I want to collect the NHB Museum Roundtable Hongbao, how should I go about doing it?

From 12th January to 9th February 2024, visitors can collect a set of exclusive red packets at any of the 43 participating museums, heritage institutions, and galleries. Each visitor is entitled to one set of high red packets from any of the venues, while stocks last.

The Char Yong (Dabu) Association Heritage Hall, a new member of the Museum Roundtable (MR) will also be participating in the campaign for the first time. Four other MR members will also be returning this year, the Republic of Singapore Air Force Museum, the Singapore Navy Museum, the Singapore Maritime Gallery, and the Singapore  Sports Museum. 

Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set

There is a popular limited edition Collector’s Box Set! It’s back again! It comes as a large gift box with its own custom-designed bag. Each box contains 2 complete sets of the 43 red packet designs presenting the participating MR members, as well as en exclusive design from the National Heritage Board, making a total of 88 (Huat ah!) pieces of hongbaos! The red packet designs in the box set also have a distinct orange background and feature dragons with subtle colour differences.

The Collector’s Box Sets are priced at $108 (nett) and will be available for purchase only at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Interested collectors can

1.  pre-register to purchase at a specified time slot on 20th and 21st January 2024, which is encouraged, or
2. walk-in to purchase on a first-come, first-served basis on 27th January 2024. Pre-registration opens on 10th January 2024, 10.00am, at mrhongbao.eventbrite.com.

There will be 450 Collector’s Box Sets available for sale, with the majority reserved for pre-registered sales on 20th and 21st January 2024, and the remainder for walk-in purchases on 27th January 2024. Regardless of the mode of purchase, each member of the public is limited to the purchase of one box set per NRIC number, on a first-come, first-served basis.

I Love Museums’ Facebook Page Giveaways

There are two online giveaways that will be held on the “I Love Museums” Facebook Page (https://www.facebook/com/ILoveMuseums), offering members of the public an opportunity to win the Collector’s Box Set or a set of the red packets.

First giveaway (Between 12th and 22nd January 2024)

The first giveaway will be held between 12th and 22nd January 2024, and will require participants to visit participating venues and take a photograph of themselves with the red packets they collected at the museum. Participants are required to share these photographs in the comments section of the giveaway post and leave a comment on which exhibit/artefact they found interesting during their visit. A total of 10 winners will be selected at random the receive  the Collector’s Box Set.

Second giveaway (Between 30th January and 6th February 2024)

The second giveaway will held between 30th January and 6th February 2024, and requires participants to leave a comment on the “I Love Museums” Facebook Page on their favourite aspect of this year’s Museum Roundtable Hongbao Campaign. There will be 50 winners selected at random to receive a full set of all 43 Museum Roundtable red packets.

Check out the passion and support of hongbao collectors!

At the recent NHB media announcement for the Museum Roundtable Hongbao Campaign 2024, we met passionate hongbao collectors with their hongabo collections, their stories behind their  loyal support for NHB Museum Roundtable Hongbao.

Ms Yap Siew Luan, a red packet collector from Johor Bahru, Malaysia said: “I have been collecting red packets since 2003 and have participated in the Museum Roundtable Lunar New Year Hongbao Campaign since 2015. I first learned about the campaign through friends and have been very fortunate to have also developed long-lasting friendships with other collectors throughout the years. 2024 is also a special year as it is my Zodiac year. While it is a challenge to collect all the different red packets from the various participating museums, I typically aim to collect as many red packets as I can during my short visits to Singapore on weekends.” 

Who’s behind the cute Dragon design for Museum Roundtable Hongbao Campaign 2024?

You saw the cute and unique Dragon designs on the hongbaos for this MR Hongbao Campaign 2024. Who’s the artist/designer behind this? 

Meet Carlos Puentes, 36 year-old designer from Barranquilla, Colombia who has designed and illustrated for many national and international brands and clients, the designer for Museum Roundtable Hongbao Campaign 2024. He said: “Through working on this campaign, I have learnt much more about Singapore’s museum sector and am impressed with its diversity!” (His Instagram account is @cpuentesdesign).

Mr Goh Chour Thong, Director (International and Museum Relations), NHB, said: “NHB has truly enjoyed 10 years of partnering with Museum Roundtable members for the Hongbao Campaign, and working with them to adapt the design of the Chinese zodiac animal for the year to reflect each of their unique characteristics. We are very encouraged that the hongbaos as well as the limited collectors’ editions have continued to be popular with the public and sought after by collectors, and helped grow visitorship and appreciation of the offerings at each of the participating Museum Roundtable members. We certainly hope this year’s hongbaos featuring the cute and versatile dragons designed by Colombian artist Carlos Puentes will be no different!”

