National Gallery Singapore to get new food, retail concept

New retail business ‘& Co’ has partnered with the National Gallery Singapore to create a food and beverage and retail concept called Gallery & Co.

Inspired by Southeast Asian art and culture, Gallery & Co fuses art and design into a curated retail experience featuring specially designed products for the museum, books, design collectibles and prints, amongst others, as well as a quick-service, casual dining venue (comprising a café and cafeteria). The new space, to open in November, spans the entire frontage of the City Hall Wing on the ground floor, overlooking the historically significant Padang.

The partners of & Co. are local industry heavyweights Loh Lik Peng (Unlisted Collection), Yah-Leng Yu and Arthur Chin (Foreign Policy Design), along with Alwyn Chong (Luxasia). This new venture combines their diverse experience and depth of expertise, creating a unique platform for cross-disciplinary projects spanning retail, F&B, art, design and culture.

Leading the culinary direction at Gallery & Co. will be Lik Peng, while Yah-Leng and Arthur oversee the branding, space and product design. Alwyn heads & Co’s retail strategy, forming a dream team with Yah-Leng to direct & Co’s merchandising vision, curate brands and identify exciting collaborations exclusive to Gallery & Co.

“This collaboration creates a seamless experience for visitors as they extend their art journey into Gallery & Co to shop, read and dine,” said Chong Siak Ching, CEO of the National Gallery Singapore.

“We are delighted that & Co responded to our brief with a pitch that reflects our unique visitor experience philosophy. We welcome visitors to explore Gallery & Co when it opens, and be among the first to immerse in an experience that is unique to National Gallery Singapore.”

With Chef Sufian Zain of Restaurant Ember as consultant chef, the cafeteria’s menu will feature the distinctive flavours of Southeast Asia, reinterpreted with his signature pared down style. The café offers cakes, coffee and sweets from choice local purveyors and artisans, a perfect respite between exhibition hopping and a gathering place for friends.

“At Gallery & Co, we want to dispel the elitist stigma associated with art,” said Arthur Chin.

“Being the first-ever museum shop in the world to house a bookstore, F&B establishments and retail in one continuous space, we hope to create a dynamic visitor experience that not only bookends a visit to the National Gallery Singapore, but is also a destination in its own right. By curating and purveying products that provoke curiosity and inspire, we hope to make art accessible to everyone.”