Singapore's ambition to establish itself as a regional arts centre continues to grow apace with the much-anticipated 23 July opening of Bui Gallery.
Western art galleries are still something of a novelty in Singapore, but Bui is an encouraging sign of the island-state's growing awareness of -- not to mention affection for -- the greater art world.
Founder and owner Betty Bui parlays her French-Vietnamese heritage and training at Christies to curate a sophisticated mix of established and budding artists from the region. Though just 32, she opened her flagship gallery last year in Hanoi, and after Singapore, she brings Bui Gallery Nomade, a roving gallery, to London in October.
For the moment, her focus is on Singapore with an ongoing remit to nurture an engaging blend of photography, videos, sculptures and installations. 'I feel there is so much energy here in the region to be explored,' she says. 'Established artists alongside new and exciting talents make up today's multiplicity of voices, developments, places and media and it is all happening here in Asia.'
The Singaporean gallery will open with an exhibition of surrealistic watercolours by the French artist Béatrice Cussol, with exhibitions by Ha Manh Thang, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Chen Man and the late Louise Bourgeois to follow in the coming year.
The show is the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in the USA. Pictured: installation view
The show’s centrepiece, Project for door (After Gaetano Pesce), comprises a man’s backside, hands clutching each half of his gluteus maximus, set into a brick wall; Hamilton has channelled Pesce by using a human subject for the piece – a well-known graphic designer whose identity the artist is reluctant to reveal
Hamilton’s work is informed by product and avante garde design, and notions of fandom – inspirations embodied in works that verge on the absurd. Pictured: installation view
Rice Cakes, 2015
Venice, The Kabuki Version, 2013
Brick Suit, 2010
INFORMATION
Website
‘Lichen! Libido! Chastity!’ on view until 4 January 2016
Photography: Kyle Knodell, courtesy the artist
ADDRESS
Sculpture Center
44-19 Purves Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
-
A local’s guide to Florence: 9 unmissable hauntsOur contributing editor Nick Vinson spends half the year in Florence. Here, he takes us on a tour of his don’t-miss diversions
-
The New Museum finally has an opening date for its OMA-designed expansionThe pioneering art museum is set to open 21 March 2026. Here's what to expect
-
This bijou hotel in Madrid doubles as a cultural hubCasa de las Artes is located within the Spanish capital’s ‘Art Triangle’. Designed by ASAH Studio, it offers the warmth and intellect of one of the many neighbouring museums
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week'Tis the season for eating and drinking, and the Wallpaper* team embraced it wholeheartedly this week. Elsewhere: the best spot in Milan for clothing repairs and outdoor swimming in December
-
Nadia Lee Cohen distils a distant American memory into an unflinching new photo book‘Holy Ohio’ documents the British photographer and filmmaker’s personal journey as she reconnects with distant family and her earliest American memories
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
-
Ed Ruscha’s foray into chocolate is sweet, smart and very AmericanArt and chocolate combine deliciously in ‘Made in California’, a project from the artist with andSons Chocolatiers
-
Inside the work of photographer Seydou Keïta, who captured portraits across West Africa‘Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens’, an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, celebrates the 20th-century photographer
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the capital this week
-
María Berrío creates fantastical worlds from Japanese-paper collages in New YorkNew York-based Colombian artist María Berrío explores a love of folklore and myth in delicate and colourful works on paper
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
