Less is More
NATIONAL GALLERY GALA 2018
In the three years since it opened, the National Gallery Singapore has cemented its place as one of the most beloved cultural establishments in the country. Last November, art lovers and collectors gathered at the award-winning museum for its biennial fundraiser, the National Gallery Gala 2018. During the cocktail reception at the Padang Atrium, guests previewed installations by artists Anish Kapoor and Tatsuo Miyajima ahead of the opening of the Minimalism: Space. Light. Object. exhibition. Organised by the National Gallery Singapore, in collaboration with the Artscience Museum, the exhibition features more than 150 seminal works displayed across the two venues, and is the largest showcase of minimalist art in Southeast Asia. The gala proper took place at the elegant Supreme Court Terrace, where guests decked in their minimalist best feasted on a menu created by chefs Julien Royer of Odette
and Violet Oon of National Kitchen by Violet Oon. The evening was peppered with entertainment by Japanese mezzo-soprano Seia Lee as well as rousing speeches, including one by the guest of honour, education minister Ong Ye Kung. The evening’s highlight was the exhilarating live auction, which saw a Yayoi Kusama art piece garner five times the starting bid. In the end, the generosity of both corporate sponsors and art patrons helped raise over $1.6m, which will go towards funding the National Gallery Singapore’s myriad programmes.