Gillman Barracks is a contemporary arts cluster in Singapore along Lock road and Malan Road, that houses sixteen galleries in conserved colonial barracks. Located on a 6.4-hectare site, the development yields approximately 4,200 square metres for art galleries with the remaining 4,800 square metres of space dedicated to arts-related activities such as artist studios, art research centres, the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) as well as three food and beverage outlets.
Overview
Located on a 6.4-hectare site, Gillman Barracks boasts natural high ceilings, making it suitable for art gallery use. JTC Corporation, its master tenant and infrastructure developer, has carried out extensive refurbishment works and the space within the barracks has been divided into various sizes to suit the different gallery owners’ needs. The development yields approximately 4,200 square metres for art galleries with the remaining 4,800 square metres of space dedicated to arts-related activities such as artist studios, art research centres, as well as three food and beverage outlets.
The conserved colonial barracks currently house 16 galleries from 10 different countries, which feature exhibitions from established contemporary artists from the Southeast-Asian region such as Isabel Aquilizan, Heman Chong, Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara and Sebastiao Salgado, among others.
History
Named after General Sir Webb Gillman, a well-known officer of the British army, Gillman Barracks sits on a site that was formerly a jungle and a swamp. Comprising barrack buildings, married quarters, messes, regimental institutes and sports facilities, it was specially built to accommodate the 1st Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment, which was sent to double the British army's infantry strength in Singapore. It was the site of a fierce battle between the regiment and the Japanese soldiers during the last three days before Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942 during the Second World War.
In August 1971, Gillman Barracks was handed over to the Singapore Government as part of the British military's withdrawal from Singapore. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), in particular the School of Combat Engineers and the SAF 3rd Transport Battalion, moved into the camp and held a passing-out parade there two months later. After the SAF vacated the camp in the 1990s, the buildings were used for commercial purposes, with the change of name to Gillman Village in 1996. The site took back its original name – Gillman Barracks – in 2010.
Gillman Barracks is jointly developed by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), JTC Corporation (JTC) and the National Arts Council (Singapore) (NAC).
The Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA)
The Centre for Contemporary Art is a research centre of Nanyang Technological University, developed with support from the Economic Development Board, Singapore. Located in Gillman Barracks alongside a cluster of international galleries, the CCA takes a holistic approach towards art and culture, intertwining its various platforms: exhibitions, residencies and research. The CCA positions itself as a centre for critical discourse and experimental practices for Singapore, the region and beyond. It aims to play an active role within the local art scene, as well as being a part of the development of regional and international art infrastructures.The CCA comprises several spaces at Gillman Barracks, each dedicated to a specific area of activity: an Exhibition Space (Block 43); Office and Research Centre (Block 6); and Artists Studios (Block 37 and 38).
International Artist Residency Programme (IARP)
The IARP will be Singapore’s first internally-tiered offering that will facilitate the production and creation of works by both established and emerging artists from Asia and beyond to establish Singapore as a centre for contemporary art creation in the region.