Synopsis:

Marking Singapore's 60th year of independence, The Private Museum closes its year with a landmark exhibition bringing together 60 Singaporean and Singapore-based artists in a profound reflection on the Singapore spirit. The title draws from the closing words of the National Pledge, written in 1966 to unite a young and diverse nation. In this exhibition, "happiness, prosperity, and progress" are not fixed destinations but open questions. What do these words mean in 2025, and how do they resonate in our daily lives?

Shaped by a myriad of curatorial perspectives by six curators, the exhibition unfolds as a set of artistic conversations. Some works reflect on belonging, care, and vulnerability; others explore histories, stories, and names that shape how we understand ourselves. Everyday culture, sightseeing, humour, and local codes appear alongside more universal expressions of identity and memory. Themes of loss and reconnection surface too, asking what it takes to feel present again. Elsewhere, ideas of home, virtue, and lived experience open space for multiple ways of being Singaporean.

Together, these works do not define the Singapore Spirit but trace its many expressions. They suggest that happiness, prosperity, and progress are not endpoints, but ongoing practices revisited across generations, renewed through art, and shared by all who call Singapore home.

'Towards Happiness, Prosperity & Progress: Reflections on the Singapore Spirit' is the final instalment of The Private Museum's 2025 programming—offering a fitting closure to a year of artistic and cultural exploration.