FACTSHEET – NHB’S CULTURAL ENDEAVOURS WITH FRANCE

I) COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN NHB MUSEUMS AND MUSEUMS IN FRANCE

Heralding the start of the France- cultural agreement, the National Heritage Board (NHB) museums are in talks with museums in France to work jointly on curatorial projects and exhibitions in art, heritage and culture. As part of this collaboration, visitors can look forward to noteworthy exhibitions from France being showcased in Singapore and vice versa.

A) Exhibitions from France to Singapore

1) Christian Lacroix the costumier Date: 19 March – 7 June 2009 Venue: National Museum of Singapore Presented by the National Museum of Singapore Organised by Centre National du Costume de Scène, Moulins, France

Featuring the haute-couture works of celebrated French fashion designer Christian Lacroix, in collaboration with the Centre National du Costume de Scène (National Costume Centre, Moulins, France), this exhibition will be brought to Asia for the very first time. Visitors to the National Museum will be treated to 80 spectacular costumes and 60 sketches depicting Lacroix’s splendid costume design work of 20 years. This is also the first project to be rolled out under the framework of the cultural agreement.

2) Other plans in the pipeline to bring some of France’s rare cultural treasures to Singapore include the following:

• National Museum of Singapore hopes to work with Musée d'Orsay on an exhibition featuring the Impressionist Masters.

• (SAM) is in talks with Centre Pompidou on an exhibition of artworks drawn from the latter’s permanent collection focusing on New Media.

• Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is in discussion with Musée du Quai Branly, on an exhibition of Quai Branly collection in Singapore.

B) Exhibitions from Singapore to France

1) Between Multiple Worlds: The Peranakan Chinese in Southeast Asia Date: February – May 2011 Venue: Musée du Quai Branly

This travelling exhibition on Peranakan artefacts from the Peranakan Museum in Singapore will be displayed at the world-renowned Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. A showcase of the rich material culture of the , the exhibition focuses on the distinctive art forms of the Peranakans.

2) Other opportunities to travel Singapore shows to France

• ACM is proposing an exhibition on the earliest forms of power suits worn by rulers and priests in ancient China. The exhibition will feature over 100 silken treasures from the early Warring States period (475 – 221 BCE) to the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911 CE).

• SAM is proposing an unprecedented exhibition, Duchamp in Asia. Marcel Duchamp is widely known as the father of conceptual art. Duchamp in Asia will explore the different ways that Asian artists responded to and rehabilitated Duchamp's notions about art.

(II) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN NHB AND RMN

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between France’s Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN) and Singapore’s National Heritage Board (NHB) in Paris on 19 January 2009. Under the MOU, RMN and NHB will work together to jointly curate suitable shows and/or showcase the collections from the respective parties.

Some ongoing areas on preliminary discussion on museum to museum exchanges between the two agencies are as follows:

1) RMN and NHB will provide their assistance in bringing travelling exhibitions to France and Singapore respectively. • As an example, RMN is in talks with Musée Guimet to foster interest in Singapore’s showcase of power suits worn by rulers and priests in ancient China (from Asian Civilisations Museum’s Chris Hall collection).

2) More cross-borders opportunities can be explored. • RMN can provide assistance in putting together an exhibition that involves several museums in France and beyond, and travelling it to Singapore. This is helpful as some of exhibitions are thematic and would involve loans of artefacts and artworks across various institutions. • Singapore may also work with sister institutions in other countries to jointly host an exhibition which resulted from RMN’s arrangement, to create sharing and greater economy of scale.

3) Sharing of expertise and intellectual capital. This can be through human resource and intellectual exchanges such as the following:

i. Organising of Study Trips There are possibilities for one-to-one human resource exchanges of about two weeks to a month on an annual basis to explore various aspects in growing the cultural industry, such as: • Performance management / Recognition system – to recognise, encourage and develop staff in the organisation. • Learning and growth – to study how institutions motivate and encourage staff to go for professional upgrading required in their respective scope of work and groom potential staff for senior management roles in the professional and managerial tracks. • Career progression and opportunities – which manages staff in terms of their expectations towards career progression within the organisation structure. • Strategic planning for the organisation and the industry. • Security issues – safeguarding our museums’ assets.

ii. Invitation of Expert Speakers to Seminars / Conferences • To enhance the vibrancy of the cultural landscape, the parties can plan for more opportunities to invite and send expert speakers to and from France/ Singapore on an annual basis to exchange ideas and knowledge.

iii. Curatorial Residencies / Internships in Singapore or France iv. Co-Curation of Major Exhibitions involving French and Singaporean Curators

(Information is correct at the time of printing) FACTSHEET – CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND MUSEUMS IN FRANCE

Centre Pompidou

Centre Pompidou was established by President Georges Pompidou. President Pompidou wanted to create a unique institution in the cultural realm of Paris, which would embrace the modern and contemporary scene, including that of cinema and theatre. The Pompidou Centre was first inaugurated in 1977. It underwent a series of refurbishing from 1997 and 1999 and opened its doors to the public again on 1 January 2000.

The center plays host to about 30 internationally recognised events and exhibitions per year. These include film screenings, conferences and educational activities. Each year, about 6 million people visit Centre Pompidou – a total of over 190 million visitors in its 30 years of existence.

Official Website: www.cnac-gp.fr

Musée d'Orsay

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France, falls under the purview of the Ministry of Culture. Formerly a train station, it was converted into a museum in 1977 after its closure and was officially inaugurated on 1 December 1986. This establishment is home to mainly French art, including sculptures, paintings and many other facets of artistic expression. The Musée d’Orsay is also widely acknowledged for its vast collection of Impressionist pieces by celebrated artists like Monet and Renoir. The museum attracted over 3 million visitors in 2007 and more than 57 million people over 21 years.

Official Website: www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html

Musée du Quai Branly

The Musée du Quai Branly in the heart of Paris opened its doors in June 2006. It is dedicated to the indigenous art, cultures and civilisations from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Former French President Jacques Chirac played an important role in making the museum a reality.

Official Website: www.quaibranly.fr Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Quai_Branly

Musée Guimet

The Musée Guimet showcases cultural and religious pieces which originate from Asia. Located in Paris, it was founded by Émile Étienne Guimet, an industrialist. Guimet was tasked to research on the religions in Asia in 1876 and his expedition enabled him to acquire artefacts from the region. These include not only fine Chinese and Japanese porcelain, but also artefacts from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Official Website: www.guimet.fr Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_Guimet

Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN)

The Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN), created in 1895, was originally responsible solely for the acquisition of art for the French national collections. Since 1990, it has been classified as a Governmental Agency under the aegis of the French Ministry of Culture.

The RMN has gradually extended its scope and now helps further knowledge of world heritage by focusing on the production and development of cultural events and products. Each year, the RMN organises or participates in about 20 temporary exhibitions and their accompanying publications, and publishes some 150 titles on various supports - paper, electronic media - marketed in its own bookshops or through various distribution channels.

A major player on the international cultural scene, RMN’s expertise and experience are now available to all museums under certain conditions. It acts as a service provider for international public institutions: organising exhibitions, publishing books and catalogues, managing the conservation and distribution of the main French photographic collections for museums, galleries and heritage institutions, producing audio-visual material, providing communication and press office services, producing casts and prints, as well as managing shops and bookstores.

Official Website: www.rmn.fr