The imporTance of arT ouTside major museums bY joYceLine TuLLY

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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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