Partake in a week of arts, culture and heritage appreciation to celebrate Singapore’s birthday month
EXHIBITION
The sculptures of Antony Gormley
National Gallery Singapore
From a condensed block of concrete to a full-body cast iron mould of himself, UK artist Antony Gormley’s famous sculptures can now be finally appreciated up close at National Gallery Singapore from now till 30 Oct 2022.
The Antony Gormley exhibition offers an introduction to the artist’s four-decade body of work featuring four statement sculptures. The newest one is Horizon Field Singapore, which is also the fifth edition of the annual Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission Series. Placed at key locations throughout the gallery, his sculptures, which study the human body, form a sequence of what Gormley calls “acupuncture points” within the architecture, activating their surroundings and provoking connections with their audience.
Admission to the Antony Gormley exhibition at National Gallery Singapore is free.
See also: A galaxy-inspired X’mas party (and more) before Peace Centre closes its doors for good
TOUR
Discover urban art
Hall of Fame @ Kampung Gelam
Get to know the artistic side of Kampung Gelam in a variety of ongoing urban art-themed tours and workshops organised by One Kampong Gelam, the governing body in charge of promoting culture, diversity and art in the district. Home to the Hall of Fame @ Kampong Gelam— Singapore’s largest collection of freestyle street art spanning 230m on 5m-high walls — the precinct presents four unique adventures for visitors to intimately discover the colourful neighbourhood and its homegrown artists. Among the offerings are a free self-guided audio tour, a Polaroid Walk ($100) every weekend, a daily Sidecar Tour ($160), and thrice-weekly Street Art Workshop ($89.50). Discounts to selected F&B outlets and lifestyle shops are also listed on Kampung Gelam’s website.
See also: Weekout (Mar 27): Man Fu Yuan, Noka by Tippling Club, Kampong Gelam, Singapore Zoo
For more information and tickets, visit hof.visitkamponggelam.com.sg
MOVIE
Dance-inspired movies
Alliance Française de Singapour
Love ballet? Get your fill of pirouettes and pointes at Alliance Française de Singapour, which will be screening dance-themed movies for the month of August, as part of the current DANCE exhibition featuring the life and work of Rudolph Nureyev. Must-watch flicks include:
• The White Crow (Aug 21), a biographical drama that chronicles the fascinating life of Rudolf Nureyev;
• Polina (Aug 19), a coming-of-age story which follows the fortunes of young ballerina Polina, training under the fearsome Bojinski at a Russian dance academy;
• The Grand Ball (Aug 20), a documentary spotlighting an annual summer festival of dance, which takes place in the French countryside;
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• The Paris Opera (Aug 21), a behind-the-scenes look at the Palais Garnier, home to the Paris Opera since 1875
• Ballerina (Aug 22), an animation about besties Felicie and Victor, who escape from their orphanage, with Felicie making her way to the Paris Opera to pursue her dream of becoming a ballerina.
Purchase tickets at alliancefrancaise.org.sg/events
FESTIVAL
Heritage buildings light up
BBB Light Up
To celebrate Singapore’s 56th birthday, the National Heritage Board (NHB) will be lighting up seven buildings in the Bras Basah-Bugis (BBB) district from now till Aug 31, between 7pm and midnight daily. The route will take you to various historical landmarks in the BBB precinct — the Central Fire Station, Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, National Museum of Singapore, National Design Centre, Stamford Arts Centre, Objectifs–Centre for Photography and Film, and The Cathay — all of which will be bathed in patriotic red and white.
Alongside the light-up, there will also be an exciting programme of online performances, stories and interactive offerings for the whole family to enjoy at home. Highlights include the National Day Monumental Hunt, which invites players to search for hidden items around the Padang to win attractive prizes; the Malay Heritage Centre’s Rentak Warisan Bersama Sri Mahligai: National Day Special, which features unique renditions of songs that celebrate Singapore’s journey performed on Facebook Live; a virtual guided tour of the Singapore River Walk; and Singapore Snapshots craft workshops by Our Tampines Gallery and Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery, where participants will create paper cameras that feature key local landmarks.
For the full virtual line-up, visit www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/ national-day
AUCTION
Bid for a 30-year-old Macallan whisky cask
Bonhams Hong Kong
Place your bids for an extremely rare 30-year-old Macallan 1991 whisky cask at the upcoming Bonhams Fine and Rare Whisky sale in Hong Kong on Aug 20.
Distilled by Macallan in December 1991, the cask was re-racked in 2017 with sherry. Sherry is the preferred choice of wood to give whisky a unique impact of clove, resin, dried fruit and tannin — a sweet palate which most will find approachable. Its high alcohol content at around 51.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) makes it highly desirable for both long-term collecting and for eventually yielding around 202 bottles for enjoyment. The cask carries an estimated price tag of $557,000–$696,000 which translates into a competitive per-bottle price at about $2,574.
For many whisky aficionados, owning a cask of whisky was once perhaps the pinnacle of their collecting journey. But as the market matures and collectors explore wider possibilities, whisky casks are now sought after by many even at the early stage of forming their collection. For details on the auction, visit bonhams.com or email bids.hk@bonhams.com.
