SINGAPORE - The Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) in Kampong Glam, once a palace open only to Malay royalty, is throwing its doors open one last time before it shuts later this year.
Its final offering: a special exhibition titled Cerita, meaning "stories" in Malay, and the result of more than a year of curatorial efforts.
With the centre closing for a revamp that is expected to last for at least two years, it will be the last chance visitors get for a while to view what was the seat and historic home of Malay royalty in Singapore more than 180 years ago.
The exhibition opens on Jan 29 and will run till July 31. It is open to the public and free of charge.
On Thursday (Jan 20), MHC unveiled a Garuda costume - a half-bird, half-man vehicle of war in Malay folklore. With a wingspan of 3.4m, it is easily the star of the new exhibition.
The mythical bird costume brought in from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is among more than 80 objects, either taken from the national collection or borrowed from lenders, that are meant to spark conversations about what being Malay means.
"We juxtaposed historical and contemporary objects, so that there is something for everyone, and to make the exhibition more accessible," said Ms Asmah Alias, MHC's general manager.
"We want people to come and share stories about the objects with one another, to take part in the ongoing conversation about Malays' identity. Unlike our previous exhibitions that focused on Malay sub-communities, this one brings them all together in a fresh manner."
True to its mission to offer something to everyone, the exhibition has not much by way of a unifying theme, but covers arts and culture, history, food, sports and daily objects.
Common objects such as the gasing - a traditional Malay spinning top - are displayed in glass cases. But visitors will also be able to admire a ceremonial circumcision chair and an intricately carved botekan - a terraced structure used by those more well-off to keep spices and medicine.
The exhibition also looks back at Kampong Glam in the 1940s, when it was a busy port hub for those en route to Mecca and Medina. A hand-drawn map by artist Latiff Mohidin shows how close the sea used to be to Beach Road before land there was reclaimed.
Together with the exhibition, MHC will launch its annual Malay CultureFest, to be held over three weekends.
In past years, the festival saw hundreds of people on the streets of Kampong Glam, gathering night after night to watch various performances. This year, however, celebrations will be scaled back amid an evolving coronavirus situation.
Guest curator Syed Muhammad Hafiz said the curators have tried to incorporate the usual performance elements into the exhibition instead, since performers from Indonesia will not be able to travel here.
"The rod puppets would have been worn by performers pre-Covid-19, but exhibiting them in this (static) way offers another angle to think about them. When we watch performances and dance, we can forget to think about the craftsmanship behind the costumes."
MHC assistant curator Zinnurain Nasir said setting up the Garuda costume itself made him realise how tiring it must be for the performer to wear it on stage.
It took three people to arrange the costume at the exhibition, but the performer must wear it while another person, who is playing the hero astride the bird, rides on his back and shoulders.
"The performer said it weighed 50kg, but it was more like 80kg," he mused.
