SOME 400 iconic artworks that paint the story of Singapore’s art history since the 19th century will go on display at the National Gallery Singapore’s DBS Singapore Gallery.

Named Siapa Nama Kamu?, the title of the collection is based on the words on the chalkboard in Chua Mia Tee’s painting National Language Class, which was created in 1959 when Singapore gained self-governance.

National Language Class by Chua Mia Tee. Credit: Gift of Equator Art Society, Collection of National Gallery Singapore

“National Gallery Singapore is the first museum in the world dedicated to modern art from Singapore and South-east Asia, and will present the most extensive long-term exhibitions of art from the region. Through Siapa Nama Kamu?, we want to present a cohesive narrative of Singapore’s art history and engage our visitors with lesser known aspects, such as developments in the 19th century and the formation of art groups resulting from anti-colonial sentiments in the 1950s,” said Eugene Tan, director of National Gallery Singapore.

The exhibition explores Singapore’s identity and links to South-east Asia and the rest of the world since the 19^th century with a total of six themes – Tropical Tapestry, Nanyang Reverie, Real Concerns, New Languages, Tradition Unfettered and Shifting Grounds. Displays will be updated regularly.

Tiger’s Whip by Tang Da Wu. Credit: Collection of Singapore Art Museum

Admissions to the DBS Singapore Gallery is complimentary from its opening date, November 24, to December 6. After this, complimentary admissions will continue for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

Rudrojit Deb. Credit: Manathai Hotels & Resorts

MANATHAI Hotels & Resorts has appointed Rudrojit Deb as general manager of the soon-to-launch Manathai Surin Phuket with immediate effect.

Deb has over 19 years of hospitality experience with brands such as Grand Hyatt, Pullman and Marriott in India and Malaysia.

The 66-key Manathai Surin Phuket will officially open on November 1, 2015 and will be situated on Surin Beach, 30 minutes away from Phuket International Airport.

Thai textures and fabrics are used extensively in the resort’s facilities, with materials such as rattan, wooden screens, local silks and terracotta flooring.

Lotus ponds are also scattered throughout the property, while the pool is enclosed by three-metre high hedges, creating a naturally private space. Rooms feature a sunken pool seating and direct pool access.

F&B options include the pool bar which serves light refreshments, and Pad Thai, an all-day dining restaurant, which features Thai cuisine and also offers cooking classes.

Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan Government

THE Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched a new branding campaign for Tokyo that will help build a stronger impression of the city as a tourist destination ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics.

Named simply as the Tokyo Brand Promotion Campaign, it features a new & TOKYO logo, as well as a new slogan, A city that promises all kinds of fun by constantly generating new styles while bringing tradition and innovation together.

According to a press statement, the slogan is used to spread “the underlying message to the world that Tokyo is a city where a variety of people, things and events create new kinds of enjoyment by forming new values and connections”.

As for the new logo, various words or corporate identities are meant to be inserted before the “&”, enabling it to be used widely by Tokyo residents, private businesses and foreign tourists as a tool for conveying the city’s value and appeal to the world.

Ho Chi Minh City airport. Credit: 123rf

FOREIGNERS visiting Vietnam can expect much lower entry fees from November 23 onwards, according to a circular from the nation’s Ministry of Finance.

Single-entry visas will cost US$25 instead of the current US$45, while fees for multiple-entry visas with validity of less than three months will cost US$50 instead of US$95.

Prices for multiple-entry visas valid for three to six months and for six months to a year will remain the same, costing US$95 and US$135 respectively. Visas valid for one year to two years will also still cost US$145 and visas valid for two years to five years remains at US$155.

“The visa fee adjustments are intended to boost tourism,” said an official from the Ministry of Finance’s tax policy department, according to Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre. “We have referred to the visa fees in other regional countries to decide on the new rates for Vietnam.”

The reduced fees have come on the back of a series of measures to boost international visitorship, such as visa waivers for five European nations and offering citizens from the US year-long visas.

Credit: Phuket Orchid Resort and Spa

PHUKET Orchid Resort and Spa, which has undergone extensive renovations to further enhance its family-centric offerings, will unveil its completed facelift on November 1 in time for the high season.

New features include an additional two 12m and 7.5m water slides to the main pool, which would be fully staffed by trained attendants.

Most of the rooms at the 524-key resort have already undergone major refurbishments, with the final 100 rooms set to be completed by late-October. Improvements include the addition of Lavazza coffee machines and new flat-screen LED TVs in all rooms.

Improvements were also made to modernise the breakfast and buffet dining areas to offer more light, additional seating and buffet counters, while a high-speed optical Wi-Fi system was also installed throughout the hotel.

Phuket Orchid Resort and Spa has also launched complimentary activities for children, such as fruit cocktail mixing workshops and cooking classes focusing on Thai cuisine.

“We are delighted to complete our upgrades ahead of the high season so that we can optimise the guest experience here and add a healthy dose of outdoors fun and enjoyment for all families and children,” said Philip Raiss, general manager at Phuket Orchid Resort and Spa.

The Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Mexico. Credit: Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts

BANYAN Tree Hotels & Resorts is partnering Cuba’s Gaviota Tourism Group to unveil a slew of initiatives in Latin America, including the opening of four new-built properties in Cuba, the launch of a US$300 million Mexico Hospitality Fund and the reveal of a new lifestyle hotel brand.

The first of the four openings is slated to take place in July 2016, on the island of Cayo Las Brujas, a place famed for its beachfront, botanical wildlife and coral reefs. This property will also mark the debut of the group’s fourth and newest brand, adding to its existing brand portfolio of Angsana, Cassia and its flagship Banyan Tree.

“We are only unveiling the fourth brand on October 22,” said Ho Kwon Ping, founder and chairman of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, who further described the new brand as “hip, cool and contemporary” and “for younger people”.

Developments carrying the fourth brand are also in the works in China and Thailand, he told TTG Asia e-Daily, namely in Pu’er, Leishan, Luoyang and Phuket.

The group’s other three upcoming properties in Cuba include an Angsana-branded resort set to open in 2017, followed by two more properties, an Angsana and a Banyan Tree, on an island in Varadero, Matanzas.

This is the hospitality group’s second venture into Latin America, following its first two properties – Banyan Tree Mayakoba and Banyan Tree Cabo Marques – already operating in Mexico.

More developments are in the works with the announcement of its US$300 million Mexico Hospitality Fund. “The fund will be used to invest in projects both in Mexico and in Latin America,” said Ho.