Home means different things to different people. Find out what makes Singapore home to Singaporeans at the National Museum of Singapore’s latest exhibition, Home, Truly: Growing Up With Singapore, 1950s to the Present, which runs till 29 August 2021.
Personal stories and experiences are shared via artefacts, photographs, audio-visual footage, sounds, scents and special digital features, showcasing the moments in Singapore’s past and present that express the Singaporean identity and collective memory as a people.
Before heading to the Museum, check out the digital companion @Home, Truly where you can follow 9-year-old Nadine as she explores her mother’s childhood with her grandfather, experiencing some long-gone treasured items and memories of the past.
Home, Truly: Chapter 3
Ready Player One
At the Museum, see the different facets of living in Singapore through these five key themes:
Laying The Foundations
Hear the personal accounts of people who lived through Singapore’s early years as an independent nation, through the events they witnessed or the rites of passage they experienced.
Some of these vivid, first-hand accounts were of moving into a HDB flat for the first time, and from women entering the workforce during the height of Singapore’s rapid industrialisation. These stories were captured by youths from secondary schools and tertiary institutions, as part of the museum’s Student Archivist Project 2020. This section also features a specially commissioned soundscape, A Day in the Life of Singapore, which comprises the distinctive sounds of people, places and experiences that are characteristic of Singapore.
Moving In
Step into immersive spaces that take you back to the comforting moments of celebrating festivities in your living room, or lounging by a jukebox featuring distinctively Singaporean songs, both old and new, that have been part of the soundtrack of many Singaporeans growing up in Singapore.
Look out for “Let’s Talk at the Tuckshop”, one of three chat corners designed to encourage reflection and conversation across generations.
Living Together
See how Singaporeans have worked together to navigate and overcome challenges faced when living together in a shared space, as people settle into a new home.
From national campaigns such as Anti-spitting Campaign and National Courtesy Campaign, and the clean-up of the Singapore River to tensions that arise between communities from time to time, this section also shows how Singaporeans have made an effort to shape and build homes through constructive dialogue and meaningful initiatives.
Open Doors
Take a look at how Singapore has been shaped by its immigrants and multicultural past through the stories of different groups of people who have made Singapore their home over the years, and their reflections on what home means to them.
Hear the intimate stories captured through video interviews in a space designed to evoke a typical HDB void deck, reminiscent of afternoons spent chatting with friends and neighbours.
Sturdy Through Storms
Discover how Singapore and its people have stood united in support and courage through crises such as floods, the withdrawal of the British military, financial crises and SARS over the decades.
Check out a special feature on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with a display of artistic works, photos and artefacts including contributions from the National Museum’s Collecting Contemporary Singapore: Documenting COVID-19 in Singapore Open Call.
