Singapore Art Museum, Singapore - Timings, Entry Fee, History & Artifacts

At a distance of 500 from National Museum of Singapore, 1 km from Peranakan Museum, 3 km from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, and 17 km from Changi Airport, the Singapore Art Museum is a contemporary visual arts museum situated on Bras Basah Road in the heart of Singapore's arts and culture district. It is one of the popular art museums in Singapore and among the must-visit places for art lovers while holidaying in Singapore.

Singapore Art Museum, also called SAM, opened its doors in 1996 as the first fully dedicated contemporary visual arts museum in Singapore. Housed in a restored 19th-century mission school, the museum specializes in international contemporary art practices with an emphasis laid on Singapore and South-East Asia. Previously known as Fine Art Museum, it was born out of a project by the National Museum to set up a five-museum precinct in the city. The other four museums that make up the precinct are the National Museum of Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, People's Museum, and the Children's Museum.

The Singapore Art Museum is housed in two different buildings. The main wing of the museum is housed in the former Saint Joseph's Institution building. The building dates back to 1855, was constructed in the European Renaissance architectural style. This carefully conserved structure was gazetted as a national monument in 1992 and converted into the Singapore Art Museum in 1996. While, the second building of the museum is 'SAM at 8Q', the former Catholic High School on Queen Street. The museum buildings are currently closed for a major building revamp, with museum programming continuing at partner venues until the buildings re-open.

The museum boasts one of the most important collections of contemporary Southeast Asian art in the world. The artworks represented in SAM's permanent collection span a broad spectrum of media and sensibilities, ranging from installation to video, to photography, painting, sculpture, and others. SAM at 8Q exhibits the museum's permanent collection of contemporary art, as well as newly-commissioned, contemporary artworks. Besides, visitors have the option of attending an exhibition or through public programs such as tours, talks, artist tours, and workshops. Their most famous family-friendly exhibition is 'Imaginarium' which explores innovative ideas through interactive and contemporary artworks.

The museum collaborates with international art museums to curate and hosts contemporary exhibitions. It also hosts events like South East Asian Film Festival. The museum was the organizer of the Singapore Biennale in 2011, 2013, 2016 and will continue to do so for 2019 and 2022.

Timings: 10 AM - 6.30 PM from Saturday - Thursday, 10 AM - 8.30 PM on Friday

Entry: SGD. 10 for Adults & Free for Children below 6 Years