What makes this exhibition even more significant is that it marks the first-ever collaboration between National Gallery Singapore and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York, with iconic works travelling from the Guggenheim alongside important pieces from Southeast Asia.
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| Roy Lichtenstein. Preparedness. 1968. Oil and Magna on canvas, three panels, 304.8 × 548.6 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. 69.1885. © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein (© Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York. All Rights Reserved.) |
A Celebration of Pop Culture Through Art
Pop Art has always fascinated me because it transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary. Everyday advertisements, comic books, celebrities, household objects and popular culture suddenly become thought-provoking works of art and that's exactly what Pop after Pop: Art around Us sets out to explore.
Rather than simply revisiting the classic Pop Art movement that emerged in Britain and flourished in the United States during the 1960s, this exhibition asks a much bigger question:
How did artists across Southeast Asia reinterpret Pop Art through their own cultures, politics and everyday experiences?
Visitors can expect everything from paintings and sculptures to prints, installations and moving-image works spread across multiple exhibition spaces throughout the Gallery.
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| Andy Warhol. Mao. 1972. Screenprint on Beckett High white paper, 91.6 × 91.6 cm. Edition 97/99. Collection of SC Global Developments. © 2026 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. (Image Credit: SC Global Developments) |
Expect Icons from Around the World
One of the biggest draws has to be the opportunity to see works by some of Pop Art's biggest names in person.
Highlights include iconic pieces by:
- Andy Warhol – Mao (1972)
- Roy Lichtenstein – Preparedness (1968)
- Barbara Kruger – Untitled (Money money money) (2011)
(Collection of Singapore Art Museum.)
Right: Manit Sriwanichpoom. Shocking Pink Collection: Globalizing Pink Man.1998.
Duratrans prints in light box, Editions 2/5 + 1 AP, 150 × 100 cm.
(Collection of National Gallery Singapore.)
Alongside these internationally celebrated artists are some of Southeast Asia's most influential contemporary voices, including:
- Ming Wong (Singapore) – Life of Imitation (2009)
- FX Harsono (Indonesia) – Out Now (1975 / reconstructed 2006)
- Antipas Delotavo (Philippines) – Dagger at the Heart of Mang Juan (1978)
- Manit Sriwanichpoom (Thailand) – Globalizing Pink Man (1998)
Bringing these artists together creates an interesting dialogue between Western Pop Art and the unique ways Southeast Asian artists adapted its visual language to reflect their own societies.
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| Barbara Kruger. Untitled (Money money money). 2011. Digital print on vinyl, 214 × 339.7 cm. Gift of Theodor and Isabella Dalenson. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. 2011.34. Courtesy of the artist and Sprüth Magers. (© Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York. All Rights Reserved.) |
Pop Art with a Southeast Asian Perspective
One of the aspects I'm most looking forward to is how the exhibition shifts the conversation beyond the familiar American Pop Art narrative.
While many people immediately associate Pop Art with Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup cans or Marilyn Monroe portraits, artists throughout Southeast Asia were simultaneously drawing inspiration from newspapers, advertising, television, street culture and everyday urban life to comment on issues much closer to home.
Through these works, familiar imagery becomes a way to explore politics, social change, identity and cultural traditions. It's a refreshing reminder that Pop Art isn't just about bright colours and bold graphics, it's also about reflecting the world we live in.
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FX Harsono. Telah Terbit (Out Now). 1975, reconstructed 2006. Acrylic on canvas, 170 × 150 × 5 cm. (Collection of National Gallery Singapore.) |
As someone who enjoys exhibitions that are visually engaging yet still leave you thinking long after you've walked away, Pop after Pop: Art around Us already feels like one of the biggest art events to look forward to this year.
Whether you're an art enthusiast, a pop culture fan, or simply looking for an inspiring day out, this promises to be one of National Gallery Singapore's most ambitious exhibitions yet—and definitely one I'll be adding to my must-visit list this December.
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Watercolour on paper, 38.1 × 53.34 cm. Collection of Alexander A. Tee. © Handumanon ni Biboy (Antipas Delotavo).
(Courtesy of Tin-aw Art Management Inc. Photography by Erik Liongoren.) |
Pop after Pop: Art around Us
📍 National Gallery Singapore
Across:
- Singtel Special Exhibition Galleries 1 & 2
- Special Exhibition Gallery 3 (Level 3)
- Ngee Ann Kongsi Gallery (Level B1)
- Various public spaces throughout the Gallery
📅 11 December 2026 – 4 April 2027
🎫 From S$15 for Singapore Citizens & PRs | S$25 for foreign visitors.
Alternatively, visitors can enjoy unlimited access through the Gallery Insider Membership, priced at:
- Singapore Citizens & Permanent Residents: S$20
- Foreign residents & tourists: S$35
🌐 For more information, visit the National Gallery Singapore website.
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