National Heritage Board’s latest exhibition to highlight the art behind preserving local artefacts

The National Heritage Board is bringing an interactive travelling exhibition to a library near you. 

The World of Heritage Conservation: Sneak Peeks into Safeguarding Singapore’s National Collection will demonstrate how the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) preserves and maintains national artefacts including: paintings, textiles, objects and paper. 

The exhibition, which was 10 months in the making, will shed light on the profiles of four HCC custodians, with each specialising in one of the four conservation fields and bringing attention to the role they play in safeguarding local heritage. 

Four artefacts highlighted in the exhibition include a 19th-century painting of an opium clipper at sea against the backdrop of the Singapore waterfront; an orange floral lace cheongsam from the mid-20th century; a toothbrush used by a prisoner-of-war during the Japanese Occupation; and a panorama of Singapore’s cityscape hand drawn on paper from memory. 

The exhibition will also include interactive features such as a puzzle and panorama flip board, behind-the-scenes videos and a display of 14 key tools used in the conservation process. 

The World of Heritage Conservation: Sneak Peeks into Safeguarding Singapore’s National Collection will be on display at the Central Public Library from today onwards till Sep 30 before it makes its way across the island. 

The travelling exhibition will be at Bishan Public Library in October, Jurong West Public Library in November, Marine Parade Public Library in December and Tampines Regional Library in February 2022.