Asian Civilisations Museum
Heritage museum · City Hall ·
Museum exploring pan-Asian cultures, artifacts, art, and trade.
Museum exploring pan-Asian cultures, artifacts, art, and trade.
"The enormous,elegant Empress Place Building is a landmark colonial government-office structure that overlooks theSingapore River in thecentral business district. Since the early 2000s, it’s been home to the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), considered one of the finest institutions in Asia. Its collection of Buddhist statues, textiles, porcelain, and other treasuresrepresents more than5,000years of history in China, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world."
"The ACM explores the many artistic and cultural influences that have come to define modern-day Singapore. The collection started with mostly ethnological artifacts from the Raffles Library and Museum, but was later combined with Chinese, West Asian, Islamic, and Southeast Asian objects. In 2003, the ACM took over the neoclassical-style Empress Place, overlooking the Singapore River. The two newest wings are glossy and contemporary, with a stunning facade made of glass and titanium." - Ashlea Halpern
"The museum’s 'Batik Kita: Dressing in Port Cities' retrospective presents over 100 batik pieces, including rare works from the national collection, and frames batik—an UNESCO‑recognised, wax‑resist dyeing technique that originated in 17th‑century Javanese courts—as a fabric of maritime Southeast Asian histories, identities and trade. Key highlights include a century‑old Javanese dodot with its white lozenge‑shaped tengah that symbolizes rulerly spiritual purity and that was among the early acquisitions of the Raffles Library & Museum; a sarong kebaya suit by Anthony Tan, Max Tan and Claire Leong that captures the look of Singaporean women entering the workforce in the 1960s–70s; and the industrially printed sarong kebaya uniform designed by Pierre Balmain for the national carrier in 1966. The show also traces batik’s diplomatic and political presence through garments such as an Iwan Tirta silk shirt worn at APEC 1994 and a Sarkasi Said red‑and‑white piece worn at the 2019 National Day Parade. Contemporary designers like Baju by Oniatta and Tong Tong Friendship Store demonstrate bold new silhouettes and multicultural reinterpretations, while hands‑on experiences—a Batik Workshop in the Level 2 foyer and a family Batik Activity Trail for ages 7+—teach patterning, dyeing and design. The exhibition connects batik’s historic commercial role as Singapore’s pre‑WWII entrepôt to its ongoing status as a marker of cultural identity, diplomacy and contemporary fashion; it runs until 2 October 2022, with daily opening hours and tickets from S$12 for citizens and PRs." - Ink Creative Studios
"A museum with an impressive collection that traces Southeast Asian material culture, from Neolithic jewellery to 20th-century pieces, and displays decorative objects—bowls, incense holders and other items—that reflect historic trade and cultural exchange." - Rachel Eva Lim
"A sprawling museum showcasing artworks and artefacts from across Asia, notable for thought-provoking temporary exhibitions such as a contemporary exploration of Southeast Asian identity by Gatot Indrajati and a focused exhibition on Chinese couture by Guo Pei." - Brian Spencer