For more information on the Museum Roundtable Hongbao Campaign 2024, you can visit the following link: go.gov.sg/MRHongbao2024. 

The post Usher Year of the Dragon 2024 with Cute and Hot Hongbao Designs from Museum Roundtable! appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Photographer/Creative profile questions

1) Can you give us a short introduction on yourself and your creative fields of expertise?

Hello, my name is Agan Harahap. Photographer and artist based in Jogja, Indonesia. My base artistic expertise is photography and digital manipulation. And recently I’m using AI for my latest artworks.

2) What is the inspiration and the stories behind your creative work?

I always get my inspiration from my timeline in social media. Mostly is about politic, religion and history. I offer some silly solution for many problems that appear in society.

3) Do you have a piece of creative artwork or photograph that means a lot to you? Can you share more about this artwork?

The artwork that means a lot for me is my series ‘Mardijker Photo Studio’. I’m talking about nation identity and cultural originality and it’s connections with our society today.

4) Can you share about your journey as a creative/artist? What were some of the challenges, difficulties and setbacks that you faced in your creative journey? 

Well, it’s start in early 2000s at the beginning of digital transitions from manual. When suddenly we can almost create anything with digital software. At that time I already work as a photographer in music magazine. And I always challenged my self to dig more about other possibilities with digital photography. Asking my self is photography still can believed as a medium that can represent the reality. 

5) I read that you started off as an illustrator and digital imaging artist, what are the stories behind these experiences and how did you transition to photography?

As a graphic designer student, I have also learn photography. At that time, I don’t like photography because its expensive and don’t make sense to me. Because at that time I think photography is only for the people who cannot make a proper drawing or painting to express their ideas. And photography is their solution to cover up their inability to make art. Hahaha. But I have to pass the photography test in my study. So I learn how to manipulate photo with digital software. And I pass the test with success. And after graduate, I worked as a freelance illustrator and then become a digital imaging artist in some photography company before I become photographer in Trax Magazine. A music based magazine in Jakarta from 2006 – 2012. 

Generative AI Interview Questions

6) A topic of intense discussion currently is Artificial Intelligence (AI), what are your personal views and thoughts on AI? What is the potential positive and negative impact on the creative industry?

Based on my experienced in early 2000s when digital suddenly takeover many part in creative industry, So for me this is the new era when we have to preparing our self to this new kind of technology. For me, the main impact is the people’s way of thinking and behavior about things will change. And it will become a problem for people who cannot adapt their selves to this AI. So, like it or not, after more than 2 years we stayed at home because of covid, now suddenly we have to face this kind of technology and we have to adapt and adjust our self with it.

7) Do you think Generative AI can actually help us creatives, artists and photographers in ways that we may not see due to our personal bias or blind spots? Or do you think the onslaught of Generative AI will be detrimental for creatives? 

Before AI can help us in creativity, we first have to adapt and adjust ourself. Because at first, we have to positioning ourself between this new technology and our personal and social interest. For me, it’s quite similar like digital photography at the beginning, at the first we may think ‘Oh, with this tools, we don’t need dark room process anymore and we can save more time to create photography. But in the reality, there are many other problems arise due to this digital technology. Like for example, people start to questioning the reality behind photography ect. And after social media era, there is much more problems. We can see the rapid change in many aspects of our live. And that’s exactly will going to happen in our society with this AI technology.

Generative AI will be detrimental for creatives? It’s depend on how you adapt yourself. 

8) Which segments of the creative and arts industry would be most impacted by Generative AI? Artists? Photographers? Filmmakers?

All.

9) Is Generative AI is going to take away the livelihood of the art and creative industries? What are your personal thoughts and views on this point?

At the beginning, the answer is yes. But along with that, the emergence of AI technology, it will open up many new opportunities that may have never been thought of.

10) How do you envision the future for creatives in a new digital and social media world, powered by AI?

Hahaha I can’t imagine it yet. But I believe, sooner or later this AI will change people’s mindset and behavior.

Thank you Agan!  

I would like to say a big thank you to Agan Harahap for putting aside his precious time and agreeing to be interviewed for my article! From a fellow photographer/visual storyteller myself to another fellow photographer/visual storyteller, it’s always an interesting, enriching and enlightening experience to hear about creative/artist/photographer different perspectives, ideas and views, on photography and creative industries, their stories and journeys. 

Agan’s views and perspectives on generative AI would be part of my ongoing TGH Technology AI research/learning series, with an upcoming special article coverage on the impacts of AI on photography and creative industries that would be published on my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog. 

