Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu, said on Saturday that the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) will get a S$90 million facelift – the first since it opened its doors in 1996. The work is expected to start later this year and expected to be completed by 2021.
According to Channel News Asia, there will be large-scale installations in the expanded space and more opportunities for interactive art pieces. SAM is also exploring the possibilities of multimedia works. A bridge will also be built to link the two SAM buildings, which are now separated by a small road.
"In our art scene's next phase of development, we need to enlarge the space for engaging content to emerge and provide more opportunities for our artists. So we have been regularly reviewing our cultural infrastructure to ensure they can support the needs of our artistic community," said Ms Fu.
The government, with help from the Cultural Matching Fund, will be funding S$80 million out of the S$90 million needed for the revamping. Sponsorships and donations will fund the remaining S$10 million.
Ms Fu also said that conservation work will also be carried out on the two historical SAM buildings, which used to house St Joseph Institution and Catholic High School, to ensure that they remain in best shape.
It was also reported that an open tender for the project will be called by the second quarter of this year. While SAM at 8Q on Queen Street will remain open to the visitors, the main building will be shut down after the removal of the Singapore Biennale artworks.
