The slew of virtual exhibitions, online viewing rooms, and artist talks over zoom had me overwhelmed in the past few months. Not that I ever spent much time on any of them; I struggled to bring myself to take part in most of the programmes to begin with.
It had been a slow and arduous few months for everyone, and while art has been non-essential in our survival and fight against the devastating virus, it is also something we don’t realise we need. The dearth of art in our lives is perhaps something we are only beginning to realise as the situation starts to get more under control, as we start to allow social gatherings and dining-in, and as galleries and museums open up.
That the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and the National Gallery Singapore (NGS) have managed to put together exhibitions in such a short amount of time, and during the pandemic, is something I am appreciative for, as it provided me the opportunity to have a much-needed art day out.
I had intended to start the day much earlier, but ended up only leaving house close to noon. I decided to start off the day by checking out the Streets of Hope banners at Nicoll Highway, passing by mine that is featured near Suntec City and continuing the walk towards NGS. It’s not a stone’s throw, yet it’s a walkable distance, and one that will help make up for the months of inactivity during the Circuit Breaker.
Reaching NGS to finally get sheltered from the sweltering heat, it was a relief and a brief moment of delight for…