This special interview with Agan also marks the start of my new personal project series that I mentioned earlier in my earlier article “Reflecting H1 2023 & Q2 2023 (Photography and Travel)”, on interviewing and featuring creatives from various disciplines.

When you visit Singapore, let’s catch up and have a chat over coffee over everything and anything about photography!

Have you visit Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia exhibition?

Have you visit Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia exhibition? If you haven’t visit this amazing photography exhibition, you have to plan a visit to National Gallery Singapore and check out this exhibition! 

The exhibition size, magnitude, and diversity of photography works on display, some 300 of them would blow you away, ranging from colonial archival images, studio portraits, and documentary photography to photo albums, social media photos and modern photography in both offline and online formats.

Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia at National Gallery Singapore

Date and Time 

• 2nd December 2022 to 20th August 2023
• 10am to 7pm daily

Location 

• City Hall Wing, Level 3, Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery 

Admission Fees: (General Admission)

• Free for Singaporeans and PRs

Standard

• $20 
• Non-Singaporeans/PRs aged 13 to 59

Concession

• $15 
• Non-Singaporeans/PRs seniors (aged 65 & above) and children (aged 7 to 12)
• Overseas students and teachers

*I would like to thank National Gallery Singapore and Ogilvy for liaising and facilitating the interview with Agan Harahap.*  

The post A Special Visual Storyteller/Creative Artist Interview with Agan Harahap appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

In a special two part series, I would first bring you on my visual storytelling journey through 150 Years of Visual Stories: Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia. In my next article, I would be chatting with Agan Harahap, one of the four notable photographers from the Southeast Asia region, that is featured on National Gallery Singapore Instagram page, part of the Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia exhibition showcase.

Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia

This is an amazing photography exhibition, of its size, magnitude, and diversity of photography works on display, some 300 of them, ranging from colonial archival images, studio portraits, and documentary photography to photo albums, social media photos and modern photography in both offline and online formats.

What is the evolution of photography like over the past 150 years? What are some of the most iconic photographs that you have seen over the past few decades, especially in the Southeast Asia context? When you visit Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia, you are assured of a visual learning feast and eye-opener journey. 

Some of those visual stories are heart wrenching, some are heart warming. Be prepared to experience those emotions as you view, read and connect with those living pictures. Let’s start off in a chronological order and sequence to view, read and experience 150 years of visual stories. 

Section 1: Colonial Archives (Gallery 3) 

First and foremost, let us kick start our visual storytelling journey by going back in time and history, to the Colonial period in Southeast Asia in Section 1: Colonial Archives.

When did photography technology first started and arrived in Southeast Asia? They were brought over by European colonists in the 19th century. What were the views and impressions like during that era upon looking at those photographs?

During the colonial period, what was imperialism like? How did photography play a role during that period? What was the relationship that photography played for the European colonists and those people living in Southeast Asia at that time? 

Section 2: Portraits and Performance (Gallery 3)

Photography in its early days were a form of wealth and prestige for the Southeast Asia ruling elites. Who can imagined that photography had the power to influence perception and communication during those early days? 

Portraiture became the choice, the style for those who can afford it, showcasing their role through modern imagination and their role in a new modern world that was coming to them during that era period. 

As you looked at the photographs on display inside this section, I would like to think about your extended family and relatives, do you recall seeing any similar portraitures of your grandparents or great-grandparents in similar styles, fashion, poses, props and backdrops? 

If you have them in your extended family, you will have your family hierarchy to explore and discover so much further and deeper.

Section 3: In Real Life (Gallery 2)

As the title for this section suggests, it’s real life that photography brings to you. They always had a close and contentious relationship with reality. A photograph never shows everything, it can create a new world, based on your interpretation. 

There is a series of Vietnam war collections, most notably an iconic photograph titled, “Napalm Girl (1972)” by Nick Ut, a former Associated Press photographer. Some of the most iconic and powerful documentary photographs from the war were on display, the other photograph was by Eddie Adams, with his photograph “Saigon Execution”. 

Some of those iconic documentary war photographs could have played their part to change/stop the war. The question I would like to ask the visitors if they know about the stories behind those photographs? Although the photographs tell us the realities that took place during that era, it never show us or tell us the whole story behind it or leading up to the moment being captured down in a visual moment/history. 

Section 4: New Subjectivity (Gallery 2) 

From the 1970s onwards, the world saw greater experimentation beyond and away from important events or people. Photography transformed into a place for reflection and experimentation, a space for us understand things. 

