If youre as blank as a white canvas when it comes to understanding art, a good place to start is Gillman Barracks where the galleries are happy to share their knowledge and appreciation of art.

Made up of 15 art galleries and three restaurants housed in former army barracks, Gillman Barracks is far from a snooty arts district exclusive to art connoisseurs and those with deep pockets.

Located across Hort Park along Alexandra Road, its our go-to destination to escape the crowds and immerse ourselves in the art world. Heres our pick of the friendliest galleries, and what you can learn from them.

G i l l m a n B a r r a c k s

A B o v e Singaporean artist Tang Da Wus our Children explores issues about filial piety.

L e f TSheela Gowda focuses on the violence that plagues Kashmir in a series titled Loss.

T o P R I G H Tfounder Sueo Mizuma is particularly interested in artists who offer a critical perspective on consumer culture.

R I G H TThis series of mixed-media pieces is by Indieguerilla, a husband-and-wife pair who started out as graphic designers.

With Mizuma Gallerys expansion into Singapore (it has galleries in Tokyo and Beijing), Japanese founder Sueo Mizuma hopes to bring in more South Asian art, with a focus on Indonesian artists. While we showcase contemporary art, the pieces are more approachable than avant-garde art, says Mizuma, who supports artwork that critiques contemporary consumer society. People come here not just for art, but

Were here to broaden peoples minds, says Michael Janssens gallery assistant, Samantha Bok. The Berlin-based gallery is known for showcasing edgy works, especially of mid-career and established artists from North America, europe and South-east Asia including local artist Jeremy Sharma, whose works were presented in a solo exhibition (pictured, right) recently. for budding collectors, Gillman Barracks is a good place to get educated about art, Samantha says. www.galeriemichael

janssen.de

Set up late last year, the CCA is an exhibition and research centre put together by Nanyang Technological University and the economic Development Board, aimed at showcasing innovative artworks and fostering international cultural exchanges. At the moment, the CCA is playing host to a travelling exhibition by the Guggenheim

C e n t r e f o r C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t ( C C A )

M i z u m a G a l l e r y

UBS MAP Global Art Initiative titled No Country, featuring works from 16 South and South-east Asian artists that delve into the idea of cultural and national identities. The CCA holds talks and gallery tours for the public, and theres even a shuttle service between the Singapore Art Museum and CCA on Saturdays. for the shuttle schedule, visit www.

gillmanbarracks.com/cca.M A S o N S Need a break from gallery-hopping? Rest your feet and fill your tummy at Masons, which cooks up a delectable spread of salads, pasta, pizza and other Western dishes. Happy hour is from 4pm to 7pm every day (yes, weekends included!), where alcoholic drinks by the glass are half-price and free pizza samplers are served.

www.masons.sg, tel: 6694-2216

also to learn about the culture and history of the surrounding region.The gallerys current exhibition features renowned Japanese contemporary artists such as ohata Shintaro and Ito enpei.www.mizuma.sg

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The Drawing Room was founded in Makati City, the Philippines, in 1998 by Cesar villalon Jr, who concentrated initially on showcasing works using paper hence its name. The gallery has now expanded its collection to include

T h e D r a w i n g R o o m

fost Gallery is the only local gallery within Gillman Barracks, and has held well-received solo exhibitions by reputed Singaporean artists such as Herman Chong, Song-Ming Ang, and Wyn-Lyn Tan. It has also represented international names, including American photographer Rodney Smith and french artist vincent olinet. Its our duty to be knowledgeable about the art scene, and we dont tell visitors

f o s t G a l l e r yonly what we have to offer, gallerist Andrea fam explains. We have a good community at Gillman Barracks, and we will point people to other artists and galleries within the area. www.fostgallery.com

K N o W B e f o R e y o U G o . . .

visit Gillman Barracks website to glance through whats new and pick out a few galleries that attract you this allows you to

better chart the days journey.

Approach the gallerists. They are equipped with a wealth of knowledge on whats offered in the vicinity, and can help suggest artists and galleries

suited to your taste and interests.

Dont fret about covering the entire 6.4ha site focus on a zone and spend more time understanding each gallery at a leisurely pace. you can always come back another weekend to cover more ground.

Galleries tend to hold smaller shows in December, making it a good period to pick up smaller, more affordable works.

f R e e G U I D e D T o U R S organised by friends of the Museums, the Gillman Barracks Art & History Tour sees rained docents dishing out insights on artworks, as well as the sites history. Details and registration at www.gillmanbarracks.com/calendar.

sculptures and installations, but with a focus on filipino artists. It represents works that explore themes of globalisation, diaspora and the cosmopolitan world, as can be seen in John frank

L e f T & T o PPalimpsest by Phi Phi oanh features paintings on glass slides, which are projected onto the wall.

Sabados intricate and mesmerising drawings (pictured, above) that depict the struggle between untouched utopian lands and the influence of technology. www.drawingroom

gallery.com

text MAvIS ANG photography vee CHIN art direction & illustration KAffy TAN

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