City of Others, City of Migrants: Art in Paris, 1920s–1940s

National Gallery Singapore presents a symposium in conjunction with its groundbreaking exhibition City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s–1940s. 

The exhibition is the first major comparative exhibition dedicated to Asian artists in the French capital city during this dynamic period in modern art history. Challenging conventional art historical narratives, this groundbreaking exhibition places Asian artists at the centre of focus, highlighting the relationship, interactions and influences between local and migrant artists, as well as the Parisian community. City of Others explores themes of identity, belonging, cultural exchange, creativity and resilience through the lives of Asian artists who exhibited, worked and lived in Paris as they navigated the culturally vibrant yet challenging time in Interwar Paris.

Building on the curatorial vision of the exhibition, the Gallery brings together international voices in a two-part symposium. The first chapter, Asian Artists in Paris: New Narratives, was co-hosted in Paris with Musée Cernuschi on Feb 20, 2025. Presentation recordings are available here.

The conversation on Asian artists and their experiences in Paris continues its journey in Singapore. The second chapter, City of Others, City of Migrants: Art in Paris, 1920s–1940s, is anchored by questions such as “How do we reframe the art history of Paris?” and “How might we re-map the city through the eyes of Asian migrant artists?” It will further explore these lines of inquiry through keynote lectures by and conversations with curators and scholars including Inaga Shigemi (Professor Emeritus, International Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto & Postgraduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama), Eric Lefebvre (Director, Musée Cernuschi) and Denise Murrell (Meryl H. and James S. Tisch Curator at Large, The Metropolitan Museum of Art), as well as the curatorial team for the exhibition from National Gallery Singapore, Phoebe Scott (Senior Curator), Cai Heng (Senior Curator), Horikawa Lisa (Senior Curator), Roy Ng (Assistant Curator), Teo Hui Min (Curator) and Patrick Flores (Chief Curator).

The symposium will consider Paris as both a site of connection and opportunity, as well as one of exploitation and appropriation. The speakers will examine how artistic consciousness shifts when Asian artists encounter a new city and culture while rediscovering the cultures of their origins.

Registration for the symposium can be found here.

Sympoisum—City of Others, City of Migrants: Art in Paris, 1920s–1940s is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of Singapore (MCCY), with special thanks to Strategic Partner, Singapore Tourism Board.