The National Gallery Singapore (NGS) is bracing for a significant transition at the highest levels of its administration. According to a report by The Straits Times, two of the institution’s most prominent figures—chief curator Patrick Flores and assistant chief executive Chris Lee—will step down from their respective roles this coming December. These high-profile departures mark a period of considerable administrative evolution for the museum, unfolding concurrently with a broader, overarching leadership restructuring at the top of the organization.
The timeline of these exits intersects directly with the arrival of incoming leadership. Chng Hak-Peng is officially slated to join the National Gallery Singapore as its new chief executive officer on January 1, 2027. He will step into the position to succeed Eugene Tan, who has successfully helmed the prestigious institution as its director and chief executive since 2013, steering the museum through a crucial decade of growth, institutional development, and international engagement. The upcoming departures of Flores and Lee, combined with the transition at the CEO level, signal a transformative chapter for one of Southeast Asia’s most influential cultural and artistic powerhouses.
Patrick Flores, a highly regarded and influential figure in the international art community, has served at the National Gallery Singapore since 2022 and assumed the role of chief curator in 2024. An esteemed art historian, curator, writer, and the director of the Philippine Contemporary Art Network, Flores brought a deep intellectual rigour and a distinct regional perspective to the museum’s curatorial vision during his four-year tenure. Over the course of his time at NGS, he played a pivotal role in shaping ambitious exhibition programs that fostered deeper regional dialogues and cross-cultural examinations.
Among his notable contributions were major exhibitions such as "City of Others: Asian Artists in Paris, 1920s–1940s," staged in 2025, which examined the transnational trajectories of Asian modernists working within the European metropole. Furthermore, Flores curated "Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art" in 2026, which made headlines as the museum’s first adults-only exhibition. This landmark show pushed boundaries by exploring complex queer histories, intimacy, and eroticism embedded within the rich fabric of Southeast Asian art history. Flores’s departure from Singapore, driven by his personal decision to return to his home country of the Philippines, occurs against the backdrop of significant physical transformations within the museum. Most notably, his exit coincides with the ongoing, extensive renovations of NGS’s permanent Southeast Asian Gallery, a major capital project that is currently scheduled for completion in November 2027.
Meanwhile, Chris Lee is preparing to conclude a decade-long tenure with the National Gallery Singapore, having contributed extensively to the institution’s public profile, visitor engagement, and operational framework. Lee initially joined NGS in 2016, serving successfully as its chief marketing officer until 2021, during which time he helped navigate the museum through various public outreach initiatives and audience development strategies. He subsequently transitioned into the role of assistant chief executive, overseeing museum experience and operations, where he was instrumental in shaping how visitors interacted with the institution’s physical and digital spaces.
Lee’s next professional chapter will take him back to Malaysia. On December 16, he is set to assume dual leadership roles as the chief executive officer of Medan Pasar Realty and Muara Arts in Kuala Lumpur. The latter institution represents a significant new addition to the regional arts ecosystem: Muara Arts is a newly established nonprofit gallery dedicated explicitly to the promotion, study, and celebration of Southeast Asian art. Its high-profile launch is scheduled for November 1, opening its doors to the public with an inaugural group exhibition titled "A–Z of Southeast Asian Art: A Critical Dictionary," signaling a major new platform for contemporary and historical discourse in the Malaysian capital.
Addressing the impending departures and the broader administrative transition, incoming CEO Chng Hak-Peng spoke with The Straits Times to reassure the public, stakeholders, and the wider arts community regarding the museum’s operational continuity. Chng emphasized that robust interim leadership arrangements have already been put into place to ensure a seamless handover process. He confirmed that the gallery’s extensive public programs, international partnerships, institutional collaborations, and day-to-day visitor services will continue entirely as planned without disruption.
Looking ahead toward his formal assumption of office at the start of 2027, Chng added that the institution will carefully review future executive and curatorial appointments. This strategic evaluation process is designed to ensure that the museum is supported by the right leadership structures to sustain its mission, academic integrity, and cultural impact over the long term. As the National Gallery Singapore prepares to close out the year with these monumental transitions, the institution remains focused on maintaining its standing as a premier global hub for modern and contemporary art from Southeast Asia and beyond.
