Singapore History Gallery

The Singapore History Gallery is a 2,800 m2 gallery located within the vicinity of the National Museum of Singapore. The gallery adopts a story-telling approach, unveiling different perspectives through tales of the past.

History


During the National Museum of Singapore redevelopment works.A temporary exhibition at Riverside Point at Clarke Quay titled Rivertales replaced the galleries in the museum.Meanwhile, the exhibit and design company, Gsmprjct° was called in to build the gallery from scratch with the help of the Singapore-Canada based company M'GO films to create several multimedia installations.

The Companion
Instead of using museum labels to describe artefacts, the gallery uses an audio tour device known as the Companion to guide visitors around the gallery. Each Companion consists of an LCD display, a pair of earphones and a keypad which enables guest to enjoy audio, visual and textual content which complement the National Museum's physical collection of artefacts.Guest can read descriptions, listen to expert opinions and dramatised scenarios, as well as watch videos related to these artefacts by entering in the zone code located on the floor, followed by the numbers next to the artefacts. The Companion is designed for anyone aged seven and above. Available in English Language, Mandarin, Malay and Japanese, a children's guide is also available in English. Voice talents include FLY Entertainment artistes, Brendon Fernandez, Nora Samosir, Lim Yu Beng, Timothy Nga and MediaCorp artistes Alaric Tay, Lim Kay Tong, Beatrice Chang, Gerald Chew and Terrance Yap. Others include British actress Elizabeth Tan and American actor Daniel H. Jenkins.

Tour
The gallery is divided into eight sections of Singapore's History. The several lists below shows highlighted artefacts in each section. This bronze star represents that the artefact is one of the 12 treasures of the museum. Immediately at the entrance of the gallery, a staff will give a brief tour of the companion, FLY Entertainment artiste Brendon Fernandez (the companion of the gallery) will later give a clearer explanation of the companion before visitors enter the main gallery.

360° Singapura: A Day in the Life
360° Singapura: A Day in the Life, also known as Singapore Today, is the first multimedia installation visitors experience when entering the Singapore History Gallery. The space in which the multi-projector installation is shown consists of a 23-metre high drum into which visitors enter, crossing a bridge spanning the interior, before descending two levels down a spiralling ramp to the rest of the History Gallery space. HDMI images span the entire 360-degree glass surface of the drum’s interior.

The juxtaposition of rural/traditional and urban/modern images conveys a day in the life of Singapore. Set to a musical background of excerpts from Vladimir Martynov’s symphony Singapore:A Geopolitical Utopia, sequences illustrate the culture’s efficient and meritocratic work habits, its love of technology, its need for ceaseless updating and change, and its frenetic communication and transportation networks. These are contrasted with more personal portrayals of Singaporeans engaged in their daily routines.A snippet of the original footage can be found on the production site.

Introduction
As guest walk down the ramp to the entrance of the gallery, they will hear Fernandez voice-over the companion.

"Lush, fast, ever changing, charged. That's the Singapore I call home. I am Brendon, Brendon Fernandez, come walk with me. Sometimes people ask me: "Fernadez, what makes you Singaporean-Eurasian?" Well, I will talk about my mum whom is of Chinese descent while my father Portuguese who probably came down from Penang [mix of different translations of the same line]. Singapore is full of stories. Most get passed down by word of mouth and few get written down. Stories told and untold is what this museum is about. My family story is one of the millions here. At the bottom of the ramp make a right, I will meet you there."

In action
As guests enter the lower drum of 360° Singapura: A Day in Life, Fernandez gives a brief tour of the companion. He then asks each guest to decide whether to continue watching the show or to enter the main gallery.

14th century
Scenario 1: A young Orang Laut tells guest about the Singapore Stone.

Scenario 2: The latter from scenario 1 shares a well kept secret with guest about his adventure up Fort Canning

Scenario 3: The young Orang Laut recounts about the stories his father told about the Singapore River

Scenario 4: Recounting his father tales, the young Orang Laut tells guest about the Sejarah Melayu.

Sejarah Singapura
This show has a 210° screen measuring 20x3 meter consisting of 5 panels for projection.The story is based on those from the Sejarah Melayu and eyewitnesses accounts. A snippet of the original footage is found on the production site.

Events path
In the Events path guest will choose from 7 scenarios and 1 documentary titled Founding of Modern Singapore based on a Discovery Channel documentary History of Singapore:An Accidental Nation. The path will eventually merge with the Straits Settlements section of the gallery.The path sees Singapore through the eyes of pioneers.

Straits Settlements
Scenario 1:  The narrator will give a brief story about Raffles' life, Raffles being knighted for writing the book History of Java and how Sophia Hull turned her late husband into a hero.

Scenario 2:  An Orang Laut will tell guest about his experience from the Signing of the Treaty. The narrator will later explain about the Jackson Plan Raffles laid out.

Scenario 3:  The narrator gives a brief story of Farquhar's life and how he managed as the First Resident of Singapore.

Scenario 4:  Guest will find out how Singapore turned from a port to a settlement.

Scenario 5:  The narrator gives a brief story of Tan Tock Seng's life.

Scenario 6:  The narrator gives a brief story of Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied's life.

Scenario 7:  The narrator gives a brief story of William Henry Read's life.

Scenario 8:  The narrator explains about the 3 evils of the Chinese in the late 19th century-mid 20th Century and how William A. Pickering managed to solve the issue.