Were you part of that era of photography, exploring beyond events and portraiture, experimenting with arts and other forms of artistic visual displays?

Community Art Space

In our digital and social media world, most people view and feel of images are not tangible, they are in digital format, online on the internet and social media world. Have you thought of printing your photographs, bringing them to life, in a tangible format?

At this Community Art Space, in between Gallery 2 and 1, when you are walking from Section 4 to Section 5, you can get into the world of photo booths and zine-making areas whereby you have the creative freedom with your photographs, producing something more memorable that you can ever imagine.

Why not take a break from viewing 150 years of visual stories journey and do some hands on art work and craft with your photography?

Section 5: Contemporary Imaginations (Gallery 1)

The final section of Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia, this section is probably easier for many of us to connect and understand since it’s contemporary and closer to our current timeline. 

How can photography re-imagine the present and the future? How has photography changed and expanded during this contemporary era? How is contemporary and modern photography engaging you, right now, from the past and into the future?

In  this section, there is a particular exhibit that caught my attention, it’s titled “Crossing the Father Shore” by Dinh Q Le. This is an amazing collection of anonymous South Vietnamese families taken before the country’s reunification in 1975, stitched together like a mosquito net. More than just photos, the words and inscriptions at the back of those photos, you have to read them. 

I personally encountered old photos of similar nature that were available for sale at flea markets, there were times when I was thinking to myself if I should buy and keep them? That’s food for thought for me.

Before you finished visiting and exiting Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia exhibition, there is a retail shop with three display areas packed with many interesting photo postcards collections that you can bring home as a souvenir. Something memorable for you to bring home from your visit to National Gallery Singapore. 

Personal thoughts and views from a visual storyteller myself 

As a visual storyteller myself, visiting Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia, was like a pilgrimage itself for me. There hasn’t been a major photography exhibition of such scale and such diversity from its early history and beginnings to contemporary, documentary and modern digital/social media age.

My beginnings and foundations in my photography and visual storytelling that were started in my early years, were heavily inspired and influenced by National Geographic style of writing and photography. From a young age during my primary school days (close to 4 decades back), I was exposed to a rich and diverse world of exploration, documentary, nature, wildlife, culture, history etc through reading National Geographic magazines.

Yet I was never formally educated or trained in journalism or photography, I was self-taught, self-learned, learning from my many mistakes, gaining experiences, and also sometimes blessed by seniors who shared their photography wisdom, knowledge and skills with me. 

Personally, that is also why Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia exhibition currently held at the National Gallery Singapore, resonates a lot of deep thoughts and thinking inside my mind, heart and soul.

No matter what type of photographer that you are specialised or interested in, whether you are young photographer starting to learn and explore more about the world, or you are a young adult or mature adult that has seen a number of life events, plan a visit to Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia at the National Gallery of Singapore.

As the saying goes, “A picture speaks a thousand words”. There are so many stories packed inside Living Pictures exhibition, waiting to speak to you in various visual storytelling formats that will connect you to your eyes, brain, heart, mind and soul. 

Why not visit Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia at National Gallery Singapore, and let your eyes and heart connect your brain, mind and soul with the diverse collection of 300 photography works over 150 years of visual stories on display?

Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia at National Gallery Singapore

Date and Time 

• 2nd December 2022 to 20th August 2023
• 10am to 7pm daily

Location 

• City Hall Wing, Level 3, Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery 

Admission Fees: (General Admission)

• Free for Singaporeans and PRs

Standard

• $20 
• Non-Singaporeans/PRs aged 13 to 59

Concession

• $15 
• Non-Singaporeans/PRs seniors (aged 65 & above) and children (aged 7 to 12)
• Overseas students and teachers

* Information courtesy of National Gallery Singapore and Ogilvy * 

** A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R6 Mark II Explorer Series Production **

The post 150 Years of Visual Stories: Living Pictures – Photography in Southeast Asia appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

For those who are big fans and lovers of Japan history, culture, craftsmanship, landscapes and travel, I reckon you would love this amazing and beautiful double header exhibition at ACM as you travel through time, history and culture starting from Life in Edo to modern day Japan via master photographer Russel Wong in Kyoto. 

Now, let’s start our journey of a tale of two cities starting with a trip back in time to Life in Edo period.

Life in Edo 

The Edo period (江戸時代) in Japan took place between 1603 to 1868. This was also a period where the arts and culture grew and flourished such as kabuki and ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world). Life in Edo is a showcase of woodblock prints and paintings known as ukiyo-e of the Edo period in Japan. 

