To be atas, you have to act atas. And nothing screams you're atas more than if you're a museum-goer. There are more than 24 museums in Singapore and we reckon that you won't have time to visit all of them.
So HOOKED has helped you out and checked some of them out for you.
NUS Museum
In a nutshell:
Established at the University Cultural Centre in 1997, this is a 3-storey museum on campus which most NUS students hardly know about.
It has 4 permanent collections, namely: the South-East Asian and South Asian collection, the Lee Kong Chian collection (textiles, Chinese ceramics, bronzes, contemporary art, etc.), the Ng Eng Teng collection (sketches, paintings, sculptures, etc.) and the Straits Chinese Collection, which is actually the Baba House, one of the last surviving Peranakan houses at 157 Neil Road.
It also frequently features special exhibitions like the current "The Body" photo exhibition and the upcoming "The Blacksmith's Alchemy", which will display 73 works of four Spanish artists.
If you occasionally spot exhibitions in the Central Library, they could be part of the NUS Museum's Outreach Programme.
Opening hours:
Tue to Sat: 10.00am - 7.30pm
Sun: 10.00am - 6.00pm
Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays
Admission rates: Free
On-going: The Body - A Photography Exhibition (until 30th March '08)
Upcoming: The Blacksmith's Alchemy (25th April '08 - 29th June '08)
What it's REALLY like:
Ms. Lim Nam Leng was kind enough to bring us on a tour despite her busy schedule.
We spent the bulk of our time at The Body exhibition, which displays photography taken by NUS staff and students from every faculty - FASS, Medicine, Engineering, you name it.
From magnified photographs of fingertip capillaries by Professor Pereira from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine to Sarah Cheng's (a Year 2 Psychology Major) pictures of herself in her "Inquest of Beauty", the myriad of photographs were spectacular, each in their own idiosyncratic way.
The other exhibits were enjoyable too, bearing a close resemblance to what one might find at the Singapore Art Museum and Asian Civilization Museum. All in all, to have stumbled upon such a sanctuary on campus was an exhilarating experience in itself.
Approx. time taken: 1.5 hours
Visitor profile: Schoolchildren on field trips, outsiders like expatriates with time to kill in the afternoon or just want to escape the otherwise hustle-bustle of the city.
Go only if you...: No reason not to! Admission is free, it is so close by, and the exhibits are enchanting to look at to boot!
Rating: 4.5/5
Did You Know?
- The Ng Eng Teng collection on the 3rd floor was donated by the man himself to the NUS Museum. To date, it is the largest collection of any one exhibit in Singapore.
- In "Inquest of Beauty", Sarah Cheng had at first wanted to capture pictures of beautiful women along Orchard, but she later realized that in seeking beauty, there is nowhere better to look than within herself first, which was what she eventually did.
- In "Surrender", also at The Body exhibition, photographer Akanksha Mehta paid Cambodian boys pennies to jump into the water repeatedly, so he/she could capture the perfect picture. The boys were more than willing to oblige for the money.
National Museum of Singapore
In a nutshell:
This is the oldest museum in Singapore, at 120 years old.
It has two permanent galleries: the Singapore Living Galleries and the Singapore History Galleries, and features other special exhibitions from time to time. The latter especially, retells history in innovative and cutting-edge ways, redefining the conventional museum experience, thereby stimulating visitors' creativity and bringing citizens closer to their heritage.
Far from being just a space for exhibitions and artefacts, it also hosts challenging and vibrant festivals and events all year round.
Opening hours:
Singapore History Galleries: 10am - 6pm daily
Singapore Living Galleries: 10am - 8pm daily
Admission rates:
Adults: $10.00
Senior Citizens and Children: $5.00
On-going: Singapore Living Galleries; Singapore History Galleries; Greek Masterpieces from the Louvre.
Upcoming: Stylish Thirties: Interpreting Women's Fashion in 1930s Singapore (March - April '08; Bedazzled: Sequined Costumes of Cantonese Opera (until 1st May '08).
