Major new exhibition honours Singapore’s art history as the Gallery celebrates its 10th anniversary and the nation’s 60th birthday.

SINGAPORE — In a landmark moment for Singapore’s cultural landscape, National Gallery Singapore will unveil the full opening of Singapore Stories: Pathways and Detours in Art on 18 July 2025, presenting the most significant rehang of the DBS Singapore Gallery since its opening in 2015. Coinciding with the Gallery’s 10th anniversary and Singapore’s 60th year of independence, the exhibition is the only SG60 signature programme dedicated to exploring the nation’s art history.

Spanning over 400 artworks and artefacts, the long-term showcase highlights how artistic life in Singapore has always been diverse, evolving and deeply human. Visitors will encounter iconic masterpieces and rarely seen works that trace Singapore’s artistic journeys from the 19th century through pivotal decades of rapid transformation and modernisation, right up to today’s interdisciplinary contemporary practices.

The refreshed DBS Singapore Gallery spaces feature thematic sections such as Expanding Horizons and Presence, Liberating Form and Colour, and Body, Self and Other, bringing to light artists’ bold experiments and varied expressions through painting, installation, video and performance. New additions like Dalam Singapore — a series of focused exhibitions on lesser-known figures — and upcoming interactive commissions such as Amanda Heng’s Let’s Chat Further (2025) signal the Gallery’s commitment to innovation and deeper engagement.

Source: National Gallery Singapore