Singapore Art Museum (SAM)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

The Former Saint Joseph's Institution ( 前圣约瑟书院) is a historic building restored in Singapore which currently houses the Singapore Art Museum

Until 1988, the Singapore Art Museum was Saint Joseph's Intitution, one of Singapore's oldest Catholic boys' schools.

The building was gazetted as a national monument in 1922 and converted into the Singapore Art Museum, which was opened on 20th December 1966. Many of the building's original features were preserved.

By the Brother Michael's final extension was the school hall and chapel which was constructed in 1911. Today, tturn of the 20th contury, Saint Joseph's Institution had grown in both stature and size and the building soon became insufficient for its students' needs. In 1900, Brother Michael Noctor enlisted Father Charles Benedict Nain, who designed the chapel of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, to design an extension to the building which was completed in 1903. In 1905, Brother Michael carried out a second extension — the Anderson Block.

he Singapore Art Museum has an elegant Glass Hall featuring art works and masterpieces and a stately auditorium.

Our Travelogue:

At present, we are proud that the Singapore Art Museum possesses the world's largest public collection of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian art.

Singapore Art Museum also houses the national art collection of Singapore, which consists of masterpieces by major Singaporean artists such as Liu Kang, Georgette Chen, Chen Chong Swee, Lim Tze Peng and Huang Yao.

Georgette Chen, Self portrait, 1946

Liu Kang, Artist and Model, 1954

The museum has acquired contemporary Asian art since 2001 to provide a wider regional context for its collection, such as significant pieces from regional artists Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, Pratuang Emjaroen, Montien Boonma, Le Pho and Bui Xuan Phai.

It was a rare opportunity for Wei Boon and Sin Choon to visit the art museum, and both were gleaming with glee, looking forward to view the art collections displayed in the museum.

As for Joyce, the Singapore Art Museum is nothing new to her. Being an art student, she is exposed to many variations of art.