Total Defence 30 : An Experiential Showcase

Total Defence celebrates its 30th anniversary with a experiential exhibition at National Museum Singapore where the stories of unlikely social vigilantes take center stage. Titled “Because You played a Part”, the exhibition draws on personal accounts as well as hot topics to lead visitors on a trail of discovery spanning all 3 levels of the museum.

National Museum was temporarily transformed into a defence base with a military rover (not in photo), marine cruiser and fire-fighting vehicles stationed at the entrance.

Having as much interest in militaristic stuff as Anton Casey has in our “poor people” transport system, I wasn’t expecting much from the Total Defence 30 : An Experiential Showcase exhibition but I was pleasantly surprised.

The defenders (our people) and the defended (our home).

Although the story threading through the entire exhibition was quite hard to follow, I found the narrative idea and highly interactive exhibits to be refreshing and earn top marks for balls and creativity in distilling Total Defence ideologies into palatable bits.

And one of the best things, apart from really friendly and cheery helpers at all stations of the exhibition, was the feat of fusing something as dry as Total Defence with artistic endeavours. While some aspects of the presentation can be improved further provided that budget and museum restrictions permit, the exhibition delivers its promise as a truly experiential showcase that breathed life into the 5 tenets of Total Defence :

1. Military Defence

2. Civil Defence

3. Economic Defence

4. Social Defence

5. Psychological Defence

The journey starts with how you feel and the thoughts of 5 Singaporeans about what Total Defence means to them across the various demographics of Singaporeans (employee, entrepreneur, student, retiree, and homemaker). You can choose which character to follow and uncover more stories (the related characters are colour coded) on all 3 levels of the museum or explore every exhibit at each designated exhibition space.
I chose to follow the path of the entrepreneur (Abdul Hadi) because who doesn’t want to be boss right? LOL!

Immersive staging at the introduction zone lets you walk into the concerns and stories of different Singaporeans on Total Defence.

The lifestyle sets have scenes fashioned to correspond with the characters and it was really fun to just sit at the different chairs and watch talking heads relay thoughts.

Tried as I may to pretend I’ve not seen the retro phone and thus acknowledge my age, I can’t help but shimmy in the “awwww” of nostalgia.

After the lifestyle zone, my trail led to a cool minimalist exhibition chamber that featured a varied collection of information presentation methods. From simple touchscreen modules to reveal positive and negative media messages…

… to a hall of mirrors to reflect upon your community role through expanding social situations, to social media reactions and advocacies. I like it that the exhibition incorporated some of the hot social media topics such as “Chope Food for the Needy” and how the exhibits embraced the conversations of real Singaporeans… with the inclusion of Singlish! My blog got “Lah” so you know how much I love Singlish 🙂

Big questions that need reflection.

My Total Defence journey brought me to the basement of the museum. I couldn’t find the next personality in my blue trail (Pat Law) but was delighted with this camou version of the Churning of the Sea of Milk from the Mahabharata epic by Cambodian artist, Svay Sareth.

Part of the Singapore Biennale 2013 “If the World Changed” exhibition, this quirky interpretation of the mural found at Angkor Wat into a stuffed toy served as the artist’s mock at the “illusion of cooperation within exploitative hierarchies”. I understand the artist’s angst but I’m more taken with the lovable appeal of this physical moniker to the sculpture found at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

From basement one, I was brought to level 2 of the National Museum on my Total Defence journey where I’d learn by now that we have the power for social change especially in the era of social media. This zone of the exhibition featured classic information panels but instead of using pre-fabricated exhibition frame systems, the panel structures were customized with relevant media features such as a playback of Dick Lee’s culturally-harvested musical tracks.

National security is a collaboration amongst citizens as well as with government agencies. This message of teamwork was creatively transferred to players of this simple game where one party fingered the Braille impressions on one side and described them to a partner on the other. The partner then deciphers the letters to reveal the Braille word. Brilliant!

2-in-1 photo wall where photographic works are projected on…

… and converts into a simple frame for visitors to be Singaporean of the Day. It’s achieved easily by covering the projector with a card.

When kids saw this Lego replica of the 2004 Nicoll Highway collapse, they rushed over and started banging the vehicles and plucking at the ‘debris’ pieces. Alarmed, the parents immediately chided the kids to not break the display (which was already broken).
Then came the clever part of bringing the message across… The student helper assured the parents that it’s ok for the children to dismantle the exhibit because this shows how fragile our society can be. One wrong move and everything can come apart. Then the kids were encouraged to rebuild the bridge instead. Which they did.

