Art And Identity

The theme of this series of lectures and sessions is “work to live and live to work.” The museum industry often struggles with what a museum is. Is it part of society? Is it a tourist attraction? Is it a cultural enhancement? An ‘extra’ as opposed to an essential element of the social fabric? Until fairly recently, this was the case in Singapore. Culture and museums were viewed as neither being essential to the economic development nor as a potential financial drive that could develop the economies of South East Asia. It was only the enlightened approach of a few cabinet ministers, former servicemen in fact, who saw the role culture could play in enhancing society, not only in developing a notion of nation building and patriotism, but also as spurring creativity in society as a whole. These recent developments, both in Singapore and other South East Asian countries, have sparked a genuine questioning on the role of culture, the nature of creativity, and on what art can tell us about how we approach ideas of governance, innovation, science and business. I personally believe that all museums are political institutions. We all need to play a role in society as a whole. The role we are trying to accomplish at the Asian Civilizations Museum is to trigger a reflection on the artistic heritage of the Asian regions in order to foster an understanding of the diverse cultural heritages of Singapore, their connections with the world and their interconnections…