Special Exhibitions
Bedazzled: Sequined Costumes of Cantonese Opera
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore
Wednesday 6 February 08 Thursday 1 May 08
10am 8pm, daily
The Balcony, Level 2
Free admission
Dont miss this rare display of highlights from an exquisite collection of costumes once owned by the late veteran couple, Liew Seng Wah and Pak Choy Yoke. The two artists were eminent in Singapore during the post-war years of the 1940s and 1950s, when Cantonese opera performances and films enjoyed a boom.
In the early 20th century, opera artists travelled to perform in Singapore and other key cities in the region and took with them new ideas and creative trends. This included the introduction of densely sequined costumes and accessories made of sparkling man-made stones. These became a must-have in the 1950s for leading female and male performers of Cantonese opera in Singapore. Bedazzled presents a glimpse of this period of visual opulence, and offers an insight into the social history of Singapore through the lives of the opera artists.
Stylish Thirties: Interpreting Womens Fashion in 1930s Singapore
Organised by the National Museum of Singapore and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
March April 2008
10am 8pm, daily
The Concourse, Level 1
Free admission
An exhibition featuring around fifteen stunning evening gowns will be on display in celebration of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) 70th anniversary since its inception in 1938. These gowns are designed by the talented students from the Department of Fashion Studies who drew inspiration from the local fashion scene in the 1930s. Complementing the showcase of gowns will be a display of photographs, advertisements and magazines that provide glimpses of womens clothing in 1930s Singapore.
At that time, fashion trends came from Hollywood movies, cabaret performances, song and dance (gewutai) performances in amusement parks, as well as newspapers and magazines. These avenues sparked ideas and provided females in Singapore with the opportunity to show their individual style.
Exploring local fashion styles in the 1930s with examples such as the cheongsam and samfoo, and also examining the extent of influence the Western silhouette and fashion had on local fashion, this exhibition will demonstrate the creativity and talent of young NAFA designers as they give their own modern interpretation of 1930s fashion.
Public Art Installation
Surrounding David
by Titarubi (Indonesia)
Presented by National Museum of Singapore
Thursday 6 March Saturday 8 June
10am 8pm, daily
Rotunda, Level 1
Free admission
This will be a breath-taking installation inspired by the Rotunda, an architectural form that has come a long way from Greek Pantheon to Southeast Asian towns, from the past to modern day architecture.
The work investigates various dialectical relations between the imaginary perfect circular space and the sculptural object, through the figure of David. The replica of David, made in resin, 8.5 meter height, will be placed at the centre of the space, mimicking the typical European piazza and its anchor-statue. Then another layer of force, in the form of textile ornaments usually used for kebaya, will cover the whole surface of the statue, thus figuratively obliterating the centrality of the figure/image.
The artist hopes to delight visitors at the rotunda.
Eko Nugroho
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore
17 April 30 June
10am 8pm, daily
Glass Atrium, Level 2
Free admission
Based on Nugrohos large-scale embroidery artwork made in 2007, It's all about Coalition, the installation showcases the tale of two characters meeting with one another. Part man-part robot, the characters are displayed in the form of life-sized bronze sculptures. The tale of the two characters will be continued in a comic style mural surrounding the Canning Visitors Services Counter located in the Glass Atrium.
Lectures & Workshops
Curatorial Lectures
Introduction to Singapore History
Organised by National Museum of Singapore
Every Saturday 5 April 10 May
2.30pm 4pm
Seminar Rooms 1 & 2, Level 2
Admission: $15 per person for individual session
$70 per person for all 6 sessions
360°, 14th century, 1819, 1888, 14 Feb, 090865, 150 000. Can Singapore's history be reduced to numbers in dusty history books? Numbers mean nothing without history. History without people lacks meaning. Historical facts and figures only become meaningful when seen through the eyes of individuals creating their history.
Come listen to the National Museum's history curators as they present their own personal perspective on the history of Singapore from 14th Century to the present. A quick, accessible, introduction to how Singapore came to be for all visitors.
For more information on the lectures, visit the Museum's website.
Life & Living Food & Culture Series
April 2008 June 2008
Organised by National Museum of Singapore
Life & Living is the National Museum of Singapore's annual line-up of lifestyle programmes and workshops aimed at creating refreshing new ways for you to discover and engage with aspects of history with your friends and family in a relaxed, informal manner. We believe that history is very much part of life and living. Thus, our Food & Culture series places the appreciation of food and drink in interesting cultural and historical contexts, while showing you how they are indelibly linked to the present and to your lifestyle. You will be surprised by what you might discover next at the National Museum.
The Food & Culture series introduces the many pleasures of food and drink in an unpretentious and accessible manner. This series has been designed to educate, entertain and excite you through fun, interactive programmes. Fancy spending an evening tasting your way through a series of Viennese (and Hungarian) pastries and learn about the countrys past?
Want to learn about ancient Chinese secrets while going through some of the truths and myths in Chinese herbal medicines? Or drink with us as we create unique new cocktails inspired by local ingredients and icons. The Food & Culture series will satisfy your intellectual and physical cravings.
