The focus of my day today will be the National Museum of Singapore, this recently re-opened museum is worth seeing if only for the building itself.
In today's globalised world, cultural traditions and history take on a new urgency, not as fixed, unchanging constants from the past but rather, as vibrant sources of ideas for the creation of new forms and practices in the contemporary world. Many of these traditions fall within the realm of intangible heritage, which are embodied in the performer's body and in orally transmitted practices, rather than texts and objects. With this dynamic stance on cultural heritage and renewal as our curatorial theme, we welcome you to the National Museum of Singapore's Opening Festival 2006.
Complementing the new permanent galleries on Singapore history and culture, the artistic works in the festival explore the varying perspectives and stances that contemporary artists have adopted towards complex issues of cultural traditions and their relevance. They demonstrate how each generation of artists create cultures anew by deconstructing or reconstructing - often at times in startling ways - practices and forms we sometimes take for granted.
As promised this museum certainly does deepen your discovery of cultural traditions in our cotemporary culture.
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I only asked for directions to the Maria Theresia exhibition and was given the gift of complimentary entry. The main exhibition for the opening takes us to the Austria of Maria Theresia, known as the Mother Empress of Habsburg Austria.
Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina, was like that other great Empress, Catherine of Russia, a woman of extraordinary talent. In 1740 she became the only woman ever to rule the Habsburg dynasty which stretched from Austria to take in much of the present Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Serbia & Montenegro, Romania, northern Italy and Belgium.
This was an age of change and with the growing economic influence of the New World and Asia the foundations of absolute monarchy were being shaken.
The period of the enlightenment brought the thinkers and philosophers of the day to push humanism to new levels and saw the creation of the notion of an egalitarian social order and ethics based governance.
Indeed, here in Singapore the city itself was an enlightenment project as part of Europes' renewed efforts overseas in response to the challenges to the old order created by the fall of the French monarchy. Sir Stamford Raffles was a man of enlightened pragmatism who had himself experienced the Napoleonic War in which men were fighting for that new construct; the nation. He came from a base that thus embraced the egalitarian spirit, a value Europe and its leaders were to grapple with for many years to come.
In the mould of that other great female ruler (Catherine The Great of Russia), Maria Theresia had an instinctive military inclination and she initiated many long-lasting bureaucratic, religious and educational reforms and like Catherine, she was an ardent patron of the arts.
Under her patronage as Duchess of Milan, the Teatro alla Scala (probably the most famous opera house in the world) was opened in 1773.
Prior to her rule provincial landowners had the authority to raise army recruits paid for by local taxation. Maria Theresia recognised that this was a threat to her rule and the Empire's existence as power was concentrated in the hands of lesser nobles whose loyalty could waver. Thus Maria Theresia developed a master plan for a centralised army of some 108,000 men who would have standardised dress and arms, organised regiments and enforced discipline and training camps. Such soldiers would be well paid and enjoy a security of career previously unknown. Officers were to be educated in military matters and orders were to be taken directly from the Empress.
Like our present Queen, Maria Theresia had the instinctive ability to separate her natural inclinations to matriarchal duties and her role in state and like the Queen she exhibited a solid sense of integrity to her regal duties...Catherine The Great on the other hand was naturally ruthless.
In some ways I can draw parallels with modern day South America. This is the sort of centralised planning that has proven itself a best fit with local cultures. When dictators have come to power on this continent they have offered order and security (just as Maria Theresia offered to her military) as opposed to the chaos that traditionally prevails across a continent desperately in need of greater educational provision and security of opportunity.
We could learn from Maria Theresia the importance of commonality from the way she brought nationalism to her far-flung peoples by bringing them together under one banner as Austrian in so doing creating a sense of pride in nationhood. She separated the departments of justice and the police, a lesson that many South American countries need to learn, in order that one could not be corrupted by the other and she avoided the "French problem" by freeing the peasantry from bondage.
By standardising the legal system and freeing education from the overarching power of the Jesuits lessons could now be conducted in a common language of German and mathematics could be introduced to the curriculum. Medieval and modern history, military and civil instruction and foreign languages gained prominence and a well rounded individual was sought with fencing, dancing and riding introduced.
The key however to her educational success was in the extension of education to the poor with recognition of the advantages of an educated populace...the developing world should take note!
That is not to say that it was always easy for Maria Theresia. She was the accidental Empress for her ascending the throne was simply the result of her father Emperor Karl VI having no male heirs. Yet she convinced hostile provinces by conspicious projects to reflect the wisdom of her ideas. She was a paternalistic ruler long before companies like Polaroid or Nissan recognised the importance of such governance.
From the Regalia and Medal of the Order of the Golden Fleece, the relic of Saint Francis Xavier to the writing desk of her daughter Marie Antoinette this was a remarkable exhibition.