When you visit this special exhibition, observe the artworks and paintings, they depict people’s travel, beauty, foods, entertainments and even their beloved pets of the Edo period. With an extensive collection of 157 colourful ukiyo-e prints, the most ever shown in a single exhibition in Singapore, you would be mesmerised by them. Life in Edo features works from great masters, including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro, Utagawa Kuniyoshi and more. 

As you are viewing and admiring the artworks on display inside this special exhibition at ACM, take your time, feel and connect with their lifestyle, culture and arts during the Edo period. Due to the nature of the prints being so light-sensitive, there will be a rotation of a completely new set of prints on display midway through the exhibition starting from 12th July onwards, this allows visitors to double their travel journeys into the life in old world of Japan during the Edo period. 

Russel Wong in Kyoto 

Exiting from Life in Edo section, you will now enter into contemporary Japan with Russel Wong in Kyoto exhibition. A master photographer, a celebrity photographer, very well known not just in Singapore, around the world too. As a photographer myself, I have also looked upon his works and greatly admired his portraiture photography works. 

The photographs in this Russel Wong in Kyoto exhibition showcases his 13-year long, ongoing personal project to document the Geiko of Kyoto, a glimpse into some of the rarely seen and lesser known traditions of this private community. There are forty black and white photographs on display, illustrating the customs and traditions of Geisha, known as “Geiko” in Kyoto. The photographs include the tea ceremony and the lesser known Erikae ceremony, a two week process where a Maiko (a Geiko in training) prepares herself to be come a Geiko. 

When you are viewing the photographs on display, observe the print size, almost all of the photographs there are printed in ōban (大判) size, the most popular woodblock print format during the Edo period. The ōban (大判) size photographs emulate the ukiyo-e prints from the Edo period. 

The photography masterpieces by Russel Wong in Kyoto are powerful, telling visual stories of how the popular arts and culture during Life in Edo continues on and merges into today’s modern contemporary Japan. 

Programmes 

Do visit their website and check out more of ACM onsite and online programmes as part of their special exhibition Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto. From workshops, talks to artist & curator tour, there might be something that interests you!

Not to be missed!

For fans and lovers of Japan history, culture, craftsmanship, landscapes and travel, don’t miss this amazing and beautiful double header exhibition at ACM as you travel through time, history and culture starting from Life in Edo to master photographer Russel Wong in Kyoto. 

Once you are inside this exhibition and get up close to the various artworks, crariftsmanship and photographs on display, you can feel that not only have you gone back in time to the Edo period, you are also visiting the sights, destinations and daily life of Kyoto, Japan, especially for those feeling the Japan travel wanderlust (like myself).

I would like to thank Asian Civilisations Museum for the invite to this special exhibition, Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto, with curator Clement Onn and artist master photographer Russel Wong leading the tour, sharing with us so much invaluable and priceless stories. 

Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto Exhibition at ACM

URL: https://www.nhb.gov.sg/acm/whats-on/exhibitions/life-in-edo-russel-wong-in-kyoto 

Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum 

Dates: 16th April to 19th September 2021 

            First rotation: 16th April to 11th July 2021

            Second rotation: 12th July to 19th September 2021

Admission: Singaporeans & Permanent Residents – $12

                   Foreign Residents & Tourists – $20 

*** You can use your Singapore Rediscovers Vouchers (SRV) packages to purchase your tickets to ACM’s special exhibition Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto, permanent galleries, plus discounts and a gift redemption from ACM MUSEUM LABEL Shop *** 

The post A Tale of Two Cities: Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

It takes a global pandemic Covid-19 to make/encourage Singapore explore its small land size area domestic tourism. We can start to explore and appreciate our own backyard, our history, heritage, culture, museums, nature. 

Time to support local businesses, explore, rediscover Singapore, her favourite tourism destinations among international visitors such as Gardens By The Bay, Sentosa, visit our heartlands, go for your local food adventure discoveries, explore our many nature parks, hike/walk/cycle along our extensive park connector networks (PCN), they are underrated and deserves more credit. 

Visit our network of museums, they are very interesting, informative and enriching, from local history and heritage to international contemporary arts. Rediscover our Singapore heritage and old places, my personal photography and documentation project over the years.

Through my Singapore photographs collection that I compiled over the years, I hope that this would encourage you to explore your own backyard in Singapore. We are a small country in land size, domestic tourism may not exactly ring a bell, this would be the time for change, we can rediscover Singapore again, appreciate the domestic tourism that Singapore has. 

I look forward to continuing my own SingapoRediscovers explorations that I collected over the years, updating and adding more photographs and stories of Singapore and her own backyard stories, photographs and adventures with my TGH Photography x Canon EOS RP Explorer Series Production.

