Middle Road Church - Singapore
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 01° 17.984 E 103° 51.148
48N E 372332 N 143688
Built between 1870–75, the Middle Road Church was first known as The Christian Institute before becoming a Methodist Church. Through other uses over the years, this building is now an art museum offering rotating special displays.
Waymark Code: WMKKB1
Location: Singapore
Date Posted: 04/25/2014
Views: 2
The Methodist Church in Singapore
MIDDLE ROAD CHURCH
Built between 1870 – 75, the Middle Road Church
was first known as The Christian Institute. Here,
young men gathered for recreational activities and daily worship
made possible by Charles Phillips, its trustee. He invited the
Methodists to use it from 1885 until it was formally transferred
to them in 1892. It housed the Methodist Girl’s School until
1900 and was shared with a group of Straits Chinese formed
by Methodist missionaries in 1890.
When it was officially inaugurated as the Malay
Church in 1894, it became the first Straits Chinese
Methodist Church in Singapore. It remained here until 1929
when it moved to Kampong Kapor and is now known
as the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
National Heritage Board
Unveiled on 22 January 2000 by
Bishop Wong Kiam Thau
Methodist Church in Singapore
From
A Blog of Sorts
During the period of World War II, it was understood that the building was converted to a Chinese restaurant called May Blossom Restaurant. After the war, it became a motor-workshop and parking area. I remembered this well because during my school days at SJI in the 70s, I had to commute via bus service 150 which ply the route that passed by this building. The sound from hammering tools, power-drills, mechanics at work with black greasy hands, and various vehicle parts strewn around the premises was a sight I have not forgotten.
Today, this small building had been given a new lease of life to showcase the arts. Officially opened in 1999, its aim is not just to become an arts hub showcasing the works of local and international artists. But striving to be a regional arts hub for contemporary 3-dimensional artworks.
“To me, art is an expression of life and every time that I include an expression of life in paintings, I produce art. Art is a concern of an immense discipline through which I enjoy my freedom. Through my paintings I try to eliminate my loneliness. Emotion and mysticism are included in the painting giving them power and complete authentic value.”
-Nikos Kypraios
Nikos Kypraios was born in 1944 on the Aegean island of Samos, Greece. He left the island for Athens in 1960, where he studied and worked in the field of graphic arts. It was during this time that he became inspired by the Aegean landscape and Byzantine art.
In 1972, during the period of the military junta in Greece, Nikos and his family migrated to Melbourne, Australia where he focused on his artistic development. Although the choice to migrate was a forced one, the artist was most fortunate as his work blossomed in the inviting environment in Australia where he was rewarded with over 20 personal exhibitions at such prestigious galleries as Holdsworth Gallery (Sydney), Pinacotheca (Melbourne), Cooks Hill Gallery (Newcastle), Barry Siera Gallery (Sydney) and Australian Art Resources (Melbourne).
Since then, Nikos’ works have been exhibited globally including in New York, Nicosia, Athens and Vienna. His works are in public, corporate and private collections around the world including the Marc Chagall Museum (Belarus), Valartus Bank (Austria) AG and Leepa Rattner Museum (Florida, USA).
The artist now divides his time between his studios in Greece as well as travelling extensively around the world both for exhibitions and inspiration.