The Collector 1994
20th September, 2024 – 20th October, 2024
Opera Gallery Singapore
2 Orchard Turn # 02-16
ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
In celebration of our 30th anniversary, Opera Gallery Singapore is pleased to present ‘The Collector 1994’, an exhibition featuring a selection of 20th-century masterworks. To commemorate this milestone, the gallery has been designed to emulate the home of an art collector in 1994, the year Opera Gallery founded its first location in Singapore.
Celebrating the gallery’s trajectory over the last 30 years, this immersive presentation invites the viewer into the centre of the cultural zeitgeist of the 1990s, replete with historically accurate furnishings, ephemera, and memorabilia from the time period. Housed in this unique space, the exhibition forms a statement about the artists’ immunity to trends through the timelessness of their art. Today, their work remains as important and as urgent as it was 30 years ago. Within this space, nostalgia for a bygone era is juxtaposed with the ever-relevant work of the artists whose mark on art history, and broader culture, has proven to be indelible.
The presentation scenography of the exhibition artworks in this special context also allows for the artworks to be experienced in a more personal and intimate way. The idea and feeling of being home conjures images of a space that’s private and safe, quiet and comfortable, a space for reflection and clarity. French philosopher Gaston Bachelard once described the home as everyone’s “first universe,” collecting and containing past, present and future. ‘The Collector 1994’ invites visitors to consider artworks within this environment, both unexpected and comfortable, bringing them into the home of an imagined collector whose space is furnished with a series of artworks that invite prolonged consideration.
‘The Collector 1994’ features work by renowned Modern and Contemporary masters including Fernando Botero, Bernard Buffet, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Keith Haring, Rene Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pierre Soulages and more.
“When I travelled to Singapore in 1994, it was with a suitcase full of works by French artists – many of them my contemporaries and friends,” said Gilles Dyan, Founder and Chairman, Opera Gallery Group, “Singapore is significant in Opera’s history as our first location, a risk that has been most rewarding. With 16 locations today, the gallery’s artist roster and collector base have grown exponentially to reflect our international footprint.
This has allowed us to push boundaries, staging museum-scale modern and contemporary art exhibitions. As we enter our fourth decade, set to be the most exciting yet, I look forward to sharing Opera Gallery and our artists with new audiences, building an authentic connection with each and every one.”
The Collector 1994 opens on the 20th of September, 2024 until the 20th of October, 2024 at Opera Gallery Singapore
©2024 Opera Gallery
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