Monday, May 21, 2012

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition @ ArtScience Museum, Singapore

Singapore may be known as a shopper's paradise, what with almost every luxury brand all well seen and accounted for here, but personally, the best places to be here in the Lion City are in their wonderful museums.  The ex-fiancee (now hubby) knew this well enough that every time I visited him here (well before we were married), we'd usually squeeze in a visit to at least one.

And their exhibitions are simply amazing!  Take, for instance, the most recently concluded 6-month long Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition held at the ArtScience Museum.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the ArtScience Museum

I have always had a certain fascination about the sinking of the RMS Titanic ever since reading about it during one of my many after-class high school library stays (I was a freshie back then circa 1995.)  Being such a history buff, I devoured tons of articles about the disaster and its aftermath.

So our move here to Singapore was very timely as the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands was about to wrap up the visiting Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition within a few days of our arrival.

ArtScience Museum


The Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition features about 275 artifacts recovered from the shipwreak, which also includes 14 never before displayed items.  Alongside these marvelous displays are stories of select passengers (from those perished and those who survived) and extensive recreations of some of the ship's rooms and areas.

Scanned copy of the exhibition flyer

This is the very first time the exhibition has been brought to Southeast Asia, and just in time, too, to commemorate the tragedy's 100th anniversary.

Replica newspapres headlining the Titanic tragedy

Entrance to the exhibit

It was quite unfortunate that picture taking and video recording were prohibited inside the exhibit (a first for me here since all the museums I've visited before allowed both), so I'll have to borrow some photos from the ArtScience Museum's facebook page.

This is what greets visitors upon entering (minus the ship captain).
You can have your picture taken at S$50 a shot.

Construction materials and tools used in building the Titanic

1st class cabin (reconstruction)

The Titanic's grand staircase (reconstruction)

3rd class cabin (reconstruction)

Touch the iceberg to get a feel of how cold the water was when the ship sank
(The actual iceberg, made up of salt water, is actually colder since it has a much lower freezing point
as compared to fresh water of which this replica is made from)

Display of artifacts discovered.  One of the more creepy but extremely fascinating parts of the exhibit
since it tries to show people how these exact items where discovered at the bottom of the sea.

There was also one more part of the exhibit that I absolutely adored -- a reconstruction of one of the Titanic's decks at night.  It was so strangely terrifying but beautiful at the same time.  It's as if you're actually on board the ship's deck.  I was also moved by the stories of both survivors and the victims (seriously beats any old Jack-Kate story.)

In the end, one is left in awe over the sinking of the RMS Titanic.  Disastrous, yes, but it will be forever credited with most of the life saving equipment and naval procedures we currently have on hand.

Now this is one exhibit I wouldn't mind going to over and over again.

***

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
October 29, 2011 to April 29, 2012
ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018958
E      MuseumEnquiries@marinabaysands.com
W     http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Museum/
        http://www.titanic.sg/
FB   https://www.facebook.com/ArtScienceMuseum/

Planning to visit?  Drop by my "Getting Around Singapore" post (click here) for more details on how to get around the Lion City.

19 comments:

  1. ay, bakit bawal camera pero ang ganda ha.

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  2. Nice naman. Sayang sa Singapore pa. :(

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  3. Ganda naman! Talagang feel na feel mo na para kang nakasakay talaga at pwede talaga i touch ang iceberg!

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  4. So nice!! Have you heard about the Gardens by the Bay opening there soon? :) Reader request--please post about it:) hehe. I want to visit it if and when my next trip to SG will push through in Jan :) thanks Tin! :)

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    1. We have plans on going but not really sure when we can go. The Little One's still adjusting kasi. Will post about it when we're all fully settled. =)

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  5. i missed this one. sayang! so you're here na rin for good?

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    1. So far, yes. We really can't tell for how long. =)

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  6. Wow. OK ang exhibit na ito ah. Yun lang hindi ko na mabibisita ito. Oh well, baka sa susunod na Anniv ng Titanic baka magkaroon uli't nito.

    And yeah, I agree. The real story of those who boarded Titanic beat the story of Jack and Rose.

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    Replies
    1. Yup. There were so many interesting stories. Others sad but there were some happy ones too. =)

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  7. Wow ang mahal ng SGD 50 for a picture taken with the captain :P Interesting post!

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    Replies
    1. No, minus yung captain. Only the ship as the backdrop. =)

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  8. oh, I would love, love to be able to see that! sana naman magkaron nyan dito... kaya lang malamang if ever, sa Madrid... malayo naman kami! I love history too kaya lang hindi kaya ng memory ko haha... I love reading and listening to histories pero wala talagang nare-retain sa isip ko na mga names and dates and places LOL

    I enjoyed this article!

    Spanish Pinay

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  9. I would love to see the Titanic Artifact Exhibit too, but I think this would be over by the time I'll be in SG, either late this year or next year.

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  10. awww... i wish we could've seen this!!! di bale, next time na lang. :) after the river cruise and learning about the museums, yun ang next target namin ni A. we were a big group nung pumunta sa SG kaya hindi nakapag-kanya-kanyang lakad. and tight na ang budget dahil nag-malaysia na. >_< basta, isa ito sa mga babalikan namin. *cross fingers* :)

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    Replies
    1. It's really hard when you're in a group. Madaming agenda. Hehehe! =)

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  11. Bloghopping! :)

    Wow, this is a very nice concept! Too bad the exhibit's over. Are they running it again? I hope so. I've always been fascinated with the Titanic.

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    1. Not sure if they still will. No word yet e.

      We were just lucky enough to have caught it before it ended. Good thing we saw it in a TV commercial here or else we wouldn't have known it too. =)

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  12. Oh that's another fabulous thing about Singapore, you're right!

    Great blog!


    oxo

    ML
    Twenty York Street
    www.twentyyork.com
    Follow me in Twitter: @20YS

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