The Gallery Benches at the Padang. Image Courtesy of National Gallery Singapore

(Singapore, 9 January 2026) – From 9 to 18 January 2026, National Gallery Singapore is taking its presence islandwide with the launch of The Gallery Benches, an initiative that reimagines the Gallery’s iconic logo as ten bold, functional benches placed across ten public locations in Singapore.

Designed as usable public furniture and distinctive visual statements, the bright red benches invite people to do more than just look. Members of the public are welcome to sit, rest, eat, chat, play, take photos, and interact with the benches in their own ways – encountering the Gallery not only through exhibitions, but through everyday moments in shared public spaces.

The benches also anchor a new fundraising initiative, through which organisations and individuals may adopt a bench for a three-year period in support of the Gallery’s ongoing mission to make art accessible to all. Following the islandwide presentation, the benches will return to the Gallery and be installed within its premises.

From Logo to Bench

Shaped from the Gallery’s distinctive logo, the benches are not artworks, but designed objects –approachable, functional, and meant to be used. By translating its visual identity into something people can interact with, the Gallery extends its presence into everyday public life.

As a national institution, the Gallery plays a role not only in presenting art, but in shaping how culture is encountered beyond museum walls. This initiative reflects the belief that meaningful encounters with art and culture can happen during a lunch break, a walk in the park, or a casual meeting with friends.

The benches will appear across a range of neighbourhoods, parks, civic spaces, and cultural districts, including CQ @ Clarke Quay, East Coast Park, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Lau Pa Sat, Marina Bay, New Bahru, Orchard Road, Raffles City Singapore, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Each site offers a distinct public setting, from heritage and commercial precincts to leisure and recreational spaces, reinforcing the Gallery’s intention to meet people where they are.

Eugene Tan, Chief Executive Officer and Director of National Gallery Singapore, says, “The Gallery believes that art is for anyone and everyone. These benches are a simple way of meeting people where they already are. By placing them in everyday public spaces, we hope to break down the perception of art as distant or intimidating, and show that it can be encountered casually, openly, and as part of everyday life.”

Beyond serving as seating, The Gallery Benches will also be documented through film and photography that capture everyday moments and interactions unfolding around them. To do so, the Gallery will work with a selected group of Singapore-based visual creators to observe and document how the benches are used in public life. Members of the public are similarly encouraged to photograph, share, and engage with the benches in their own ways.

From City to Gallery

After the islandwide presentation from 9 to 18 January 2026, the benches will return to the Gallery from 24 January 2026 and be installed within the Gallery itself. Having been used by the public, they will become part of the Gallery’s physical environment, carrying with them traces of everyday use  and encounters beyond the museum walls. This movement between public space and the Gallery reflects the institution’s belief that art and culture are shaped not only within museums, but through lived experience.

A New Model of Public Support

These benches also anchor a new fundraising initiative. Organisations and individuals may adopt a bench in its entirety for a three-year period at $10,000, or support one of the two rectangular elements at $6,000. All contributions will support the Gallery’s mission to make art accessible to all and go towards exhibitions, access programmes, children and family engagement, and arts and wellness initiatives.

“Our partnerships are built on shared values and long-term commitment. This initiative reflects a different way of supporting the arts – one that is visible in public spaces and allows art to be inclusive and embedded in everyday life,” added Aun Koh, Assistant Chief Executive (Marketing and Development).

Stepping into the Gallery’s Second Decade

As National Gallery Singapore enters its second decade, The Gallery Benches mark a renewed commitment to being present, visible, and connected to the public. It signals forward momentum and a refreshed way of thinking about how a museum can exist beyond its walls. As the first Singapore museum to translate its visual identity into an islandwide, usable public initiative of this scale, the Gallery underscores its role as a civic space: open, welcoming, and embedded in the everyday rhythms of the city. Encountered during a commute, a lunch break, or a casual walk, The Gallery Benches offer a simple invitation to pause, and a reminder that the Gallery belongs not only within its building, but within the shared spaces of Singapore.

For more information on The Gallery Benches, visit nationalgallery.sg/thegallerybenches.

ORDER HERE:  fcowanmedia@gmail.com : Or go to Amazon: The Orange Sofa: Unicorn Eyes: Walking Home:    Singapore Circuit Breaker.  Zero Visibility - The Rescue of the Thai Football Team trapped in the cave in Northern Thailand.