Singapore: The Art of Travel Renewed
Giant brushstrokes of lacquered steel twirl and dance in greeting at the entrance to The St. Regis Singapore. The product of three decades’ experimentation in geometric abstraction, the distinctive red ribbons of Anthony Poon’s Sense Surround represent the apotheosis of the late artist’s work. It's a vibrant presence on Tanglin Road and serves as a visual reminder of the artistic patronage that is an inherent part of Singapore’s rich cultural identity.
A city-state that stimulates all the senses, Singapore’s quintessence lies in its confluence of cultures and its vibrant, tropical palette, from the pastel clash of its shophouse façades and the jewel-like orchids in its world-famous Botanic Gardens to its kaleidoscopic markets and cool, pristine colonial architecture. Together they paint a unique canvas of experiences that visitors never forget.
Cherishing tradition while embracing innovation, especially when it comes to the finer things in life, Singapore is renowned for cuisine and retail experiences that elevate dining and shopping to fine arts. Lovers of the city are also attracted by its thriving art scene, driven by knowledgeable gallerists, enthusiastic collectors and a government that understands how culture can help to deliver prosperity and growth.
Art and tech in the heart of the city
For visitors, the experience is exhilarating: in a single day you can expand your understanding of Singaporean and south-east Asian contemporary and modern art in the calmly refined spaces of the National Gallery Singapore; engage with cutting-edge artistic practice at STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, a not-for-profit arts hub; or forage for collectibles among the textile shops and artisan boutiques against a backdrop of colourful street art in the lively Kampong Glam district.
Back at the St. Regis Singapore, guests relax amid one of the finest private art collections in south-east Asia: more than 70 works of art by internationally renowned artists across a spectrum of media. The five-star luxury hotel’s collection, which is toured daily, contains work by contemporary Singaporean artists such as Eng Tow, Lim Joo Hong and Chen KeZhan, alongside French expressionist Marc Chagall and American abstractionists Mark Tobey and Sam Francis. You can even raise a glass before works by Pablo Picasso, and float in the pool or bask in the sunshine next to a sculpture by one of Taiwan’s leading contemporary artists, Li Chen.
Anchored by the past but embracing the possibilities of the future, Singapore’s art scene is highly attuned to new technology. Take ArtScience Museum, which unfolds like a space-age lotus flower on the harbourfront at Marina Bay, blending art, science, culture, and technology in its curated spaces. The museum’s new VR Gallery invites visitors to use state-of-the-art technology to explore Hyperrealities – three all-encompassing artworks-cum-virtual worlds created by Olafur Eliasson, Marina Abramovic and Anish Kapoor as they explore light, climate change and physicality respectively.
Augmented reality for aesthetes
If viewing a wondrously different dimension through a virtual reality headset is a uniquely solitary activity, the augmented reality art tour nearby at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore promises the opposite: a way to reach out and share your artistic appreciation with others.
The luxury destination, located in Marina Bay, has a significant private art collection with hundreds of notable, museum-quality works within its 4,200 pieces. Ritz Suite guests will find two pieces from Andy Warhol’s Flowers series, as well as two large-scale screen prints entitled Dumpling and Liver Bacon Onions by the headline-grabbing British artist Damien Hirst from his series The Last Supper (1999).
In a world first, its web-hosted tour invites guests to interact with 10 great artworks, including Cornucopia and Moby Dick by the American minimalist Frank Stella; China China and Greater Water by Zhu Wei, two works that showcase the Chinese artist’s figurative sculpture and fine ink work; Sunset by Dale Chihuly, the American glass sculptor, and Double Screw by John Rose, who is best known for his contorted bentwood forms.
The immersive digital tour informs and entertains against moving soundscapes: guests step into the works via their mobile phones, interacting as the art springs to life in dynamic ways. Sharing their journey through the artworks on social media makes it possible to delight and inspire others too.
The art of autumn in Singapore
Memorable visual and sensory experiences abound at this time of year. Late September sees the lighting of countless brightly coloured lanterns that dot the streets for Moon Festival, during which Singapore’s Chinese community gives thanks for a bountiful harvest. And, moving into the realm of culinary arts, autumn in Singapore is the time when chefs seize the opportunity to prepare the costly seasonal delicacy of freshwater hairy crab, whose succulent flesh is delicately steamed and served with ginger tea alongside, Cantonese-style. These are the kind of signature Singapore moments that social media seems made for.
Amid the noise and thrill of Instagrammable experiences, the city and its culture exert a powerful attraction. The artist and sculptor Antony Poon once described his creativity as a process of reduction, saying that “everything can be simplified in the basic shapes of lines and angles”. The opposite can perhaps be said of his home country: Singapore amplifies experiences through its many layers of culture, history, colour and sensation, creating a destination which, like a great work of art, proves inspiring and enlightening, no matter how many times you return.
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