DAVID Hocking’s Celia is one of the Ritz-Carlton Millenia’s famous art works.



Singapore stopover has an arty look



SINGAPORE is a popular place to take a short break to recuperate from a long haul flight from Europe. Travellers can see the island in a couple of days, the Zoo, the bus-hopper around to China Town, Little India, the myriad shopping malls, the cable car to Sentosa, all very good in their own way.

But there is something different happening until the end of the year in the Marina Bay district, the slab of land and artificial bay, which was formed when the land was reclaimed from what was once open sea.

It is already a vibrant district with hotels, high rise buildings, parks, eateries and nightlife. It is also emerging as an art hub for the country.

One of the hotels in the area is the five-star Ritz-Carlton Millenia and it is the one offering the A Celebration of Art and History stopover.

The hotel itself is a veritable art gallery with 4,200 works of modern art valued at approximately $5 million on show throughout the hotel.

This collection is considered to be among the best Southeast Asia. Taking pride of place are limited edition art pieces and sculptures by David Hockney, Henry Moore, Andy Warhol, Sam Francis and contemporary American artists such as Dale Chihuly, Larry Zox and Malcolm Morley.

Most of the works on view were commissioned for the hotel including 350 major, museum-quality pieces.

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia has set up the inclusive stopover that will give art and history enthusiasts access to Singapore’s museums, galleries including the National Art Gallery in the neighbouring Civic District.

A Celebration of Art and History is centred on the collection of art and sculptures, but will also take guests on a guided tour of the National Museum of Singapore Permanent Galleries and a visit to award-winning artist Ong Kim Seng’s studio.

The hotel’s collection was curated by California-based art consultant Elizabeth Weiner, and podcast tour is available on iPODs from the Concierge. This describes the artists’ profile and history as well as the placement of the art pieces which enhances the contemporary architectural design of the hotel.

“Having an art collection of this scale displayed throughout the hotel allows our guests to appreciate them in a museum-like setting,” said General Manager Peter Mainguy. Through our partnership with the National Museum of Singapore and Mr. Ong Kim Seng, we aim to elevate the level of appreciation for visual arts and history in Singapore further, thereby giving our guests a sense of place during their stay in the Lion City”.

The iconic National Museum of Singapore was established in 1887 and redefines the conventional museum experience through varied, cutting-edge ways of presenting history. The five Permanent Galleries, the Singapore History Gallery, which showcases the nation’s history from the 14th century to the present as a multitude of stories through state-of-the-art modes of presentation and narrative approaches inspired by contemporary film, installation and theatre and the Singapore Living Galleries which portray the multi-racial and multi-cultural society through four lifestyle-themed exhibits celebrating fashion, food, film and wayang and photography.

Water colour artist Ong Kim Seng is self-taught artist who made a breakthrough with his first solo exhibition of works based on his trek to the Himalayas in 1978. It earned him his first award from the American Watercolour Society in 1983.

He then went on to win five more awards and the Dolphin Fellowship from the same society in 2000, thereby earning him the distinction of being the first and only Singaporean to have won the six awards.

In 1991, he was conferred the Cultural Medallion (Visual Arts) – the highest award for artistic excellence by the Singapore government. His works can be seen in the collections of museums and galleries worldwide including those of Queen Elizabeth II and Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. In 2008,

Mr. Ong depicted Singapore’s evolving public housing landscape in the landmark Heartlands exhibition. Having lived in one of these Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats for more than 30 years, he succinctly captured the multi-faceted elements of life in HDB estates in a show combining paintings, video and poetry.

For guests booked on A Celebration of Art and History, the program includes:

· Deluxe Kallang Bay View room accommodation.

· Self-guided 30-minute podcast tour of the hotel’s art collection and accompanying collateral.

· Daily American buffet breakfast in the Greenhouse.

· Return same-day transfers to the National Museum of Singapore followed by Ong Kim Seng’s studio. Appointment with Mr. Ong is subject to his travel commitments.

· Admission fee and 60-minute guided tour of the National Museum of Singapore Permanent Galleries.

· Heartlands – Home and Nation in the Art of Ong Kim Seng commemorative book.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is a 32-storey luxury hotel located in Marina Bay, next to the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Set amidst seven acres of tropical landscape, all guest rooms and bathrooms offer views of either Marina Bay or the city skyline. Services and facilities include restaurants and a lounge serving Chinese, Western and international favourites; a Fitness Centre and Spa with swimming pool, indoor gym, tennis court and spa treatment rooms; and a business centre.

This tour is available until December 31. Cost is S$960 for a three-day/two-night stay (single or double occupancy. The rate is subject to 10 percent service charge and prevailing government taxes. Reservations can be made by calling +65 6434 5118 or emailing rc.sinrz.reservations@ritzcarlton.com.
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