• News
  • Add Your Events
  • Support & Advertise
  • Contact Us

Logo

Navigation
  • Art News
  • Art Listings
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Auctions
    • Workshops
    • Talks
    • Guided Tours
    • Festivals, Markets, Parties
    • Kids’ & Families’ Events
    • Performances
    • Film
    • Open Calls
  • Art Venues

National Gallery Singapore’s First Children’s Biennale Attracts Over 286,000 Visitors

News

Chng Seok Tin, Being Yourself

The inaugural edition of National Gallery Singapore’s Children’s Biennale saw the Gallery being transformed into an immersive playscape filled with interactive artworks, installations and activities over the four-month period that it was running. The Children’s Biennale, which drew to a close yesterday, exceeded expectations having attracted over 286,000 visitors. The positive response amplified the Gallery’s success in bringing high-level artworks that have the capacity to embrace the public and offer art that connects both the child and the adult.

Visitors gradually obliterated Yayoi Kusama:The Obliteration Room with colourful dot stickers to eliminate the traces of the original white room.

While it was a Children’s Biennale, it saw visitors of all ages both local and tourists, coming together and interacting with the art through questioning, reflecting and sharing their perspectives, thoughts, dreams and stories. The artworks were created with accompanying activities and ideas for discussion that aimed to spark the imagination of young minds, and at the same time, provide bonding opportunities between parent and child.

Bringing Art Out to the Communities

The Gallery wanted to continue inspiring parents and children to use arts as a medium to encourage children to continue dreaming – not just for the art aficionados, but also the man-in-the-street. With this idea in mind, the Gallery took the opportunity to extend the reach to the communities by collaborating with the National Library Board to do a LIVE Doodle Jam at locations around Singapore. The Doodle Jam championed children’s dreams and their stories by involving them in the process – with illustrations being drawn as the children spoke about their dreams and stories. The children’s dreams were brought to life on giant murals at each of the four heartland locations – Jurong, Pasir Ris, Bishan and Clementi. Drawing plaudits from many participants for integrating art into the community, it ended with a final iteration of the LIVE Doodle Jam which happened at the Gallery together with the murals from the heartlands being featured as well.

Visitors taking in Tran Trong Vu’s artwork, The Sonnet in Blue – a sprawling labyrinth of handmade flowers with poems and stories by children from Southeast Asia written on their petals.

Gallery Children’s Biennale featured ten interactive artworks created by artists from Singapore and beyond. This was complemented by an array of activities and workshops, that was held throughout the Biennale. Taking place once every two years, the theme of this year’s edition, Dreams & Stories was premised on the belief that every child is creative – everyone dreams and has stories to tell. The Gallery Children’s Biennale ran from 20 May to 8 October 2017.

Share this story:
  • tweet

Comments are closed.

Art Calendar

SAGG on Facebook

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

5 days 35 minutes ago

cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/watch/singapores-founding-fathers-pop-art-cartoonist-sonny-liews-nostalgic-tribute-467716

Singapore’s founding fathers as pop art: Cartoonist Sonny Liew’s nostalgic tribute

For the upcoming art exhibition Artist’s Proof: Singapore At 60, cartoonist Sonny Liew reimagined three of Singapore’s founding fathers as toy figurines.

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

4 weeks 39 minutes ago

theindependent.sg/national-gallery-singapore-reveals-untold-legacy-of-asian-artists-in-modern-art/

National Gallery Singapore reveals untold legacy of Asian artists in modern art - Singapore News

This new art show tells the story of Asian artists in 1920s Paris that most people have never heard.

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

4 weeks 39 minutes ago

thesmartlocal.com/read/retro-places-singapore/

14 Retro Places In Singapore To Feel Like You've Travelled Back In Time

Retro's back in fashion, so here's a list of 14 retro places in Singapore you can go to to immerse yourself in an old-school charm.

1
View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 1 week ago

www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/arts-design/national-gallery-singapores-ink-show-ambitious-unsatisfying

National Gallery Singapore’s ink show is ambitious – but unsatisfying

[SINGAPORE] National Gallery Singapore’s new ink exhibition sets out with an ambitious goal: to show ink not as a fixed tradition but as a living, changing language shaped by calligraphers, poets, abstractionists and experimental artists over time and across cultures. Read more at The Business Tim...

2
View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 2 weeks ago

www.littledayout.com/ocean-diving-into-the-unknown-exhibition-alliance-francaise-singapore/

Ocean: Diving Into The Unknown At Alliance Française Singapore

Take a dive into the blue world at Alliance Française’s latest exhibition, Ocean: Diving into the Unknown. A collaboration with the French National Museum of

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

1 month 3 weeks ago

www.eco-business.com/press-releases/uob-partners-sg-eco-fund-to-bring-sustainability-and-art-to-the-community/

UOB partners SG Eco Fund to bring sustainability and art to the community

UOB, one of Singapore’s leading banks, and the SG Eco Fund have announced a two-year partnership to drive greater community awareness of sustainability and art.

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

2 months 20 hours ago

www.straitstimes.com/life/arts/eight-singapore-indie-booksellers-launch-bookshop-sg-as-amazon-alternative

Eight Singapore indie booksellers launch Bookshop.sg as Amazon alternative

The online store, which launches on May 14, describes itself as an act of "radical cooperation". Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

2
View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

2 months 2 days ago

www.asiaone.com/singapore/over-50k-gold-coins-cash-stolen-veteran-artist-koeh-sia-yongs-home-while-he-was-bali

Over $50k in gold coins, cash stolen from veteran artist Koeh Sia Yong's home while he was in Bali

SINGAPORE — While veteran Singaporean artist Koeh Sia Yong was away in Indonesia for nearly two months earlier in 2025, his bedroom drawers back home were emptied of more than $50,000 in valuables. The 87-year-old returned to his two-bedroom unit at The Interlace condo in Depot Road on March 15 to...

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

2 months 4 days ago

danamic.org/2025/05/11/order-is-essential-what-we-learnt-about-fernando-zobel-at-his-national-gallery-exhibit/

Order is Essential: What We Learnt about Fernando Zóbel at his National Gallery Exhibit

Come learn with us about the life, thoughts and works of Fernando Zóbel in a truly transcontinental exhibition that's open right now!

View on Facebook
Share

Singapore Art & Gallery Guide

2 months 2 weeks ago

www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/arts-design/how-one-man-made-nude-art-possible-singapore

How one man made nude art possible in Singapore

Yeo Workshop celebrates the legacy of Solamalay Namasivayam, who fought for nude figure drawing when it was still considered 'indecent'. Today, nude figure drawing is a cornerstone of artist training in Singapore Read more at The Business Times.

2
View on Facebook
Share
  • News
  • Add Your Events
  • Support & Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
© 2020. Singapore Art & Gallery Guide
We use cookies that are necessary for the website's functions. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.