What it's REALLY like:
For all that it's been hyped up to be, the Greek exhibition turned out to be a huge letdown, extending no further than poetry, statues and sculptures that somehow all looked like one another.
The guided tour wasn't particularly exciting either because, again, the stories of the Greek gods recounted by the guide sounded all alike.
In the end, we left the tour early and went back to the Singapore History galleries again, where the real intrigue was. The ambience inside was great, as were the artefacts on display and décor, with our little knowledgeable friend - the electronic personal guide.
The Living Galleries was alright - for what it was worth, there was not much that such a small gallery like this could have housed.
Approx. time taken: 3 hours
Visitor profile: Someone interested in the history of Singapore and/or Greece. Or budding artists from NAFA who sat on tools in the gallery to sketch the statues of Greek gods.
Go only if you...: Are in town with nothing much in mind to do. Why not take a recap lesson on Singapore's History? You can stay inside however long you want, and with your portable electronic personal guide, there is so much you can learn in an afternoon!
Rating: 3/5
Did you know?
The National Museum of Singapore isn't just about History Galleries. They have a Cinematheque that focuses on the presentation of film in its historical, aesthetic and cultural contexts, with a strong emphasis on local and regional cinema.
Key programmes include the annual Singapore Short Cuts, Young Cinema, Film and Music Series, Under The Banyan Tree and Alternative Visions.
For more information and online booking, please visit http://www.nationalmuseum.org/
Mint Museum of Toys
 In a nutshell:
This is a two-year-old private museum that showcases a world class collection of toys that span more than 25 countries and over 100 years.
MINT, in fact, stands for Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys.
It has four storeys worth of exhibits, each with a central theme, namely: Outer Space, Characters, Ladies' Floor and Collectables.
The first category houses toys like Star Wars and Buck Rogers; the second, Casper, Tom & Jerry, Astro Boy, etc.; the third, Betty Boop, Barbie, teddy bears, etc.; and the last, The Archies, matchbox series of cars, The Beatles, etc.
Opening hours:
Mon: 1.00pm - 7.00pm
Tue to Sun: 9.00am - 7.00pm
Fri: 9.00am - 9.00pm
Admission rates:
Adults: $10.20
Senior Citizens: $5.10
Children (2- 12 years): $5.10
What it's REALLY like:
Our guide, Randolph, was kind enough to stay behind for nearly two hours after the museum closed, just to take us on a tour.
Throughout, he pointed out the highlights of each showcase and told us how much the rare ones are worth today. It was appalling to hear things like "These two (Beatles) displays can buy you a BMW 7 Series" and accept that mere toys can be worth that much money.
Mostly, we marvelled at the vintage toys, especially if we were acquainted with them at childhood. Old certainly didn't imply boring - there were robots that emitted steam and Popeye-driven tanks from which his girlfriend, Olive Oil would pop up.
It was altogether enthralling.
Approx. time taken: 2.5 hours, if you want to scrutinize at all the treasures in the shelves, which you will, inevitably, because all that vintage brings back so much childhood memories. I mean, Casper the Friendly Ghost and Melody Tunes? How can we ever forget them?
Visitor profile: Schoolchildren on field trips, secondary school students taking Design & Technology, toy collectors, tourists, families - anyone, really, who's still a child at heart.
Go only if you...: Don't mind paying $10 just to see toys. But even if this is too expensive for you, our recommendation is, go at least once because it can prove to be a very memorable experience.
Rating: 4/5
Did you know?
- NUS Architecture students willingly pay $10.20 just to go inside for 15 minutes to study its unique "box within a box" architecture inside. In fact, MINT won first runner-up in the 2007 International Architecture Awards for Best New Global Design.
- Something else we've learned from the Museum was also that the Darlie toothpaste we use today used to be called "Darkie", with the mascot of a Negro's face. It has since changed its image because the former mascot was deemed racist.
Asian Civilisations Museum
In a nutshell:
The ACM is housed in a 137-year-old former colonial government office. There are 10 thematic galleries that present over 1,300 artefacts, spanning 5,000 years of Asian cultures from China, Southeast Asia, South Asia to West Asia/The Islamic World.
