It’s the last week of May, which means the June holidays are almost here. Adding to the lineup of air-conditioned things for parents to put on their lists this school hols is the latest edition of Gallery Children’s Biennale 2025, which officially launches on 31st May 2025.
This is the 5th edition of the children’s art exhibition, running in conjunction with the National Gallery’s 10th anniversary, and SG60. Themed “Tomorrow We’ll Be…”, and centred around the 4 core values of Joy, Kindness, Dream, and Love, the Biennale is for the very first time, baby-friendly too.
Start in Basement 1 of the Gallery, where you’ll find Colourful Play by local artist Fern Wong, a self-taught visual artist with Down syndrome who’s got a belt full of accolades, including first place at the UOL X ART:DIS Art Prize competition.
This continually changing piece invites children to interact with it through the colourful magnetic cutouts based on Fern’s own papercut artworks. “What brings you joy?” the text on the wall asks, encouraging everyone who participates to stop thinking, and start creating.
For the smallest of visitors to this installation, there are busyboard-like components at just the right height that they can spin and touch, allowing them to take part in this artwork too.
If the title of this artwork sounds familiar to millennial and older parents, it is – Dance Dance Chromatics by Wyn-Lyn Tan was inspired by the Dance Dance Revolution arcade games of yore. Similar to the way she finds joy in dancing in the privacy of her studio as she paints, this artwork was created in a closed room, with DDR-inspired motion sensors that encourage children to see how their movements are creating art.
As participants wave their arms, or do the tango, the AI-generated landscape changes accordingly, endlessly creating new scenes on the projection, making it seem almost alive.
Just outside Dance Dance Chromatics is Kindness Garden by Hiromi Tango, an Australian-based Japanese artist who created an entire rainbow-hued garden of empathy. It starts with a fibreglass “sound flower” in the centre of the room on whose petals are inscribed words of kindness in Braille, each petal producing a melodic note when pressed.
Nodding to the neurodivergent child who might feel overwhelmed by the sounds, colours, and lights, Hiromi also created a pair of calm domes, where they might hide amidst the lavender-scented plushies for some respite.
Laotian artist Souliya Phoumivong’s contribution to the Biennale is Lessons in Being Kind – a stop-motion film that involved no less than 11,000 frames to create, and which explores concepts of self-acceptance, kindness, and identity.
P.S.: the clay figurines on display, some of which are tilted downwards for little crawlers’ viewing, were made by students from Qi Fa Primary School.
Also in the room is a balancing chair which no one can sit on alone – as with most things in life, teamwork and a friend are key to accomplishing even the littlest of tasks.
Enter the whimsical world of I WE THEM, an alternate reality by Singaporean-based Spanish artist Vicente Delgado, affectionately known as Tito. Bold, high-contrast colours of the friendly figures welcome little ones to enter and interact with them – a giant inflated hand at the entrance invites them to give it a high five; floppy hands on the chairs provide a comforting hug should they want one.
If you haven’t guessed it, this whole room celebrates connections in all its forms and iterations. There’s even a foam bed and soft sculptures for babies to explore.
Home Is Where The Heart Is is an exceptionally apt installation for SG60, inspired by a painting by one of our very own local pioneer artists, Mohamed Salehuddin. It brings an imaginary neighbourhood to life, complete with domestic scenes behind the closed doors, that reminds us of our shared heritage.
Ring on the doorbell to peek into the homes, play tic-tac-toe with friends, and be greeted by the friendly neighbourhood ice cream pushcart seller.
If younger guests have never experienced life in houses such as these, this installation might just be the inspiration for grandparents and parents to share about their childhood memories living the kampong life.
If I WE THEM was an alternate world, Fantasy by Malaysia-based art collective Co2_karbondioksida is a dreamscape put together with childhood memories, or 130kg of upcycled children’ s clothes and several hundred kilograms of donated toys.
The cushioned floor is a patchwork of clothes the artist duo’s daughter has outgrown – kids are encouraged to roll, jump, or simply lie under the huge mobile overhead, made of the donated toys.
Not only does this installation bring older visitors back to their childhood, it’s also a subtle reminder of the impact of waste and overconsumption on the environment.
Finally, there’s Korean artist YeSeung Lee’s work, Imaginary Peach Garden, which is part of a collaboration between National Gallery Singapore and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Korea that marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore and the Republic of Korea.
Inspired by traditional Korean and Southeast Asian lore, children can create their own fantastical creatures and see them come to live on the projections.
Alternatively, kids can piece modular foam puzzles together for imaginary creatures that can do anything they can dream of.
The Gallery Children’s Biennale 2025 runs from 31st May to 29th March 2026, and entry is free for all visitors.
Make a donation of $2 to the Gallery to pick up an activity booklet for your little ones, which is printed with writeups about the artists and artworks, and a stamping activity for the kids. Collect the stamps from all the exhibits, and get a gift to commemorate your visit.
For more fun at home, you can pick up a Gallery Children’s Biennale 2025 Art Pack at the 4 vending machines on Levels 1 and B1. Each art pack retails for $8, and it comes in 2 variations: one for kids aged 6 and below, and the other for kids aged 7 and above.
It’s never too young to introduce your children to the wonder of the creative world, and this age-appropriate exhibition is one for kids of all ages – even the grown-up ones.
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Photography by Cassia Leong.
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