National Gallery Singapore opens digital Biennale for children
GALLERY CHILDREN’S BIENNALE GOES GLOBAL IN FIRST “PHYGITAL” EDITION, EMPOWERS CHILDREN TO CREATE AND CONNECT THROUGH ART
The third edition of Gallery Children’s Biennale will feature 9 commissioned artworks by local and international artists
Returning for its third edition this month, National Gallery Singapore will be bringing its popular Children’s Biennale to more children around the world through its first-ever “phygital” experience. Guided by the inquiry “Why Art Matters”, the Gallery Children’s Biennale seeks to empower children to navigate the changing times with empathy and confidence through playful and interactive art experiences that explore topics relevant to the times such as Home, Diversity, Time and Environment.
Further cementing the Gallery Children’s Biennale as a global leader in children’s art experiences, the Gallery has partnered Groninger Museum in the Netherlands to launch the first Dutch KinderBiennale in June 2021. This follows its successful partnership with Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) in organising Europe’s first Children’s Biennale in 2018.
Ms Suenne Megan Tan, Director of Audience Development & Engagement at National Gallery Singapore says, “The role of art in nurturing critical thinking and building character in children is more important than ever in these changing times. Art matters, not least for children, and we are excited to be able to take the Gallery Children’s Biennale global with our first-ever ‘phygital’ Biennale, as well as our international partnerships with the Groninger Museum and SKD. Our new hybrid online and on-site format makes it possible for us to reach out to children in and beyond Singapore, and connect them with international artists and each other through art.”
The digital experience is accessible via the microsite, where children will be able to embark on a myriad of online adventures with interactive online games, immersive animated stories and digital artmaking as they engage with the 9 commissioned artworks. Categorised according to the themes of home, time, diversity and the environment, the works look to inspire children to embrace the values of acceptance, openness and diversity, in addition to providing them with a space to unleash their creativities. In addition to the 9 digital artworks, children, aged 0-12, will also be able to participate in other online activities such as craft tutorials and games inspired by the artworks as part of the digital experience.