Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) has lined up an array of programmes, catered to both the young and not-so-young.
*Update (8 March): Updated with March happenings
Located by the Singapore River is the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), Singapore’s national museum of Asian antiquities and decorative art and the only museum in Asia devoted to exploring the rich artistic heritage of Asia.
It regularly hosts programmes and exhibitions to inspire both the young and old. Here's what you and your family can look forward to in March 2023:
All programmes are free unless otherwise stated.
New Programmes
Lunchtime Concerts
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum
Date: Fridays (except 24 Mar & 7 Apr 2023)
Time: 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Fee: Free Admission
Lunchtime Concerts return to ACM! Relax and unwind to the music of the talented students of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST) on selected Fridays in March and April.
Wind Down Fridays
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum
Date: 10 Mar 2023
Time: 6.30pm to 9pm
Fee: Free & Ticketed
Join this series of monthly wellness events that will help improve your quality of life. Keep a look out for sound bath sessions and cultural performances, as well as discounted admission to Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice.
This programme is developed in conjunction with Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice.
Visit this link for more information.
Exhibiting The Body: Compulsions, Caveats and Cautions
Venue: Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum
Date: 11 Mar 2023
Time: 3pm to 4.30pm
Fee: Free
In art, the body is a carrier of thoughts rather than a representation of its physicality alone. It can be a vehicle for capturing the various moods, energies or values that drive society. Looked at another way, artistic imagery, in turn, also has an influence on people—decisions on what kind of bodies have been regarded as being ideal in different periods can make for a fascinating comparative history. Prof. Ahuja curated the landmark exhibition The Body in Indian Art & Thought in 2013 that redefined the presentation of Indian art in exhibitions across the world. In this lecture he explains why studies in art history have been making the subject of ‘the body’ their focus since the 1990s, in order to address if “The Body” offers an alternative narrative for history museums.
This lecture is organised in conjunction with the exhibition Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice.
How Are You?
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum
Date: 26 Mar 2023
Time: 11am to 3pm
Fee: Free
This month, take a moment to focus on self-care and wellness. Enjoy a drama performance and a storytelling session. Then, create art inspired by objects from our Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice special exhibition.
Ongoing Programmes
Reopening of Peranakan Museum
Photo Credit: Peranakan Museum
Venue: 39 Armenian Street, Peranakan Museum
Date: from 17 Feb 2023
Time: 10am to 7pm (Sat to Thu) I 10am to 9pm (Fri)
The Peranakan Museum presents the cross-cultural art of Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia. Installed in the former Tao Nan School, built in 1912, it holds one of the world's finest public collections of Peranakan objects. Three floors explore Peranakan life through themes related to origins, home, and style as aspects of identity. Community interviews, recorded demonstrations, art commissions, and other contemporary expressions of Peranakan culture provide a multi-faceted experience for visitors, encouraging them to ask themselves: “what is Peranakan?”
ACM and Anima Mundi: Chinese Christian art from the Vatican Museums
Venue: Christian Art Gallery, Level 2, Asian Civilisations Museum
Date: Ongoing
Time: 10am to 7pm (Sat to Thu) I 10am to 9pm (Fri)
Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum welcomes a selection of Chinese Christian art from the Vatican Museums in Rome, in its latest rotation of the Christian Art Gallery. Drawn from the Anima Mundi (meaning "Soul of the World"), these are little-known treasures of Christian art made in Asia. The public will be able to view up-close how the Catholic Church was able to integrate traditional Asian elements into its art. These intricate objects reveal the ingenuity of Asian artisans and craftsmen, who were able to adapt their work to incorporate foreign aesthetics and ideas that made them more appealing to local audiences. The artistic and cultural exchanges expressed through these works demonstrate how art can foster meaningful dialogue among religions and cultures.
ACM and Anima Mundi: Chinese Christian art from the Vatican Museums is a part of ACM's year-long series of programmes and gallery rotations in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, dedicated to the cross-cultural connections and shared heritage of Singapore and the region. Objects in this collaboration will be available for public viewing for a period of one year.
Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum
Date: ongoing till 26 Mar 2023
Time: 10am to 7pm (Sat to Thu) I 10am to 9pm (Fri)
ACM explores wellness and the wholeness of body, spirit, and mind with Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice. Featuring over 100 objects from the National Collection, private collectors, and local communities, this special exhibition presents a stunning display of sacred and ritual art from Singapore and the region. Join us in contemplating the many ways in which religions in Asia understand the human body through rituals, healing practices, pilgrimage, and divine images.
Complementing the main exhibition are two special showcases. Buddha Relics displays gems and other precious offerings found together with bone relics of the Buddha in the Piprahwa Stupa in India in 1898. In Ve/ Ve/: The Burden Dance (a project by Sistrum), learn more about kavadi - elaborate structures carried in Thaipusam, a yearly procession celebrated by Singapore's Tamil Hindu community.
ACM & Friends Fun Pack
Venue: Online, ACM Website
Download and use this fun activity kit, specially designed for children and adults across all learning abilities, and have an enjoyable time learning about the ACM collection through play.
Activities You Can Do Everyday
Venue: Online, ACM Website
Enjoy everyday activities from the comfort of your home. Explore, discover, and have fun with trails and videos for everyone.
Audio Description Tours
Venue: Online, ACM Website
Listen to descriptions of key objects in the ACM collection from the comfort of your home.
Photo Credits: Asian Civilisations Museum
Regular Programmes
Let's Learn About...Bronze!
Photo Credits: Asian Civilisations Museum (unless otherwise stated)
Venue: Online, ACM Website
Date: from 3 Mar 2023
Fee: Free Admission
This March, LET’S LEARN ABOUT…Bronze!
What is bronze?
“Bronze” isn’t just the name of a medal given to people in third place. It’s also a versatile metal (a mixture of copper and tin) that has been used across different cultures to make useful objects for thousands of years.
Naturally a yellowish brown, it turns green as it is exposed to oxygen over time, giving old bronze objects what is called a “patina”. In the ancient past, bronze objects were mostly owned by the wealthy and powerful because they were both beautiful and functional.
Properties and uses
Bronze is harder and stronger than copper and does not break easily. It is also resistant to rust, unlike iron, which later replaced the use of bronze in many parts of the world because it was stronger, lighter, and cheaper to produce.
About 3000 years ago in ancient China, bronze was used to make vessels for storing food and wine offered to the ancestors, as well as to make statues and weapons.
Do you see bronze objects in your daily life? Besides medals and trophies, instruments such as cymbals and bells are made of bronze, as are some guitar and piano strings.
