And just like that, we have come to the last lap of the April 2021 semester. Even as we are going into overdrive to complete our assignments and prepare for examinations, we have prepared a list of five interesting exhibitions at the museum that you can check out once the semester is over.
Once upon a time on the Orient Express
Location: West Lawn, Gardens by the Bay
Admission fee: Regular price at $25; Enjoy student price at $15
Duration: Until 12th September 2021
“The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.”
Here’s one for the fans of Agatha Christie novels or the fans of the movie, Murder on the Orient Express. A tale of murder, which uncovers the deep history of every character and their entanglement with the victim. Definitely an exhibition to “die for”, join Hercule Poirot on this journey as you step onto the Orient Express, located just a ten-minute walk away from Promenade MRT station. Indulge yourself in this sensory experience, from the screaming voice of Mrs. Hubbard to the cabin that held Cassetti’s dead body.
Additionally, this is the first Orient Express showcase outside of France. The showcase features the original locomotive engine built 158 years ago and two carriages from the 1920s train itself. It includes a fourgon car ( a wagon that used to carry luggage and one of only three left in the world today) and a Pullman car built in 1920. The interior of the carriages have also been painstakingly restored to its former glory.
The fun does not end after you step off the train. Feast your eyes on over 300 lavish artefacts from the 1900s to the 1920s. The artefacts range from restored furniture, stained glass windows to Louis Vuitton Monogram Trunks. Learn the rich and vibrant history of the train, from its first operation in 1883 till today.
Buy souvenirs to commemorate this memorable experience, from postcards to mini-Orient Express trains; there will be something suitable for you to bring home.
Chill out at the Orient Express Road Cafe after your tour with coffees and fresh pastries. While dining in is impossible due to current Covid-19 measures, fret not as the exhibition will be available until 12th September 2021.
Overall, Once upon a time on the Orient Express brings a unique experience for everyone. Get the chance to explore and experience what back then, only a few could. Step into the past as you explore and learn about the legacy of this train and the changes it witnessed.
(VIDEO: Sivanee) A one minute short video of what some of the things can be during the exhibition.
Story Of The Forest
Location: National Museum of Singapore
Admission fee: Free Admission for Singaporeans and PRs
Duration: Permanent
Story of the Forest is a fully immersive, multimedia experience that transports visitors into a mesmerising, storybook-like forest filled with reimagined versions of local flora and Fauna by the Japanese digital art collective, teamLab. This permanent installation, which debuted in 2016, transformed 69 drawings originally commissioned by William Farquhar of local plants and wildlife into 3D models projected from nearly 60 projectors throughout the installation.
The moment you step foot inside the exhibition, you will be greeted by a 15-metre high, dome-shaped room which has had its ceiling transformed into a vibrant showcase of Singapore’s wide array of flowers as they cascade slowly from the ceiling. Next, you will cross a sky bridge that spans across the entire dome before coming to a 144-metre spiral path that descends to the base of the room.
Walking down the long passageway, you will be entranced by the whimsical depictions of wildlife such as tapirs and deer while they roam through the lush greenery, which slowly transforms itself into a breathtaking, neon-like landscape as you walk down the path. The weather in the forest is also in accordance with the exact weather conditions of Singapore.
In addition, you can download the “Story of The Forest” app on your phone which brings the animals to life through augmented reality, along with providing in-depth information about these various animals.
To conclude the experience, the surrounding walls at the base of the dome are covered with falling petals that immediately sprout into towering trees when approached as well as cause the previously seen animals to appear.
Overall, Story of the Forest is an encapsulating experience that transports its visitors into a world unlike any other and we would highly recommend it if you are looking for a new spot to update your Instagram feed.
Home, Truly: Growing Up With Singapore, 1950s To The Present
Location: National Museum of Singapore
Admission fee: Free Admission for Singaporeans and PRs
Duration: Until 29 August 2021
Have you ever wanted to experience what life was like growing up decades ago, when Singapore was establishing itself as a country and forging its own identity?
At Home, Truly: Growing Up With Singapore, 1950s To The Present, you can relive the sounds, sights and smells of Singapore through more than 80 artifacts, 200 photos and various forms of interactive, multimedia features that display Singapore’s growth throughout the years.
The exhibition is divided into 5 main themes, Laying the Foundations, Moving In, Living Together, Open Doors and Sturdy through Storms.
The first zone, Laying the Foundations explores how the nation was built from the perspective of people on the ground such as construction workers and engineers, as well as how key policies in healthcare, defence, economy, infrastructure and housing were established. The stories are told through various personal, first-hand accounts from Singaporeans who lived through the country’s early years of independence. The zone also features a specially commissioned soundscape, A Day in the Life of Singapore, which plays the unique sounds of everyday life during those times.
The next zone, Moving In, focuses on capturing the day-to-day experiences that make a house a home. These include recreations of hawker centres, school canteens and vintage tuckshops. There is even a jukebox that features iconic Singaporean songs throughout the years.