The museum is holding a special exhibition, "On the Nalanda Trail: Buddhism in India, China and Southeast Asia". The exhibition is open until 23rd March '08.
Opening hours:
Mon: 1.00pm - 7.00pm
Tue to Sun: 9.00am - 7.00pm
Fri: 9.00am - 9.00pm
Admission rates:
Adult: $5.00 (two for $6.00)
Free admission on Fri (7.00pm - 9.00pm)
Admission charges may vary when there is a special exhibition
On-going: Exhibition on the History of South-east Asia; South Asia, China and the Islamic World of West Asia.
Up-coming: Javanese dance on 28th March '08.
What it's REALLY like:
Forget dusty old artefacts!
This museum is filled with interactive videos and utilises your sense of hearing and touch, as well as sight. While you're there, do check out the Nalanda Trail. It also holds a lot of exhibits that are on loan from other museums, so it's a good idea to drop by someday.
However, it may not be suitable for children as there are ancient and precious artefacts around and we wouldn't want junior's fingerprints on it, would we?
Approx. time taken: 2 hours
Visitor profile: Probably the typical foreigner in khakis and sports shoes, topped off with a sunhat, and tour groups.
Go only if you...: A must-go! Time to trash the notion that museums are filled with dusty exhibits! And then impress your friends with your knowledge about ancient Asia.
Rating: 4/5 (Might have scored full marks if it weren't for the lag-gy ticket readers and the ever-smiling person on the reader gets kind of creepy after a while)
Did you know?
You could get more involved in ACM by joining as acmfriend. Privileges include free, unlimited entries to galleries all year round and more!
Visit http://www.acmfriends.org.sg/ for more information.
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
In a nutshell:
This museum houses Singapore's main reference collection of preserved zoological specimens, as well as a herbarium.
The specimens are used for comparative research on the flora and fauna of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. They are the preserved physical records of the region's biodiversity.
Opening hours:
Mon to Fri: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Admission Rates: Free
What it's REALLY like:
It didn't blow us away at all. The staff member in the front office was busy doing her own things and was indifferent. There was a secondary school having their field trip there, so it marred the whole experience.
However, if you happen to be there, do check out the blue lion's mane jellyfish. It is very gross and yet intriguing at the same time. Resist touching the specimens though, no matter how tempting the furry clouded leopard looks, as most of them have been treated with poisonous chemicals.
Approx. time taken: 20 minutes
Visitor Profile: Think secondary school science enthusiasts with tucked-in uniforms and spectacles.
Go only if you...: Have an hour to kill before your next lesson.
Rating: 1/5 - as if proof to the fact that the museum wasn't inspiring, the secondary school students that were at the museum that day were busy taking pictures of themselves instead of the exhibits.
Did you know?
The museum is named after the colonial founder of modern Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Although an amateur naturalist, Raffles was one of the pioneers who applied western science to the discovery, naming and documentation of the biodiversity in Southeast Asia.
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) Museum
In a nutshell:
Re-visit almost 200 years of medical history and education in Singapore, through comprehensive artefact displays and interviews with medical practitioners here.
Opening hours:
Tue to Sun: 10.00am - 8.00pm
Closed on Mon & Public Holidays
Admission rates: Free
What it's REALLY like:
The videos can get quite technical and can be boring for someone who has no background in medicine and biology. There was also a funny smell in the museum that wasn't very pleasing at all.
Visitor profile: People who have some time to spare while waiting for check-ups or waiting for visiting hours to start.
Go only if you...: Are really bored and happen to be at SGH.
Rating: 2/5
Did you know?
The SGH Museum occupies the only block, out of the three blocks opened as the General Hospital in 1926, that is still standing today. HOOKED
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Written by Guest on 2008-03-31 22:39:48
very informative, thanks=) | How about the
Written by Guest on 2008-04-03 04:48:08
Singapore Philatelic Museum? |
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