For more information on the lectures, visit the Museum's website.
Childrens Workshop
Museum Toddlers
You're never too young for culture
6 & 20 April
10am 11am & 11.30am 12.30pm
The Lab, Level 3
$25 per workshop (1 toddler and 1 adult)
(Fee includes entry to Singapore History Gallery & Singapore Living Galleries)
Workshop is strictly limited to 15 pairs of toddler & adult participants
First in Singapore, the National Museum of Singapores Museum Toddlers programme provides a play-based learning experience for children aged 18 to 36 months. Co-developed with early childhood educators of Toybox Edu-tainment, Museum Toddlers will promote learning through stimulating children's natural curiosity, creativity and imagination with surprises and adventure along the way.
Using the Museums National Treasures and other key artefacts, the programme lets toddlers lead the way in the process of learning, reminding the parent or caregiver how to play, while the adults provide security, encouragement and support for the toddlers to participate in the programme freely.
Join us for a unique experience with your toddler at the National Museum!
About Toybox Edu-tainment
Toybox Edu-tainment is run by Reuben Topaz and Mark de Silva. They have a combined experience of over 15 years working with children from as young as 6 months to 6 years, running playgroups, music classes and even baby classes. They are also experienced stage performers for childrens shows, having written their own songs and scripts. Toybox Edu-tainment we are not just entertainers, we are educators too.
National Museum Cinémathèque
55 Years of Vietnam Film
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore International Film Festival
Part of the National Heritage Boards Vietnam Festival and the 21st Singapore International Film Festival
Friday 4 April Monday 14 April
S$8.40 from SISTIC (excluding ticket charges)
Held in conjunction with the 21st Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), 55 Years of Vietnam Film highlights the new and the old. Since Vietnams first fiction feature film was made in 1959, the country's cinema has been having its own quiet revolution. The industry began to privatise in the Doi Moi (Renewal) period of 1986 when film artistes were encouraged to be open to creativity and critical in their commentary. Today, there is a burgeoning independent short-film making industry in Vietnam and many co-productions with overseas Vietnamese directors.
For 55 Years of Vietnam Film, classic wartime films have been specially subtitled. New films will also premiere while documentaries, shorts and diasporic Vietnam films will be represented. The event will also launch the first Vietnam film book to be published in English, Ngo Phuong Lan's Modernity and Nationality in Vietnamese Cinema.
For information on the films and schedule, please visit the Museum's website.
For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.sg or call 6332 3659.
Bedazzled: Sequined Costumes of Cantonese Opera
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore
Wednesday 6 February 08 Thursday 1 May 08
10am 8pm, daily
The Balcony, Level 2
Free admission
Dont miss this rare display of highlights from an exquisite collection of costumes once owned by the late veteran couple, Liew Seng Wah and Pak Choy Yoke. The two artists were eminent in Singapore during the post-war years of the 1940s and 1950s, when Cantonese opera performances and films enjoyed a boom.
In the early 20th century, opera artists travelled to perform in Singapore and other key cities in the region and took with them new ideas and creative trends. This included the introduction of densely sequined costumes and accessories made of sparkling man-made stones. These became a must-have in the 1950s for leading female and male performers of Cantonese opera in Singapore. Bedazzled presents a glimpse of this period of visual opulence, and offers an insight into the social history of Singapore through the lives of the opera artists.
Stylish Thirties: Interpreting Womens Fashion in 1930s Singapore
Organised by the National Museum of Singapore and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
March April 2008
10am 8pm, daily
The Concourse, Level 1
Free admission
An exhibition featuring around fifteen stunning evening gowns will be on display in celebration of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) 70th anniversary since its inception in 1938. These gowns are designed by the talented students from the Department of Fashion Studies who drew inspiration from the local fashion scene in the 1930s. Complementing the showcase of gowns will be a display of photographs, advertisements and magazines that provide glimpses of womens clothing in 1930s Singapore.
At that time, fashion trends came from Hollywood movies, cabaret performances, song and dance (gewutai) performances in amusement parks, as well as newspapers and magazines. These avenues sparked ideas and provided females in Singapore with the opportunity to show their individual style.
Exploring local fashion styles in the 1930s with examples such as the cheongsam and samfoo, and also examining the extent of influence the Western silhouette and fashion had on local fashion, this exhibition will demonstrate the creativity and talent of young NAFA designers as they give their own modern interpretation of 1930s fashion.
Public Art Installation
Surrounding David
by Titarubi (Indonesia)
Presented by National Museum of Singapore
Thursday 6 March Saturday 8 June
10am 8pm, daily
Rotunda, Level 1
Free admission
This will be a breath-taking installation inspired by the Rotunda, an architectural form that has come a long way from Greek Pantheon to Southeast Asian towns, from the past to modern day architecture.