Personal path
In the Personal path guest will choose from 7 scenarios and 1 documentary titled Battle of Words. The path allows visitors to walk through recreated settings based on the Jackson Plan.

Scenario 1:  The narrator tells guest about Munshi Abdullah's life and works. This includes his hearing of the Fame 's destruction. Scenario 2:  Guest portray as coolies as a story teller tells the life and contributions of Seah Eu Chin.

Scenario 3:  Raffles replaces Farquhar with Crawfurd.

Scenario 4:  Guest will hear from an Indian Warrant Officer about his convicts migrating and labouring in Singapore.

Scenario 5:  Guest follow an American women and a guide into an Opium den.

Scenario 6:  Guest will witness a conversation between a Japanese prostitute, Zaki and her customer,Takashi.

Scenario 7:  Guest overhear a scenario of a Young Trishaw Rider (voiced by MediaCorp artiste Alaric Tay) transporting a drunk coolie to Emerald hill and getting themselves into danger after colliding with Tan Jiak Kim's funeral hearse.

Events path
Guest will get to choose from 4 scenarios. The path is recreated to the original 1880 interior of the Empress Place Building.

Scenario 1:  Guest will learn about the growth of the Chinese Revolutionary period.

Scenario 2:  Guest will portray as merchants as a Chettiar tours them around his moneylending business at South Bridge Road. The voice over of the chettiar, is extracted from an actual oral history interview. It was later incorporated into the scenario.

Scenario 3:  Guest portray as non-permanent members in a meeting with the Legislative Council.

Scenario 4:  Guest portray as suspects as they go through an inspection.

Personal path
Guest will choose from 4 scenarios.The path is set to European Town.

Scenario 1:  Guest will learn about May Wong's life and contributions to the society.

Scenario 2:  Guest will experience the life of an Amah (Chinese caretaker).

Scenario 3:  Guest learn the art of tailoring.

Scenario 4:  Guest will portray as Nonyas having tea with Sophia Blackmore.

Cabaret
This documentary features an interview with a former performer at a cabaret in Great World Amusement Park alongside her husband.

Battle of Singapore
This section of the gallery is small due to lack of artefacts as most of them have been transferred to Memories at Old Ford Factory and Reflections at Bukit Chandu. The area is dressed as a military base.

Fortress


Fortress is a 9 meter high multimedia installation that greets guests entering the section Battle of Singapore of the gallery. The screen is fragmented thus the projection is made into several different angles making it the most difficult to install. The original footage of the installation is found on the production site.

Events path
Guest will choose from 4 scenarios. To enter this path one must enter a winding path. The outer path is set to a notice board with actual wanted notices, the inner path is set to Changi.

Scenario 1:  Guest will be asked if they have seen wanted victims of Sook Ching in a recanted conversation.

Scenario 2:  Guest find out from war heroine Elizabeth Choy how she survived 200 days of detention in the YMCA building.

Scenario 3:  Guest hear an oral history interview with a Chinese suspect who was about to be executed.

Personal path
Guests choose from three scenarios. Like the Events path, guests will have to enter via a winding path. The inner path is set to a school notice board. The path is experienced through the eyes of teenagers.

Scenario 1:  Guests hear how a 13-year-old Indian girl got into the Indian National Army.

Scenario 2:  Guests portray as students in a class session.

Scenario 3:  Guest learn how teenagers struggled through years against the Japanese.

Merdeka walls
This multimedia installation is projected on to walls in the events and Personal path. They show supporters participating in political campaigns and their rebellion against the British government.

Events path
Guest will choose from four scenarios. The area is set to a street nearby Empress Place. The path will eventually merge with Self Governance section of the gallery.

Self Governance
Scenario 1:  In this scenario, guest learn that the Japanese have surrendered.

Scenario 2:  Guest learn about the clash of the riots (Maria Hertogh riots and the 1954 National Service Riots) and how the British government handled the situation.

Scenario 3: Guest will see the strong opposition from the Labour Front (later the Workers' Party) against the People's Action Party.

Scenario 4:  Singapore gains status from a colony into a city.

Personal path
Guest will choose from three scenarios. The path is set to a street with local businesses alongside each other.

Scenario 1: In this scenario, guest see the Japanese surrender from the point of the man on the street.

Scenario 2 Local businesses begin to set up again after the war. Due to lack of jobs back then. In this scenario, guest will learn how people get back to their daily lives again.

Scenario 3 Guest will see the clash of the riots through the eyes of witnesses.

Merger
In this section of the gallery, the events and personal paths merge.

Scenario 1:  Guest watch Lee Kuan Yew on television.

Scenario 2:  Singapore merges with Malaysia.

Scenario 3:  Guest will learn about the Hock Lee bus riots, the 1964 racial riots and the MacDonald House bombing.

Scenario 4:  Singapore separates from Malaysia.

Scenario 5:  Guest learn about Singapore's economic progress and change of lifestyle.

Road to independence
Scenario 1:  Guest learn about Singapore's most famous icons in the 1970s.

Scenario 2:  Guest will learn about Singapore's progress through the eyes of witnesses.

End of tour
At the end of the tour a multimedia installation known as 9th August is set up to commemorate Singapore's independence. Brendon Fernandez will thank the guest for their visit and they will be asked to return their companions at the drop-off point.