Kevin Lim - Deputy Director, Co:Lab X - An Innovation Lab of National Gallery Singapore

National Gallery Singapore is an exciting platform showcasing Southeast Asian visual arts to a global audience. The Gallery spans around 64,000sqm, occupies the neoclassical buildings of former Supreme Court and City Hall, and aims to be a world-class art institution featuring both permanent collections and changing exhibitions that places Singapore on the world stage of visual arts.

For a half a billion dollar start-up (the cost of conserving and refurbishing the buildings), the Singapore government sees National Gallery Singapore as a major step forward in helping to establish the visual art ecosystem necessary to support the cultural needs of our citizens, regional neighbors and beyond. To do so, a creative tension exists where the twin goals of the Gallery seeks a) to promote artistic excellence among cultural peers, yet to do so b) in an accessible and engaging way for the general public.

To help enable this, Kevin covers several areas at the Gallery, including:

1. User Experience: Audience segmentation, visitor journeys and feedback systems to assess how Gallery could better serve our community

2. Visitor Analytics: Leveraging tools like Wifi, iBeacons, Computer Vision, and Data Visualization to study our visitors’ traits and preferences

3. Interactive Development: Developing interactive touchpoints (eg Gallery Explorer App) which enable visitors to take DIY tours and navigate to key artworks

Kevin Lim graduated with a doctorate from the State University at Buffalo, New York and his work has revolved on the architecture of modern society