Following a three-year revamp, the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) will reopen its doors to the public on Saturday (April 25).
Visitors can look forward to the six refreshed permanent galleries in MHC, which explore the history and heritage of the Malay community in Singapore.
These galleries showcase a mix of artefacts and modern works from commissioned artists and the community, curated according to various themes across different eras.
AsiaOne went on a media preview of the revamped Malay Heritage Centre on Wednesday (April 22), here are some highlights visitors can expect.
One artwork that greets visitors in the Preview Gallery is Earthly Echoes by Fazleen Karlan, who goes by the moniker Neo_Artefacts.
The artwork was inspired by real-life excavation sites in the Kampong Glam area, Fazleen told the media.
She combined artefacts such as ceramic shards found during two separate excavations in 2001 and 2024 to create five sculptures.
“What I’ve been trying to capture is how Kampong Glam, as a location, has witnessed so many changes over the years. And these artefacts can attest to all these changes that happened over a long period of time,” Fazleen said.
While looking at her work, visitors can “think like an archaeologist” and discover different items embedded in the sculptures.
“At the end of it, you can also sketch out your favourite artefact and share it with me on social media,” the artist said.
Another display in the MHC is Bintang Layar, Bintang Cipta — a tribute to women who contributed to the Malay film industry during its golden era.
Artist Mysara Aljaru told the media that the mixed-media installation invites visitors to imagine a world where women had been given equal opportunity in directorial and scriptwriter roles at that time.
“If you open the drawers of the installation, you will find letters written by Malay women currently in the film industry and dedicated to their predecessors.
