasure to declare the exhibition open. Have a pleasant evening.
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