IMBA presents Botero in Singapore at Gardens by the Bay

IMBA will present Botero in Singapore at Gardens by the Bay, a landmark, first-of-its-kind showcase celebrating the legacy of one of the world’s most beloved artists, Maestro Fernando Botero.

Botero First Lady on a Horse First Lady on a Horse. Image courtesy of The Botero Foundation

Jointly presented with the Fernando Botero Foundation as part of IMBA’s launch, the exhibition brings together over 130 original works by Maestro Botero across three distinct formats – the world’s first Botero immersive experience, a major gallery exhibition featuring paintings, drawings and indoor sculptures, and monumental outdoor sculptures displayed at IMBA Theatre and at the Silver Leaf Gardens of Gardens by the Bay. First to and only stop in Southeast Asia, this marks the largest and most ambitious Botero presentation ever staged in the world. Botero in Singapore is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, Panasonic Projector & Displays, Eurokars, and Shangri-La Singapore.

Purpose-built for immersive experiences and gallery exhibitions, IMBA Theatre presents culture through multiple formats that invite exploration and discovery designed to engage diverse audiences, and encourage curiosity across generations. Set within Gardens by the Bay, the new venue offers a platform for world-class presentations that are open, relevant and grounded in human experience.

Botero in Singapore marks a defining moment for IMBA Theatre’s opening programme, setting the tone for the institution’s future direction. The exhibition offers a multifaceted perspective on Maestro Botero’s artistic language and enduring influence, while situating his work within a global and contemporary context. Its debut in Singapore reflects both the scale of IMBA’s ambition and the city’s role as a gateway for major cultural presentations in Southeast Asia.

Botero Self-Portrait Self Portrait. Image courtesy of The Botero Foundation

Life in Fullness: The World’s First Immersive Botero Experience

At the heart of the presentation is Life in Fullness, the world’s first immersive experience dedicated to Maestro Fernando Botero, created in close collaboration with the Fernando Botero Foundation. Narrated by Fernando Botero Zea, Maestro Botero’s eldest son, the 45-minute audiovisual journey offers an intimate portrait of the artist – not only as a globally celebrated artist, but as a father, a rebel and a man deeply shaped by love, loss and life. Blending animation, archival material and spatial storytelling, the experience brings Botero’s iconic forms to life, revealing the personal stories and emotional depth behind his monumental art. More than an animated biography, Life in Fullness unfolds as a living canvas of memories, a deeply personal letter and tribute from a son to his father. Visitors trace Botero’s journey from his Colombian roots to international acclaim, discovering the humour, struggles and humanity behind the masterpieces.

Botero Carnival X Carnival X. Image courtesy of The Botero Foundation

Heart of Volume: A Comprehensive Gallery Exhibition of Works from Botero’s Family Collection

Complementing the immersive experience is Heart of Volume, a major gallery exhibition featuring 118 paintings, drawings and indoor sculptures that span his 70-year career. From intimate studies and watercolours to fully realised compositions, the exhibition traces the evolution of his distinctive “Boterismo” style – marked by precise draughtsmanship, theatrical composition and a rich, expressive use of colour. The works reveal Botero’s lifelong dialogue with Classical and Renaissance traditions, alongside formative encounters with modern masters such as Picasso, offering insight into the discipline behind his mastery of form, colour and gesture – the very qualities that made his paintings among the most recognisable and sought-after in modern art. Heart of Volume marks the Singapore premiere of a diverse range of works that were shown in Rome, Baku, and Guangzhou, drawn directly from the collection of the Botero family, to offer audiences a rare and comprehensive encounter with his rich legacy.

Botero Seated Woman Seated Woman. Image courtesy of The Botero Foundation

Garden Grandeur: Monumental Botero Sculptures Take Root at Gardens by the Bay

Extending beyond the gallery walls, Garden Grandeur presents 10 monumental bronze sculptures – four at IMBA Theatre and six across Gardens by the Bay – transforming the outdoor landscape into a stage for public art. Long a champion of art in public spaces, Maestro Botero believed that art should be experienced as part of everyday life. Set within the lush greenery of the Silver Leaf Garden, these larger-than-life sculptures and their generous volumes augment gesture and expression, blending humour and gravitas to create shared moments of reflection and delight in a grandiose manner. Visitors are invited to interact, photograph and take moments of pause. Scaling Botero’s signature volumes to civic proportions, the sculptures transform the Gardens into a living cultural commons where art, nature and the city become one.

A Taste of Botero’s Legacy

Botero-inspired menu by Shangri-La Singapore

Extending beyond IMBA Theatre and Gardens by the Bay, five masterpieces by Maestro Botero will be on display at Shangri-La Singapore from 8 January to 1 March 2026. Guests are invited to indulge in a Botero-Inspired Afternoon Tea at The Rose Veranda, where Shangri-La Singapore’s culinary artisans have transformed Maestro Botero’s bold, exuberant spirit into an unforgettable dining experience of sweet and savoury delights. For more details, please refer to Shangri-La Singapore’s website.

Botero in Singapore forms the centrepiece of IMBA’s official launch in Q1 2026, alongside the Southeast Asia premiere of David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not Smaller and Further Away), an immersive experience presented in partnership with Lightroom UK.

For more information, please visit here.

It’s the weekend and are you looking for things / activities to do? Check out our weekly roundup of Things to do this weekend in Singapore.