Time to start your SingapoRediscovers – Explore your own backyard!

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The National Museum of Singapore is presenting Home, Truly: Growing Up with Singapore, 1950s to the Present in collaboration with The Straits Times. The exhibition will be held from August 2020 to February 2021 and explores moments and experiences in our history that express our identity and collective memory as Singaporeans.

The museum invites the public to share personal photographs or memories that vividly capture what it’s like growing up in Singapore and what makes Singapore home. The prompts for the public call can be found on https://www.straitstimes.com/tags/picture-this. Photographs and stories can be submitted on https://hometruly.photonico.asia/ by 1 March 2020.

I have been photographing for close to 35 years (and still counting), I do have some old printed photographs somewhere of my growing up days in Singapore, I reckon my Dad, Uncles and older cousins have just as much (prints and digital) memories of growing up with Singapore, to share since they had been a major influence on me to be interested in photography from a very young age. On the digital photography segment, I started to look back at my Singapore photographs collection on Flickr documented inside here since 2007, I also have a special collection dedicated to #OurSGHeritage too!

What photographs of Singapore from my growing up years am I am able to contribute and share? I have to look through my archives again, maybe there is a priceless photograph of my growing up years with Singapore that might be selected for display!

Last but not least, to my fellow Singaporeans,

“What is it like growing up in Singapore, and what makes Singapore home? Ask any of us that question, and memories of the games played in school, long queues at hawker centres, or moments of collective celebration or crisis may come to mind. Contribute your personal photographs and memories by 1 March 2020 for potential display in Home, Truly.”

Please help to Pay It Forward and Pass It On, to fellow Singaporeans, your family, loved ones and friends, to share your fond memories of (Singapore) home!

* Information and picture courtesy of National Museum of Singapore and Ogilvy *

The post Share Your Fond Memories of (Singapore) Home appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

I visited Singapore Night Festival 2018 over a period of 4 nights, looking at the various Night Lights artworks on display and performances by different arts troupe. The style and direction for Singapore Night Festival 2018 had changed, there wasn’t a big international performance act to anchor the Singapore Night Festival like the previous 10 editions. Nevertheless, the international artists that came to Singapore Night Festival 2018 gave us an interesting time too.

The Duel by Lords of Lightning (UK), Automatarium by David Berg and FierS à Cheval By Compagnie des Quidams (FR) gave the visitors to Singapore Night Festival 2018 some nice dazzling performances and memories.

Automatarium by David Berg and FierS à Cheval By Compagnie des Quidams (FR)

The Duel by Lords of Lightning (UK)

Automatarium by David Berg

Night Lights 2018 had a few interesting artworks on display, it was great to see local artists making a mark in this event! Some of the Night Lights 2018 artworks that got my attention and admiration were:

• Hyperbands by KopI/O

• Pulse by Galina Mihaleva, Hedren Sum, Pat Pataranutaporn, Kathrin Albers, Audrey Ng

• The Search by The Search Party

• Ember Rain by Starlight Alchemy

• The Leap of Faith by Teng Kai Wei

During a visit to this Night Lights 2018 artwork “The Leap of Faith”, the artist Kai Wei was present while I was immersing myself photographing this artwork in action by the visitors on his Night Lights artwork. This artwork “The Leap of Faith” resonates with me deeply, the theme behind it and the artwork interaction when I entered it!

While at the “The Leap of Faith” Night Lights 2018 artwork, I had a great time chatting with Kai Wei, understanding more about his art, craft, inspiration and direction, we also had a chat on collaborating on potential multi-media artwork, his artwork and my photographs, let’s see how it turns out in the future! Check out my Instagram post on this artwork and my thoughts behind it!

My Singapore Night Festival 2018 photographs can be viewed in this Flickr album, do visit them and take a look! My collection of Singapore Night Festival photographs can be viewed inside this Flickr collection!

With the conclusion of the 11^th edition of Singapore Night Festival, let’s see how the 12^th edition of Singapore Night Festival in 2019 would turn out!

The post Singapore Night Festival 2018 (17-25 Aug) appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

There are six sculptures inside this special dark collection space, you can touch, you can feel, this experiential learning and visit into The Little Prince In The Dark Collection brings your visit to the Singapore Philatelic Museum to an all new level and dimension (for everybody including the blind who can now also “see”, touch and enjoy their museum experience). The six sculptures depict the iconic characters and scenes inside French author Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s Le Petit Prince, a classic book that was first published in 1943.