At a space outside the permanent gallery that traces the history of Singapore’s food, this partially immersive set was staged to share the story of Ya Kun, one of the pioneer coffee stallholders who is now a household brand in Singapore with countless outlets all over the island.
When Ya Kun started his coffee stall, he only had 2 tables, hence the display, and he slept on top of the tables so that he can wake up at 5am every morning to start his business. A fine example of the early 刻苦耐劳 spirit that has been replaced by the call to work smart instead of hard nowadays.

This Reflection Wall allows visitors to leave messages after they toured the exhibits to family and friends or feedback on the showcase. It’s a low cost solution to engage visitors but I like how the old-school pencils invokes a sense of nostalgia. Well, at least for me coz my primary school days were spent sharpening pencils instead of clicking those mechanical ones.

Riding on hopes for peace in Singapore on Red Scorpion, a fire-fighting bike that is the first response vehicle to all fires in Singapore.

Producing contents, messages and exhibits for events and exhibitions (mostly involving governmental or related agencies) for close to 5 years, I must say that the Total Defence showcase was a daring departure from most stat boards’ preference to cram as much information as possible into every inch of communication real estate.

While this approach has certain pitfalls as most messages are inferred rather than blatant, I enjoyed the ample mental breathing space as a result of knowledge de-cluttering and the focus of a single idea for each tactile interactive. And the exhibits’ design while not jaw-dropping, blended tastefully with the museum environment.

My only grouse was that some of the characters along a story path was hard to track down (I never found the character Pat Law in the Entrepreneur path that I followed) and the Total Defence exhibits had to compete with other exhibitions going on at the museum. I was waylaid many times to check out installations of Biennale 2013 and other themed galleries that joining the dots of the Total Defence narrative became sporadic.

Nonetheless, with some patience and determination to complete the story trail, I got the gist of how entrepreneurship contributes to Economic Defence while discovering other Total Defence concepts along the way.

Then again, I think that’s kinda cool because I learnt more as I was motivated to make sense of the modular personality-based accounts. Not that I’m an expert just because I’m in the events and exhibitions industry, but I feel that the Total Defence 30 : An Experiential Showcase was gutsy in its creative direction and something of a breakthrough to artify national policies.

And it’s free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents to visit!

“Because You Played a Part” Total Defence 30 : An Experiential Showcase is on from 15 – 23 Feb 2014 at National Museum Singapore.

SAFRA Mobile Snapathon 2013

Fast fingers, quicker minds… SAFRA Mobile Snapathon is a test on one’s physical fitness and stamina for creativity.

We’ve all heard of walkathons, marathons and triathlons. But a Snapathon?

Fans of photography with mobile devices had a chance to pit their photographic and image editing skills against each other in SAFRA’s inaugural Mobile Snapathon where participants were given 5 locations and 5 themes to shoot. Sounds like great fun so Siow Har and I joined this event that’s held in conjunction with the Shine Youth Festival. Initially, I thought the Snapathon was open only to youths. 

But apparently, so long as you can walk and snap a photo with your phone camera, you are a youth!

Getting into the right frame with SAFRA Mobile Snapathon at The Central mall.

Participants of the Snapathon can sign up under 2 categories – Individual or Group of 4. It’s free play for all when it comes to interpreting the theme at the designated location but the photos of Group participants must include a group member/s or body part of member/s.

Only one shot is to be submitted for each thematic challenge and the two best photos (one for Individual, one for Group) from each theme win a prize. Are my photos good enough to win something? Here are the shots I framed and the submitted pick for each location and theme in this Amazing Race-type photography challenge…

Location 1 : Asian Civilisation Museum

Theme 1 : Devotion and Desire

ACM has curated an exhibition of Asian iconographies and religious artefacts currently ongoing at its gallery titled Devotion and Desire. And that’s the theme at our first Sanpathon checkpoint.

It was the first time I stepped in ACM and I was more interested to check out the place than the photographic task at hand. But no time to play tourist as we only had 45 minutes to go from one location to another, snap our shots and upload onto the Snapathon dedicated QR coded mobile app.

A centerpiece at the Devotion and Desire exhibition was this hanging pyramid made up of abstract knitted cloth Buddhas.

One of the shots I considered submitting was this. I liked how the spotlights threw a starburst next to the Buddha… 佛光普照.

This is another shot I considered. Playing with depth of field, I wanted to show the beauty and desirability of these Indian women carved into a bas relief.

But I finally submitted this shot for the theme of Devotion and Desire. The naked bosoms of the women evoke a sense of eroticism that stirs desire and the hand of one woman on the other hinted subtly of devotion. Well, that’s my interpretation. I shot this first before the above photo but thought it may be too risqué to submit for the Snapathon but decided to keep abreast with the theme and uploaded it. Hahaha… I’m devoted to my desires!

