National Gallery Singapore
Address: 1 St Andrew’s Road #01–01, Singapore 178957
Exhibition : 18th November 2023 – 24th March 2024

It is the world’s inaugural large-scale museum exhibition that adopts a comparative approach between artistic expressions from both regions, meticulously examining their mutual solidarities in the aftermath of colonialism. Spanning the 20th century, the Tropical exhibition thoroughly traces the ways in which artists from Southeast Asia and Latin America defied conventions to establish innovative vocabularies in the realm of modern art. The genesis of this exhibition stems from the Gallery’s unwavering dedication to critically reevaluate modern art from a Southeast Asian perspective.

An impressive assemblage of over 200 iconic paintings, sculptures, drawings, performances, and sensorial installations will be prominently showcased, employing groundbreaking exhibition designs meticulously crafted by the Gallery in close collaboration with a renowned architecture firm. This grand exhibition features the esteemed works of approximately 70 renowned artists hailing from the two regions, with some being introduced to the Singaporean audience for the first time. Esteemed artists such as David Medalla, Diego Rivera, Emiria Sunassa, Frida Kahlo, Hélio Oiticica, Latiff Mohidin, Patrick Ng Kah Onn, Paul Gauguin, Tan Oe Pang, and Tarsila do Amaral are among the creative voices whose compelling works contribute to the brilliance of this exhibition.

Victorio C. Edades, Galo B. Ocampo and Carlos “Botong” Francisco. Mother Nature’s Bounty Harvest. 1935. Oil on canvas. 257.5 x 273 cm . Private collection © Armin Christopher E. Cuadra

Tarsila do Amaral. O vendedor de frutas (The Fruit Seller). 1925. Oil on canvas. 108.5 x 84.5 cm. Gilberto Chateaubriand Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro Collection. Photo by Romulo Fialdini and Valentino Fialdini