PUBLISHED October 8th, 2013 01:28 am | UPDATED January 20th, 2016 03:52 pm
When one of the world’s leading museums, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, first announced the launch of Rijks Studio, I wasn’t quite sure how to feel. Rijks Studio presents 125,000 of its collection online, encouraging the public to download images of artwork or particular details and incorporate them into their own creative purposes.
Now, the basis of this is great and taps on the positive characteristics of sharing and accessibility through the Internet, yet I felt a tinge of loss of the magic and majesty of facing artworks face-to-face, which this move seemed to signify the start of.
It’s not surprising then that I was first wary of Masterpieces, which is a digital art gallery featuring contributed artworks by both veteran and emerging artists that were created with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1. This gallery is both viewable online and also in the form of an app available exclusively on Samsung Apps and Google Play and optimized for a range of Samsung devices.
Although the digital art gallery was launched in June this year, Masterpieces is now exhibiting for a limited time at the Stamford Gallery in the National Museum of Singapore until 27th October 2013.
The exhibition, which opened last Friday is an interesting contrast between traditional and new mediums. On one hand, it was a showcase of art created using one of the newest technologies located in the oldest museum. Artworks by about 30 artists from all over the world, including France and Malyasia, were then flashed onto mounted screens of different sizes (following the frames of Samsung tablets and phones) that you can literally touch and read about them up close.
The artworks are curated by leading regional contemporary art curator, critic and writer, Iola Lenza, and divided into different thematic categories such as ‘Textures and Signs’, ‘Home and Wandering’, and even a section on videos. Each artist’s style is distinct, incorporating elements ranging from drawings to photographs into their creations.
There is also a section with communal standing tables and more private sitting spaces equipped with Samsung tablets that encourage visitors to try their hands at making their own art. It was the perfect round up to the exhibition as you experience the same tools the artists had and just go as wild as you dare – the shy ones can choose to stay at the quieter booths for freer flow of creative juices. The sharing of art becomes much more accessible and personalised whether as a social or personal encounter.
It’s definitely worth the visit if you’re around the area. If you’re a Samsung user, feel free to browse the digital gallery or try out the app on-the-go here, otherwise, the experience of visiting and viewing these artworks can’t be beaten in a well-managed marriage of the digital and physical.
Masterpieces Digital Art Exhibition is exhibiting until 27th October 2013 at the Stamford Gallery, National Museum of Singapore. Entry is free. For more information see the Masterpiece website here.