he titular adjective of the National Gallery Singapore’s exhibition “Something New Must Turn Up: Six Singaporean Artists After 1965” is a doubleedged sword. Deployed art historically, the idea of the “new” is here premised on the view, per the curatorial statement, that these artists “broke new ground and contributed significantly to the development of Singapore’s modern and contemporary art in the post-independence era.” That claim perhaps called for a more nuanced evaluation, and a broader historical outlook, than was evident. Conversely, it was to the institution’s credit that it chose to engage with a roster of artists who have either been in the public eye only sporadically in recent years, or have not received due attention from the establishment. In that regard, “Something New” indeed offered several fresh
