Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 60 ~ Beyond the Exhibition
FOFA as Producer
As producer of Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 60 (AP60), FOFA played a pivotal role in bringing this landmark project to life, yet keeping closely to the intentions and vision set out by the Collector.
Timed with Singapore’s 60th anniversary, The Culture Story presents AP60 to celebrate the country’s nation-building legacy and pay tribute to the founding leaders. FOFA set out to amplify the collector’s vision beyond the art exhibition to create content and programes to help TCS build up cultural capital, connect with audiences and create a lasting legacy.
Therefore, FOFA’s scope went beyond all the work behind curating and beyond staging a major art exhibition to also encompass a suite of cultural initiatives, including a documentary video, a bilingual publication and public programmes such as bilingual tours, children’s workshops and specially curated inclusive programmes for elderly and neurodivergent communities.
FOFA’s strategic contributions included:
- Vision & Leadership: Driving the concept and positioning AP60 as a national milestone in contemporary art and cultural storytelling.
- Empower Collector and Artist: Providing a platform for Singapore’s leading modern and contemporary artists to be celebrated, bringing a collector’s vision to life in a public setting
- Integrated Cultural Production and Initiatives: Developing a holistic programme that extends the exhibition’s reach through artwork commissions, multimedia content, education, and public engagement
- Partnership Building: Bringing together artists, institutions, sponsors and corporate supporters and different communities or audiences, strengthening FOFA’s role as a cultural connector
- Legacy & Impact: Cementing a lasting contribution to Singapore’s cultural memory, underscoring FOFA’s leadership in shaping national art narratives.
Overall, FOFA achieved:
- Over 7,000 visitors to the exhibition ((38% youths, 28% seniors)
- Over 1,000 programme audiences (including 130 seniors, 50 SPED community members, 215 children and their families engaged)
- $4.77m in PR value across print, broadcast, online, social and listings
- 68 public programmes and 8 corporate events
Through AP60, FOFA demonstrates its ability to move beyond presentation into cultural production—championing artists, building communities, and creating enduring impact.
About The Exhibition
The Culture Story (TCS) proudly presents Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 60 (AP60), a landmark exhibition marking Singapore’s 60th anniversary and an intimate look at a collector’s poignant tribute to Singapore’s nation-building legacy and founding leaders. Over the past decade, Mr. Chong Huai Seng, one of Singapore’s most avid art collectors, has collected works that capture the city-state’s transformation. Opened from 13 July to 17 August 2025, the exhibition showed over 90 works by more than 50 artists from Mr Chong’s private collection, including 10 new artwork commissions and one new music commission. Among the works is a rare artist’s proof of a bronze bust of the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew – the only portrait sculpture Mr. Lee endorsed.
Established in 2017, The Culture Story is more than a private art space—it is a catalyst for dialogue, discovery, and deep engagement with contemporary art. Reimagining the art salon for the 21st century, it brings together collectors, connoisseurs, and enthusiasts in a space where bold ideas take shape, narratives are challenged, and fresh perspectives emerge.
The Programmes
A series of programmes was produced throughout the exhibition including:
- Public Programmes including Catalogue Launch Events & Panel Discussions, Public Tours led by Curator Kwok Kian Chow and Volunteer Guides in both English and Chinese.
- Voices and Vision – Art Thought Leadership Symposium co-presented with Mastercard Singapore.
- Outreach Programmes in partnership with Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film, including
- Fresh Impressions! – 2 weekends of Children’s Programme.
- Gentle Mornings where we launched inclusive Programmes supported by Shaw Foundation. The programmes include:
- Tours & Workshops for Seniors with Family Service Centres.
- A Picture of Home, where we had inclusive tours by Superhero Me.
Catalogue Launch and Panel Discussions
On 19 July 2025, The Culture Story launched the exhibition catalogue for the exhibition. In conjunction with this exhibition, FOFA organized an engaging panel that offered insights into the dynamic and complex process and behind-the-scenes stories, and provided a rare glance into conversations between an art collector, curator and producer. Chong Huai Seng, Ning Chong, Kwok Kian Chow shared their experiences, challenges and creative decisions that shaped the exhibition. Attendees gained insights into the artistic vision, collaborative effort and strategic planning that went into presenting an exhibition of this scale and went away with a deeper understanding of what it took to curate from a private collection and share it with the public. The panel was moderated by Helmi Yusof, the Deputy Editor of lifestyle news at The Business Times.
Voices and Vision – An Art Thought Leadership Symposium
Voices and Vision is a 2-day art thought leadership programme on the occasion of AP60 that creates a space for meaningful exchange and deeper engagement with real-world issues. Find out more about the symposium here.
Gentle Mornings
Gentle Mornings is inspired by world-class museum programmes offering a calm, inclusive environment to experience art. Our accessibility tours welcomed Special Education SPED school students and seniors from Family Service Centres for private tours of AP60, led by trained facilitators from Objectifs and Superhero Me.
For the first time, Captains from the Juniors Captain Programme by Superhero Me will be involved in a private initiative. Partnering Rainbow Centre and supported by the CapitaLand Hope Foundation, the Junior Captain Programme seeks to create opportunities for neurodiverse youth in the arts and heritage sector by equipping them to co-lead tours and facilitate inclusive arts workshops. Before AP60, the Captains had co-led tours with Superhero Me at the National Museum of Singapore.
It’s a vital step towards enabling and empowering everyone, regardless of needs, to enjoy the enriching power of art.
Gentle Mornings is presented by The Shaw Foundation.
Fresh Impressions
Fresh Impressions presented a series of children’s and educational programme such as educational guides, a children’s activity corner and two dedicated weekends of children’s workshops.
On 9, 10, 16 & 17 August 2025, AP60 presented creative and free-access workshops specially designed for children 6 – 12 years old. Developed by Objectifs – Centre for Photography & Film, there were three workshops in response to the exhibition, lead by artist-facilitators. Children were invited to explore collage, wax-resist techniques and sculptural forms as another way to experience the exhibition hands-on.