All the hand made and hand painted sculptures were made from fibreglass and resin, coated with marine lacquer and they were created by French artist Arnaud Nazare-Aga. Using UV LED lights shining on the painted sculptures inside this customised dark room, welcome into The Little Prince In The Dark Collection!

“One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eye.”

This is a world famous quote, written by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Upon entering into The Little Prince In The Dark Collection, the feel and connection was beyond my eyes looking into the world of The Little Prince when I touched and felt the sculptures, with my heart and soul. It seems like I was flying away into many different worlds and exploring them, just like The Little Prince.

I invite you to visit and enter into The Little Price In The Dark Collection at Singapore Philatelic Museum, touch, feel and immerse yourself with your heart, not with your eyes.

Welcome to the world of The Little Prince!

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Over the weekend, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) organised Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 with many fun activities and events on 22^nd and 23^rd September 2018!

Mid-Autumn Festival is one of my favourite festivals, with the colourful lanterns and getting an opportunity to taste different mooncakes (although I don’t really eat a lot!) with Chinese tea, catching up with family, relatives and friends. At the Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival, we can see extended families coming down together to soak in and enjoy the Mid-Autumn festivities and activities at SYSNMH.

今天是中秋节，祝全家团团圆圆，幸福快乐！

Looking at the multi-generational families coming down to SYSNMH for Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival, it was heart warming to see the families bonding together, enjoying themselves and having fun!

Visitors also took the opportunity to visit the permanent galleries and learn more about the history of Dr Sun Yat Sen revolutionary activities in Southeast Asia as well as the contributions of the Singapore Chinese to the 1911 Revolution, the impact of the revolution on Singapore and the Chinese community in Singapore.

For Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2018, there is something very big and delicious that stood out for this year’s celebration! They unveiled Singapore’s largest mooncake sponsored by Kwong Cheong Thye, measuring approximately 1.8m in diameter and 20cm in height! I was glad to be part of this historic moment, up close and personal with the largest mooncake in Singapore!

Oh yes, they had tea appreciation for this year’s Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival and it was really good! Pek Sin Choon Pte Ltd and Lion City Nanyang Tea Society provided the Chinese tea appreciation. I haven’t tasted such excellent tea for quite a while!

Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival has many interesting and fun activities for everybody during the two-day weekend event, attracting the young kids and adults coming together for family fun and bonding time, while enjoying the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although I didn’t sign up for any of the activities, you can check out their Facebook Page for more photos of their activities and fun time!

My favourite segment from the evening concert at SYSNMH Lawn was the LED Dragon Dance, a regular feature at SYSNMH! I reckon they are always a crowd favourite there at SYSNMH! The compound of SYSNMH was packed with visitors watching and enjoying the evening concert at the lawn! More photographs of Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 can be viewed inside my Flickr photo album!

If you haven’t visit Wan Qing Yuan – Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, check out their website and social media pages for more information and updates on their events:

Website: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Facebook Page: Wan Qing Yuan – Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall 晚晴园-孙中山南洋纪念馆

Instagram: Wan Qing Yuan (晚晴园)

I would like to wish everybody 中秋节快乐！Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Have a good bonding and fun time with your family and loved ones, with your lanterns, mooncakes and Chinese tea under the bright lunar 15th day full moon of the Chinese 8^th lunar month!

The post Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

DigiMuse Presents is now taking place at the National Museum of Singapore, there are seven digitally-led protoype projects that makes a visitor’s tour of National Museum of Singapore exhibitions and galleries very interesting and interactive, a further in-depth exploration and better understanding of Singapore’s history, heritage and culture.

DigiMuse Presents is co-created with digital designers and creative professionals in partnership with cultural institutions and technology companies. The newest edition to the wider DigiMuse programme is an initiative by the National Museum of Singapore to lead a vibrant cultural sector invested in digital innovation. The following protype project were selected from a big and wide pool of entries from the inaugural DigiMuse Open Call for digital and innovation concepts that concluded in April this year 2018.

Director of the National Museum of Singapore, Angelita Teo, said, “We welcome thoughtful applications of technology that strengthen our visitors’ cognitive and emotional connections with Singapore’s history and heritage. Through creative integrations of culture and technology, along with collaborative industry partnerships, we hope to offer even more experiences that resonate with and inspire our visitors. We continue to be committed to growing the museum as a progressive cultural institution that challenges the boundaries of what is possible, driving innovation for the sector in our contributions to Singapore’s vibrant cultural landscape.”

