23 Oct 2008 - 01 Feb 2009
@ Special Exhibitions Gallery, ACM Empress Place
Opening Hours:
Mon: 1pm- 7pm
Tue-Sun: 9am-7pm (to 9pm on Friday)
Admission Charges for Neither East Nor West: Asians in Monochrome (23 October 2008 to 1 February 2009):
Individual Admission:
Adults
$5.00
Concession*
$2.50
* full-time students and those 60 years and above
Group Admission(for groups of 20 and above):
Adults
$4.00
Concession*
$2.00
* full-time students and those 60 years and above
Free Admission to children 6 years and below, Monday - Sunday.
Free Admission for Senior Citizens (age 60 years and above) every Monday.
Discounted admission on every Friday, 7-9pm.
Overview of the event
Taking a portrait in London, particularly Lafayette Studio in London’s New Bond Street, in the late 19th to early 20th century was an extremely trendy luxury. Black-and-white portraits of the Asian rulers, socialites, nobles and dignitaries are featured in the exhibition, including Princess Shimazu of Japan and Peranakan sugar-tycoon Oei Tiong Ham. The Lafayette pictures show the Asians and Europeans who played a significant role bridging the gap between the East and West. It was the era of openness, good relations and understanding between the East and West, trendy apparels and an advance in photographic technology.
Neither East Nor West: Asians in Monochrome was inspired by the The Ballad of East and West by Rudyard Kipling, whose portrait is also featured in the exhibition. The prints hailed from the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but the original negatives are displayed at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The eventpresents 40 protraits from the Lafayette Collection and 12 more from G.R. Lambert & co., one of Singapore’s early studios. The exhibition hopes to reinforce that despite geography, race, religion and culture differences, individuals can still work hand in hand peacefully.
Target Audience
Being majorly publicized at the nearby perimeters of the Asian Civilisation Museum, it aims to attract the general public. Brochures with information about the events are also found at Community Centres and tourists attractions. The website was also available for the public to find out more information about the event.
Promotions
Though the event was not reported with major media mediums, like television or radio, Asian Civilization Museum sees a steady number of visitors daily. People visiting the museum would see the exhibition as a plus but not much of a main purpose to visit the museum.
I first found out about the event when my friends recommended the event to me. Upon buying the ticket, the person-in-charge did not specifically say there was ongoing event within the museum and no clear signs were shown to direct us to the events’ exhibition’s hall.
In my opinion, the event was not reported because the event was just a supplement itself to promote the museum as a whole and not only the event. It would be unfair to just individually promote the event. Also the event has been ongoing for 4 months. The exhibition is most likely passed on by word of mouth and the allowance given for visitors is quite long.
Other than a press release, I would invite important people in the art industry to view the exhibition on a particular day, together with the media. As the public would like to know credible comments from this people, the media would definitely want to cover the story.
Success of the Event
The exhibition I think has reached its main objective, which was to reinforce that despite geography, race, religion and culture differences, individuals can still work hand in hand peacefully. Many people from different backgrounds visit the exhibition, therefore learning new things from the exhibition. All the pictures were well displayed and there were activities to allow interaction with the visitors, such as a photo shoot area where visitors are given a chance to try on hats and take pictures with a backdrop of a real photo shoot scene of the past. This allows the visit there to be more than just looking at pictures and reading information provided.
Personally, I would promote the event through art shows in Okto as there is usually an event calendar in such shows. Through audiences that are more interested in the art industry, they would spread about the event through word of mouth through their family and friends. I think that the Asian Civilisation Museum should have their own calendar of events, similar to the Esplanade’s calendar of events which promotes the happenings there.
As much as the organisers wish to reap as much profit, such events cannot be enjoyed with a sea of people entering the museum at one time.
Pictures:
Being greeted by these posters at the front of the Museum
Posters found along CBD area
Entrance of the exhibtion
Portraits found there with clear and easy-to-read captions
A scene of a photo shoot of the past found there
Photo shoot area with the props
Additional fun facts!
Bilingual boards to help everyone
A area where the people can place their comments
A place for the kids to have fun!
