Minimalism, National Gallery Singapore

Brewin Design Office (BDO) won the international competition for the design of Southeast Asia’s first Minimalism exhibition – ‘Minimalism: Space. Light. Object’ – where 77 important pieces from one of the most influential art movements of the 20th century are displayed at National Gallery Singapore.

‘Minimalism: Space. Light. Object’ is an exhibition that spans six galleries and numerous public spaces in the National Gallery Singapore, as well as in the ArtScience Museum (the first collaboration between these two major art institutions in Singapore). The entire exhibition comprises over 150 works.

The subject of the exhibition, Minimalism, resonates greatly with BDO’s design philosophy. Through this project BDO translated the firm’s core values in creating forward-thinking design solutions through simple interventions and understated aesthetics.

Concept
BDO’s aim for the exhibition design is to create a space that not only frames the artwork on an individual and collective level, but also seamlessly incorporates the pieces harmoniously into the architecture of the gallery.

Design Process
The design of the exhibition space was highly cross-disciplinary: in addition to the layout of the design, BDO was also involved with the lighting, exhibition collaterals and way-finding graphics. The central concept of Minimalism, which is that its works do not reference a real life object but instead call to attention its physical properties, is reflected onto each element of the design.

Unlike typical interior design briefs, the end goal for BDO was to create a space to house art pieces rather than a habitat, and a spatial design that will not only accompany but also to complement the art work. BDO’s aim was to augment the nature of the art pieces and serve an educational purpose while conveying a coherent narrative to its viewers.

BDO worked closely with the curatorial team, the project management team, the contractors, the content development team, the branding team as well as various art foundations behind the works. The design process spanned across four months and the construction took three weeks.

Key Design Features
The composition of the interior walls has been meticulously tailored to the artwork in the context of its spatial environment; they have been deliberately positioned in order to reveal certain moments that would amplify the viewer’s reading of the works. At the same time, the circulatory route echoes the intended narrative of the exhibition’s curation.

A good portion of the artworks rely on its surrounding spatial environment and lighting to bring across the message and emotions they are made to convey. Light and space are utilised to translate the nature of the artwork into spatial conditions that would guide the viewer’s journey into the world of Minimalist art and encourage a profoundness in the viewer’s learning experience.

Using simple aesthetics and understated interior design that harmonise with one another, each space is customised according to the spatial requirements of the art pieces displayed.

Lighting Strategy
The artworks rely on its surrounding spatial environment and lighting to bring across the messages and emotions they are made to convey. Experimenting with geometric properties and strategic framing to add depth to complement 3D sculptures, BDO created enclaves with the suspension of a canopy within the gallery to diffuse light into the space and amplify the scale of a piece of art.

Brewin Design Office (BDO)