New exhibition curated by Dick Lee celebrates 60 years of Singapore pop culture

Singapore’s vibrant pop culture is taking the limelight as ArtScience Museum and mm2 Entertainment announced the launch of SingaPop! 60 Years of Singapore Pop Culture exhibition on Tuesday (April 15). 

Running from August to December at the ArtScience Museum, the new immersive exhibition is curated by Cultural Medallion recipient Dick Lee and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). 

This marks the first time that the acclaimed Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and director is curating such an event.

For those who aren’t familiar, Dick Lee has also written and composed several popular National Day songs like Home and We Will Get There. 

As its name suggests, SingaPop! is launched in celebration of SG60, and will highlight our nation’s rich pop culture across six decades — from the 1960s to the present (2020s). 

According to a press release, the exhibition will explore Singapore’s multicultural society across five chapters — each with a unique element that highlights the diversity that makes up Singapore’s ‘rojak spirit’. 

“Having lived through and been a part of the evolution of our cultural identity in the last 60 years, I’m proud to present this exhibition that showcases who we are: idiosyncratic, colourful and uniquely Singaporean,” said Dick. 

While the exact details and highlights haven’t been released yet, the organisers have stated that SingaPop! will be an immersive exhibition which mixes Dick’s personal anecdotes with artefects, multimedia installations and archival footage which “connect “the past, present and future of Singapore”. 

According to Honor Harger, vice-president of the ArtScience museum, the exhibition is “both a time capsule and a love letter to Singapore”, framed through Dick’s personal experiences.

“Playful, personal, irreverent and affectionate, the show bears all the hallmarks of [his] unique storytelling style,” said Honor.

She added: “It embraces the rojak nature of our culture, where Singlish, hawker food, local music, fashion and film collide and coalesce into something instantly familiar and emotionally resonant.”

Ticketing details for the exhibition will be announced at a later date. 

More information can be found at https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/exhibitions

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carol.ong@asiaone.com