Private Singapore art museum closes less than a year after opening

Less than a year after the Pinacothèque de Paris art museum opened in Singapore, the private attraction has closed its doors citing poor visitation and financial constraints.

Art Heritage Singapore, which manages the museum, announced in a statement that it is "disappointed that this project did not succeed due to weaker-than-expected visitorship and other business and financial challenges faced".

The closure comes as the company is being taken to court in Singapore by an Italian exhibition organiser over a sum of about S$667,500.

The dispute relates to work undertaken by the Arthemisia Group, which specialises in the organisation and holding of exhibitions in Italy, on the Myth Of Cleopatra exhibition - the Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris' first exhibition, which ran from 30th May to 4th October last year.

In court papers, Art Heritage Singapore said Arthemisia Group had failed to fulfil all its obligations in organising the exhibition and that the exhibits were of poor quality, resulting in low ticket sales. The company is counter-claiming for damages and costs.

The Singapore museum's closure comes after the closure of the flagship museum Pinacotheque de Paris, Paris' largest private art museum on 15th February, also due to poor visitor numbers in recent years.

The Paris museum opened in 2007 and is reported to attract over one million visitors annually.

Both museums are founded by French curator and art historian Marc Restellini, who is also the Chairman of Art Heritage Singapore. The Singapore gallery is its only international offshoot.

In the statement, Art Heritage Singapore said that Pinacotheque de Paris "remains keen to enhance the fine art scene in Singapore" and that it "will continue to evaluate more viable options in Singapore", although it did not give more details.

Located in the Fort Canning Arts Centre, Pinacothèque de Paris Singapore housed 40 to 50 paintings by masters such as French impressionist artist Claude Monet and Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn in its permanent gallery.

It also offered exhibitions, a free-admission heritage gallery dedicated to the history of Fort Canning and an art academy as well as food and beverage and retail tenants.

In a statement, the Singapore Tourism Board said it had facilitated the Pinacothèque project as part of efforts to grow Singapore's leisure offerings and expressed disappointment at the closure of the museum.

Images: Galleries at the Pinacothèque de Paris Singapore (top and middle) and the Fort Canning Arts Centre (below).

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