The strong rules of social etiquette enforced allowed for an orderly and gentrified society.
My own educational journey this year has reconfirmed for me the importance of a well rounded education in creating an orderly and peaceful society...compare former colonies such as those in South America with Singapore, Australia or New Zealand to prove my point.
Appropriately I had lunch at Wiener Kaffeehaus, the Viennese coffee house and roastery in the museum.
Other highlights I enjoyed were The Building Remembers/Remembering The Building by Matthew Ngui. This is a video art wall that integrates seamlessly with the existing architectural structure. The aim being to create a concourse wall that becomes a canvas for artistic expression: teasing and expounding the merits of the imagnation.
The museum building is beautiful. Designed by H.E.McCallum and Major J.F.McNair and built between 1886-87 it housed the original Singapore Museum and Library, The Raffle's, and was re-named the National Museum in 1960.
Continuing the architectural theme,Seeds by Han Sai Por 2006 is a unique sculpture both to this museum and the world because it is the first time a museum has commissioned sculptures using material excavated on site.
The Singapore artist used base rock excavated from Fort Canning Hill displaced as a result of the redevelopment of the museum and used this to explore possibilities and growth through nature's form. Much like the museum's development that delved into Fort Canning Hill to give birth to its new extension; Seeds is site specific and captures the essence of the growth, possibilities and creativity of the museum in its transformation.
Another Han Sai Por piece that I loved was 20 Tonnes, an installation of six parts carved and hewn out of a single quarried granite rock. You are welcome to explore the texture, the rugged rawness of the material up close or simply to stand back and marvel at the monumental scale of this work.
For the last seven years I have had the privilege of teaching the beautiful people of the Far East, predominantly in my Business Education classes. My experiences in South America almost halted my travel and I can think of nowhere better than Singapore to restore my confidence.
In many ways Singapore is a metaphor for this project. It is a unique multicultural community wonderfully ignorant of race, colour or creed. Singapore is a genuine melting pot and an example to the world of the potential of human endeavour when a population is educated and cultured.
Education after all is something you will still have when you've forgotten everything you have learned.
Speaking of culture this museum is a genuine wonder. It is a testament to the hardworking people of this country that it is filled with people of all ages furthering their own educations.
Appropriately Singapore was the David Chan piece Singa Merlionus 2006 based on the myth that during the 14th century Sang Nila Utama, a Prince of Palembang sighted a mighty lion in the jungle and it is said that he renamed the island Singapura after the lion. The culmination of this myth was the famous Lim Nang Seng Merlion sculpture of 1971. The myth even has the Merlion coming to rest on Sentosa now and then, hence the Merlion attraction in the Sentosa fun park.
Contours Of A Rich Manoeuvre 2006 by Suzann Victor is a swinging installation of eight chandeliers above the link bridge that brings a touch of Disney to the museum. Sited at 3 metres above the floor of the bridge and 1.5 metres apart the chandeliers swing across the bridge either in sequence or in a staggered pattern. Maximum brightness being achieved on the inward arch.
From the museum I head for a well deserved afternoon tea in The Courtyard at The Fullerton Hotel.
A particularly English institution dating from the early Victorian period, apart from the tea all traditional dishes are native to the British Isles...scones, clotted cream, jam, cucumber, sandwiches and tea cakes. For the connoisseur only plain tea (perhaps with a slice of lemon) but no milk or sugar is acceptable.
This wonderful building is the former General Post Office for the city and what a post office it must have been; and what a luxury hotel it is today!
What could be more perfect than afternoon tea accompanied by live classical music from the balcony above?
I even manage to make it to the Long Bar at Raffles for my first ever Singapore Sling, authentic right down to the peanuts on the floor. A shame though that the wicker fans now move to electric rather than human power but good to see that just as they are created Ballentine's and J & B sit side by side on the shelves of the bar as they once did at home in Dumbarton.
The Singapore Sling was created by the turn-of-the-century Hainanese-Chinese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Originally meant to be a woman's drink it has an attractive pink colour and consists of 30ml of Gin, 15ml of Cherry Brandy, 120ml of pineapple juice, 15ml of lime juice, 7.5 ml of Cointreau, 7.5ml of Dom Benedictine, 10ml of Grenadine, a dash of Angostura Bitters and granished with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.
Tonight I visit the world's first Night Safari where we are reminded clearly that 6% of the Earths land area is covered by rainforest that contains some 90% of the worlds plants and animals. Why then are we so destructive with this very scarce resource?
Maybe it is because we preserve what we love, love what we understand and understand what we have been taught. Education, particularly in South America is vital if we are to preserve. After a lovely curry it is time to head back to the hotel.
