As a major sponsor of the arts in Singapore, Ngee Ann Cultural Centre organizes exhibitions and allows artists to use its premises to showcase their works. Since it opened in 1998, it has held numerous exhibitions ranging from paintings to pottery and now photography, as well as opera performances.
The centre was originally aimed at promoting awareness of Chinese culture, in particular Teochew heritage – through the medium of visual and performing arts – among Singaporeans. Chinese calligraphy and brush painting, Teochew opera, dance, music and drama are some of the avenues for this continuing involvement with the Teochew community.
A highlight of the cultural centre’s calendar is the Annual National Teochew artists Art and Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition. Organized by the centre on November 19 every year, the event brings together amateur and professional artists of Teochew ancestry to exhibit their works in the centre’s Ngee Ann Exhibition Hall.
The exhibition spans hundreds of contemporary and traditional artworks in diverse media such as Chinese brush paintings, calligraphy, watercolors, oils, acrylic and even the odd mixed media artwork.
In the promotion of spiritual well being, the Cultural Centre has been involved in hosting many Dharma/Buddhist spiritual talks and initiations by Tibetan and Chinese religious teachers from all over the world. Inter-religious organizations have also held talks at the centre.
6th Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition 2011
Evolving itself more and more to become a significant contributor toward the enrichment of Singapore society through its cultural initiatives, the Ngee Ann Cultural Centre is opening again its 6th annual exhibition: Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition, which is one of Singapore’s biggest exhibitions. It will be held from April 8 to 19 and will take place at Ngee Ann Exhibition Hall.
The exhibition, which is open to any participant who is a resident of Singapore – Singapore citizens, permanent residents, work permit, professional and student pass holders – will showcase more than 200 works by selected professional and amateur photographers, with a special feature on Bey Hua Heng, Photographer of the Year 2011. Bey Hua Heng, also recipient of the 1993 Young Artist Award (for photography), will exhibit his recent photographs of Nepal.
Comprised of photographs from diverse genres – from landscapes to portraits – the exhibition will provide a good chance to discover and learn from other photographers. Or if you are already well-established in photography yourself, at least to learn what photography is for Singapore, its significance for Singaporeans, for which this event will be a good representation.
In the words of Ngee Ann Cultural Centre Committee chairman Phua Bah Lee, “Ngee Ann Cultural Centre is committed to the development of the visual arts; Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition brings together Singapore’s photographic arts and puts photography to the forefront. We are fortunate to be living in the age of photography’s renaissance as we see our participants’ works being articulated through a range of medium such as traditional negative, color slide and digital photography. With this exhibition, we hope to give photography the exposure and visibility it rightly deserves.”
Sources: www.ngeeann.com.sg
