Weapons of Mass Desire, an exhibition which aims to provide visitors with a fresh perspective on war and its legacy by looking at post WWII design and consumption will be presented by the National Museum of Singapore from 28 August 2008 to 4 January 2009. The exhibition is divided into three sections – Desire for Freedom, Desire for a Better Life and Desire for Identity. Various displays guide visitors on an exploration of the post-war consumer market, including wartime technological breakthroughs and its influences on transportation, home furnishing and even fashion. The exhibition will also feature a video on the negative impact of WWII, scripted and produced by students from Raffles Institution, and commissioned by the National Museum.
Some key exhibits in Weapons of Mass Desire include the iconic Vespa scooter, a product of freedom designed to address post-war Italy’s urgent need for affordable transportation; cover pages of local fashion magazine Her World from the 1960s; lightweight, mass-produced signature furniture by Charles and Ray Eames; and even high fashion articles from Jean Paul Gaultier and the revolutionary “it” froc dresses introduced by Christian Dior in 1947.
“Many elements of our culture during the 50s and 60s had roots in the inevitable influences of war. This exhibition delves into the technologies that transformed our lives through consumer products made it available during this period of history. It provides a different perspective on war and its aftermath, relating history to things we encounter in our daily routines. It also furthers the Museum’s continued interest in presenting and examining history in a way which allows visitors to deepen their understanding of Singapore, and is a complement to the Fortress and Syonan-To sections about WWII in the Singapore History Gallery,” says Ms Lee Chor Lin, Director, National Museum of Singapore.
Accompanying the exhibition, a series of dialogue, forums and film screenings on the legacy of WWII will be conducted in English and Mandarin. Prominent guest speakers include Bu Ping, Director of the Institute of Modern History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Haruo Tohmatsu from Tamagawa University. A first at the Museum, these experts in the field of Sino-Japanese relations will dialogue in a bilingual (Mandarin and English) setting about their latest research. Bu Ping heads the Chinese team of the joint China-Japan history study committee, while Haruo Tohmatsu is a member of the Sino-Japanese War study project sponsored by Harvard University.
Exhibition, Talks and Film Screenings Details
Weapons of Mass Desire
Design and Consumption in the Aftermath of WWII
Thursday 28 August 08 – Sunday 4 January 09
10.00am – 8.00pm, daily
National Museum of Singapore, The Canyon, Basement
Free Admission
The exhibition is supported by:
· Jean Paul Gaultier
· Piaggio Asia Pacific
· Singapore Press Holdings