The work investigates various dialectical relations between the imaginary perfect circular space and the sculptural object, through the figure of David. The replica of David, made in resin, 8.5 meter height, will be placed at the centre of the space, mimicking the typical European piazza and its anchor-statue. Then another layer of force, in the form of textile ornaments usually used for kebaya, will cover the whole surface of the statue, thus figuratively obliterating the centrality of the figure/image.
The artist hopes to delight visitors at the rotunda.
Eko Nugroho
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore
17 April 30 June
10am 8pm, daily
Glass Atrium, Level 2
Free admission
Based on Nugrohos large-scale embroidery artwork made in 2007, It's all about Coalition, the installation showcases the tale of two characters meeting with one another. Part man-part robot, the characters are displayed in the form of life-sized bronze sculptures. The tale of the two characters will be continued in a comic style mural surrounding the Canning Visitors Services Counter located in the Glass Atrium.
Lectures & Workshops
Curatorial Lectures
Introduction to Singapore History
Organised by National Museum of Singapore
Every Saturday 5 April 10 May
2.30pm 4pm
Seminar Rooms 1 & 2, Level 2
Admission: $15 per person for individual session
$70 per person for all 6 sessions
360°, 14th century, 1819, 1888, 14 Feb, 090865, 150 000. Can Singapore's history be reduced to numbers in dusty history books? Numbers mean nothing without history. History without people lacks meaning. Historical facts and figures only become meaningful when seen through the eyes of individuals creating their history.
Come listen to the National Museum's history curators as they present their own personal perspective on the history of Singapore from 14th Century to the present. A quick, accessible, introduction to how Singapore came to be for all visitors.
For more information on the lectures, visit the Museum's website.
Life & Living Food & Culture Series
April 2008 June 2008
Organised by National Museum of Singapore
Life & Living is the National Museum of Singapore's annual line-up of lifestyle programmes and workshops aimed at creating refreshing new ways for you to discover and engage with aspects of history with your friends and family in a relaxed, informal manner. We believe that history is very much part of life and living. Thus, our Food & Culture series places the appreciation of food and drink in interesting cultural and historical contexts, while showing you how they are indelibly linked to the present and to your lifestyle. You will be surprised by what you might discover next at the National Museum.
The Food & Culture series introduces the many pleasures of food and drink in an unpretentious and accessible manner. This series has been designed to educate, entertain and excite you through fun, interactive programmes. Fancy spending an evening tasting your way through a series of Viennese (and Hungarian) pastries and learn about the countrys past?
Want to learn about ancient Chinese secrets while going through some of the truths and myths in Chinese herbal medicines? Or drink with us as we create unique new cocktails inspired by local ingredients and icons. The Food & Culture series will satisfy your intellectual and physical cravings.
For more information on the lectures, visit the Museum's website.
Childrens Workshop
Museum Toddlers
You're never too young for culture
6 & 20 April
10am 11am & 11.30am 12.30pm
The Lab, Level 3
$25 per workshop (1 toddler and 1 adult)
(Fee includes entry to Singapore History Gallery & Singapore Living Galleries)
Workshop is strictly limited to 15 pairs of toddler & adult participants
First in Singapore, the National Museum of Singapores Museum Toddlers programme provides a play-based learning experience for children aged 18 to 36 months. Co-developed with early childhood educators of Toybox Edu-tainment, Museum Toddlers will promote learning through stimulating children's natural curiosity, creativity and imagination with surprises and adventure along the way.
Using the Museums National Treasures and other key artefacts, the programme lets toddlers lead the way in the process of learning, reminding the parent or caregiver how to play, while the adults provide security, encouragement and support for the toddlers to participate in the programme freely.
Join us for a unique experience with your toddler at the National Museum!
About Toybox Edu-tainment
Toybox Edu-tainment is run by Reuben Topaz and Mark de Silva. They have a combined experience of over 15 years working with children from as young as 6 months to 6 years, running playgroups, music classes and even baby classes. They are also experienced stage performers for childrens shows, having written their own songs and scripts. Toybox Edu-tainment we are not just entertainers, we are educators too.
National Museum Cinémathèque
55 Years of Vietnam Film
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore International Film Festival
Part of the National Heritage Boards Vietnam Festival and the 21st Singapore International Film Festival
Friday 4 April Monday 14 April
S$8.40 from SISTIC (excluding ticket charges)
Held in conjunction with the 21st Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), 55 Years of Vietnam Film highlights the new and the old. Since Vietnams first fiction feature film was made in 1959, the country's cinema has been having its own quiet revolution. The industry began to privatise in the Doi Moi (Renewal) period of 1986 when film artistes were encouraged to be open to creativity and critical in their commentary. Today, there is a burgeoning independent short-film making industry in Vietnam and many co-productions with overseas Vietnamese directors.
For 55 Years of Vietnam Film, classic wartime films have been specially subtitled. New films will also premiere while documentaries, shorts and diasporic Vietnam films will be represented. The event will also launch the first Vietnam film book to be published in English, Ngo Phuong Lan's Modernity and Nationality in Vietnamese Cinema.
For information on the films and schedule, please visit the Museum's website.
For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.sg or call 6332 3659.
