Shared Heritage: As we see it – A travelling exhibition recently ended at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Museum. The exhibition, which ran at the NUS Museum from 11 May to 13 June, featured multimedia works of participants from the 17th ASEF University (Malaysia 2011) on cultural heritage.
“The exhibition provides a reflection on how culture and heritage provide a sense of belonging to communities,” says Sallehudin from Malaysia.
He was one of 22 students from a summer programme, The European Union in Asia – Reflections on European Integration, Institutions and Influence, who visited the exhibition. The summer programme was organised by the European Union Centre (EUC) in Singapore and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore.
A curatorial tour was given by Ms Nurul Huda from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Museum, who also encouraged the students to share their perceptions on the display. The diversity of impressions led to an interesting exchange of thoughts.
Talking about one of the videos (Flows), a student said “I do not understand how a passing boat and ripples on the water can be related to heritage,” to which another student responded, “…it symbolises the passage of time, and what one does here today can have an impact somewhere tomorrow.”
One of the students, Lien, from Vietnam said “In today’s globalised world, it’s essential that we do not only share economic and political issues, but also understand each other’s culture”.
The exhibition will travel to the Philippines in July 2012 in time for the 11th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the ASEF University Alumni Network (ASEFUAN).