The third zone, Living Together, looks into some of the ethical challenges that Singaporeans faced when they settled into their new homes and learned to live together in a shared space. These include the Keep Singapore Clean Campaign in 1968 and the Courtesy Campaign in 1979 to name a few, which show how Singaporeans worked with their community leaders during these initiatives and dialogues.
Following that, Open Doors is designed to look like a HDB void deck and gives an inside look into Singapore’s multicultural and immigrant past through video interviews of different groups of people from all walks of life who have called Singapore their home through the years.
The Last Zone, Sturdy through Storms, focuses on the unity between Singaporeans during challenging times such as floods, financial crises, the Sars outbreak and most recently, the current Covid-19 pandemic.
As a whole, Home, Truly, Growing up with Singapore, 1950s to the Present is a must for history buffs and anyone interested in learning more about Singapore’s evolution and the people who have helped build it to its current state.
Picturing the Pandemic: A Visual Record of COVID-19 in Singapore
Location: National Museum of Singapore
Admission fee: Free Admission for Singaporeans and PRs
Duration: Until 29th August 2021
Speaking of 2020, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The Covid-19 pandemic, a crisis that we are still suffering and facing, even till now.
Picturing the Pandemic: A Visual Record of COVID-19 in Singapore is the first exhibition of the new Collecting Contemporary Singapore Initiative pushed by the National Museum of Singapore. The new initiative seeks to document contemporary events and developments in Singapore by collecting related artefacts and stories through engagement with the public.
National Museum of Singapore engaged five photographers- Bob Lee, Brian Teo, Edwin Koo, How Hwee Young and Zakaria Zainal- and two filmmakers – Adar Ng and Dave Lim – to document Singapore in the face of a pandemic.
The entire exhibition portrays seven different stories, all depicting the various struggles and changes in Singapore’s experience with COVID-19 visually. During the pandemic, our learning and working experience, the unsung heroes of Singapore’s society, our daily lives with COVID-19 countermeasure in place, the inequalities that now lie exposed to the public eye, the changes we exhibit as a community in coping and overcoming the difficulties of the pandemic.
Besides the photographs and videos taken by photographers and filmmakers, you can also view the interviews conducted with them, and some subjects of the pictures and films, by the exhibition’s curator. In this series of candid discussion, we learn more than beyond their works featured in the exhibition. They openly discuss their challenges, experiences and responses to the pandemic. They also share their hopes and inspirations for the future.
Besides the seven artists, the National Museum of Singapore also expanded their visual collections through open calls. As part of “Collecting Contemporary Singapore”, the National Museum of Singapore aims to expand their public engagement efforts through open calls. The public could send in images of their hand-made masks or innovative and creative works crafted in response to COVID-19, which best represent their experience and memory of living through the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.
The National Museum of Singapore is now extending their public call for objects and creative responses relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore till 30 June 2021.
Share your thoughts and be a part of history here.
City Hall: If Walls could talk
Location: National Gallery of Singapore
Admission fee: Free Admission for Singaporeans and PRs
Duration: Until 29 August 2021
City Hall. City Hall is an iconic building synonymous with the very history of Singapore. Since its completion in 1929, the building, formerly known as the Municipal Building, and now The National Gallery, has seen its fair share of memorable events throughout its nearly century-long history. Through this multimedia experience, which spans roughly 10 minutes, the museum aims to capture some of the building’s most defining and lesser-known moments, shedding light on how the building has progressed along with Singapore over the years.
City Hall: If Walls could talk is a two-part exhibition held in conjunction with the Singapore Bicentennial commemoration. It features a showcase wall (if walls could talk; literally) and a multimedia experience in the City Hall Chamber.
A showcase wall, situated on the third floor of the city hall chamber, records the rich history of the City Hall. Dated from 1929 as the Municipal Building, bearing witness to the swearing-in of the nation’s first President and unveiling of the national flag and anthem in 1959, to 1966 when the first National Day Parade was held.
Upon reaching the main exhibition, you enter the City hall chamber, where notable events such as the Japanese Surrender in 1945 and the swearing of a full, self-government by Singapore’s first cabinet took place. The multimedia experience, which is displayed through various screens around the walls and a larger, interactive screen in the middle of the room, starts with an introduction by Encik Awang, a character inspired by a real-life caretaker of the building as he goes through some of the key moments that shaped the building’s history.
Some highlights of the experience include the building’s role in the Japanese occupation whereby it was overtaken by the Japanese and used as their main headquarters, with the interactive screen allowing visitors to swipe the screen with their hands to clear the smoke caused by japanese bomber planes. Another significant event was the very first National Day Parade that took place right outside of the building’s grounds which was prominently retold through the screens which encapsulated the room.
All together, City Hall: If walls could talk manages to blend multimedia, interactive elements together to create an unforgettable visual and audio experience that perfectly retells the rich history within the museum’s walls.
(VIDEO: Sivanee) A one minute short video of what some of the things can be during the exhibition.
By Lai Ai Wen and Russell Lee