Location 2 : Peranakan Museum

Theme 2 : Getting Married Over 12 Days!

Our second location was the Peranakan Museum, which again, I’ve not visited before (and I call myself a Singaporean!). The museum has dressed up its second floor gallery in the splendour and richness of traditional Peranakan weddings in the olden days, presenting a photography banquet for shutterbugs.

But with so many people crawling around the exhibition space for shots, I felt kinda lost and stumped for a subject matter. Thankfully, Siow Har came to my rescue. I’m amazed by her eye for interpretative storytelling.

A shot that Siow Har ‘saw’. Marriage is probably something that every girl hopes for. Here is Siow Har’s impression of her longing for that day to come.

I liked her idea so much, I decided to get a shot done too. Being single, I’m not interested about Getting Married Over 12 Days, but getting a lifetime of romance with the compatible one! Still waiting…

This is the shot I submitted which Siow Har ‘saw’ and shared the angle with me. I liked how the beams framed the two photos of a couple in the background and seem to say that marriage has two sides… a side that cages, and a side that frees. Which side are you on?

Location 3 : Singapore National Museum

Theme 3 : Life in Singapore

Location three is the grand dame of our museum circuit. I’m familiar with the place, but the theme is so open, it was difficult to pick a message to convey pictorially.

Me attempting to find the meaning of Life in Singapore. Photo by Siow Har,

Not one of the shots I considered for submission but I thought the scene presented an interesting study of contrast… left side is sitting still, right side is on the move. Life in Singapore offers the freedom of both sides. The left also signify the born-and-bred Singaporeans who stayed while the right represented the coming and going of foreign talents.

A shot I considered submitting. Singaporeans are like eggs… hard on the outside, soft on the inside and could easily break. The government forms a strong and protective net over the people, but a chick that hatched inside the cage won’t become a chicken. But I think the times are changing judging from the people’s voices at the recent elections.

I submitted this. Singaporeans are relatively wealthy, well-fed and well-clothed. But our comfort in affluence may blind us to surrounding dangers. And that is Life in Singapore for me. If we don’t hunger, we won’t prosper.

Location 4 : Fish & Co. (313@Somerset)

Theme 4 : Reeling in the Catch

This was the toughest amongst all the locations and themes. We were supposed to compose a shot that shows Reeling in the Catch at the premises of Fish & Co. dining outlet at 313@Somerset. But I’ve seen some of the most creative interpretations at this challenge which showed that creativity is not limited by a small space but a small mind.

I discovered I have a small mind.

One of the Group participants Reeling in the Catch with this ensemble of air fishing with an umbrella! LOL.

Had a hard time thinking about what to shoot and finally decided to bring the ‘ocean’ to the fish…

… my submitted shot of the swordfish ‘leaping’ out of the water as it is being caught and reeled in. I know, it’s lame and a sinker.

Location 5 : The Central

Theme 5 : Riverfront Shopping, Riverfront Dining

The last checkpoint was back at The Central shopping mall where the event had its flag off in the morning. Super brain-dead by this time and hungry, I just wanted to get the shot over and be done with.

But as I started conversing with the scenery for a shot, I began to appreciate the waterfront area. Well, the waterfront is narrow, more like a longkang, but it is still pretty scenic and vibrant with the trail of bumboats and rows of colourful shophouses converted into restaurants by the Singapore River.

New faces, old souls.

Love these huge outdoor shelters that spread out all along Clarke Quay like the undercaps of giant mushrooms.

Submitted this ultra uninspired and straightforward shot to try and encapsulate the meaning of Waterfront Dining… but Waterfront Shopping was missing.

A Good Body and Mind Workout

Well, my five submitted shots didn’t win any prize. They didn’t even make it into the shortlisted photos of the Individual category which I find undistinguishable from the Group category.

But well, photography is always a matter of personal perception and satisfaction. I enjoyed the process and learnt a lot from Siow Har as well as the other participants in the things we can do with photographic angles and human subjects within such a short amount of time. Some of the photos were really funny and amazing!

Plus it was a really great workout speed walking from location to location and holding weird postures while framing a shot. The photos were not developed through soaking in lab chemicals but sweat.

No prizes but still two thumbs up to this very stimulating photo competition by SAFRA in partnership with SAFRA Photographic Club and various sponsors. Will definitely join again next year if it’s going to be held again! And oh my, I didn’t know my tongue is so long! Maybe I’ll win in a lickathon?