Remarks by CE/NLB Mr Ng Cher Pong at the Exhibition Opening of Miguel Covarrubias: A Mexican Artist’s Fascination with the Pacific, 8 May 2025, NL Building

Your Excellency, Mr Gerald Singham, Non-Resident Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the United Mexican States

Your Excellency, Mr Agustín García-López Loaeza, Ambassador of the United Mexican States

Your Excellency, Mr Suryo Pratomo, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

  1. Good evening and welcome to the National Library Building!
  1. Welcome too, to the opening of the exhibition Miguel Covarrubias (coh-vah-roo-bee-us): A Mexican Artist’s Fascination with the Pacific. We are very honoured to be able to host this exhibition, presented through a collaboration between the Embassy of Mexico and the National Library Board. It is especially significant and timely as Mexico and Singapore celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations this year.
  1. We are very happy for this opportunity to celebrate our cultural heritage together, through the lens of Miguel Covarrubias and through the exhibition next door featuring four pioneering Singapore artists. Although their trips to Bali were 20 years apart, we get to see the inspirations from their trips, for the first time under one roof.
  1. In the early 1930s, Miguel Covarrubias made two visits to Bali with his wife, Rosemonde Cowan, also known as Rosa Rolanda. In fact, the first trip in 1930 was for their honeymoon! From these two trips, Covarrubias wrote a landmark book Island of Bali, which was published in 1937. This work marked a critical point in Covarrubias’s career, as he grew from artist to budding ethnographer. His works also inspired those who came after him, including the four artists featured in the Untold Stories exhibition next door.
  1. In 1952, four of Singapore’s pioneering artists — Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng — similarly travelled to Bali and Java in search of fresh artistic inspiration. Untold Stories shows the influence of artists like Covarrubias on their vision of Bali and their decision to embark on this epic journey. On display in Untold Stories is Liu Kang’s personal copy of Covarrubias’ Island of Bali, which Liu Kang initialled and dated 1949. The 1952 Bali trip culminated in an exhibition the following year, now regarded as milestone in the development of Singapore art.
  1. Over the years, Bali’s unique artistic and cultural traditions have inspired many from all across the world. And the allure of Bali continues to draw many visitors every year. Some of the best works inspired by Bali, are now here for us to appreciate. So a big thank you to our teams for working closely and putting this exhibition together. Importantly, this exhibition now adds to the cultural bond we share among us in Indonesia, Mexico and Singapore. We hope you would enjoy this exhibition and I strongly encourage you to tour the Untold Stories exhibition.
  1. Thank you, and have a pleasant evening ahead.