Programme Director of the DigiMuse Project, Jervais Choo,added, “The DigiMuse initiative explores the intersection of technology and culture and opens a gateway for discovering our past to inspire future possibilities. By incorporating a spectrum of digital technologies to communicate our heritage and history in new perspectives, the innovative projects featured in DigiMuse Presents are both educational and enthralling, demonstrating potential instances of how we may interact meaningfully with Singapore’s rich culture and heritage enabled by frontier technologies.”

The seven digitally-led protoype projects at DigiMuse Presents are on Levels 1 and 2 of the National Museum of Singapore. I had the opportunity to experience them, let me share more information and my experiences with the modern digital technology.

Level 1 (DigiMuse Presents Overview)

( 1 ) A Harbour of History by 360VR Asia

Search for historical figures hidden inside this gigapixel photo of Clarke Quay in modern Singapore. Once you find the historical figures, find out more about those inspirational individuals, the lives that they led and the important roles they played in the growth of Singapore into a nation today from her early days as a colonial trading port.

( 2 ) An Excavation Through Time by iMMERSiVELY

Have you ever wonder what’s the job of a archaeologist really like at historical sites excavating artefacts? Look no further, this is a must try hands on experience for you! Team up together to dig for buried artefacts from Singapore’s Temasek era! This is a VR experience that incorporates locally-excavated artefacts from the National Museum’s and Asian Civilisations Museum’s collections.

I tried it myself and I really liked it a lot! I have a feeling that this could be the most popular DigiMuse Presents protype projects, both young children and adults would like it!

( 3 ) Musuem Experiential Guide by Digimagic and National Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media

It’s not back to the future, it’s back to the past, to the Colonial days inside the Crown Colony section of the Singapore History Gallery. While you are not traveling back in time in a time machine, with the application of AR technology, visitors can learn more about the Colonial days through this interactive journey.

Level 2 (DigiMuse Presents Overview)

( 4 ) Beeing Human by Baelf Design

Using digital 3D-printing technology, the traditional and iconic dresses and Peranakan accssories are re-intrepreted and created, could this be how Singapore’s fashion might look like in the future?

3D-printing technology might not be the most glamorous modern technology or the most well known technology today. However, their potential, capabalities and application should not be ruled out in how they can be applied in heritage, conservation and preservation segments.

( 5 ) Project Insight by HelloHolo

Have you ever wonder what’s the job of a conservator really like? At Project Insight, with the help of the HoloLens, you can learn about the roles and job of a conservator, their conservation process, with a hands on experience at conserving a painting in MR technology.

( 6 ) Multiplicity by Big Red Button

Many a times, we hear viewpoints from one side, have we ever hear viewpoints from the other side of the spectrum? Through Multiplicity app, visitors can discover, hear and learn about the different viewpoints from historical characters through this experience. There is also a progress chart that can inform you on the time spent listening to each different viewpoints. At the end of your experience tour, you can form your own conclusion.

( 7 ) Ask William by Unified Inbox

Would you like to ask William Farquhar a question or a few questions? Yes, now you can ask William at the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, by snapping a photo or a drawing from the Goh Seng Choo Gallery, sending it via WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

Using AI chat bot, this interactive technology is very fun and interesting. Ask William a question or a few questions, it’s going to be fun! Oh yes, try not to be too cheeky with your questions when you ask William!

Personal thoughts and views on DigiMuse Presents at National Museum of Singapore

Exploring DigiMuse Presents at National Museum of Singapore is going to be a fun, interactive and experiential learning for everybody, from the young to the adults. Implementing modern and emerging digital technology such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), they can help to improve the learning experience and open up the world of musuems further and wider to the public. Visitors can get a feel of the jobs of those who worked in museums or gaining a deeper understanding and learning of our history, heritage and culture through the digital technology worlds of VR, AR and AI.

Moving ahead in the future, all these digital technology would definitely be useful for their exhibitions. It would definitely be interesting to view which of these digital technology would be chosen to be implemented in the museums around Singapore.

DigiMuse Presents at National Museum of Singapore is an excellent initative showcasing great examples of how different types of emerging modern digital technology can be embraced without fear, having a positive impact for experiential learning and engagement with visitors.

DigiMuse Presents is only going to be around at the National Museum of Singapore for a short period of time! Don’t miss it! Spread the word and pass it on, bring your children, bring your family, bring your friends, for a day at the National Museum of Singapore with modern technology!

Exploring DigiMuse Presents at National Museum of Singapore

Date: 4^th to 26^th August 2018

Opening Hours: 10am to 7pm daily

DigiMuse Presents website (Link)

DigiMuse Presents brochure (Download link)

I would like to thank National Museum of Singapore and Ogilvy for the invitation to the DigiMuse Presents.

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