The Peranakan Collection and Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum Helena C. Bezzina a Thesis Submitted
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Nation Building: The Peranakan Collection and Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum Helena C. Bezzina A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy College of Fine Arts New South Wales University March 2013 1.1.1THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES 1.1.2Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Bezzina First name: Helena Other name/s: Concetta Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: School: Art History and Art Education Faculty: Collage of Fine Art (COFA) Title: Nation Building: The Peranakan Collection and Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum This case-study investigates whether it is valid to argue that the museological practices of the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), as manifested in the exhibition The Peranakan Legacy (1999–2006) and in the subsequent Peranakan museum (2008 to present), are limited to projecting officially endorsed storylines, or whether the museum has been able to portray multiple stories about the Peranakan community and their material culture. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework, the study considers the genesis and context of the ACM within the social structures in which it operates. This approach allows for consideration of the generative reproduction of Singapore’s colonial structures, such as the prevailing doxa on race, manifested in the organising principle of the ACM’s Empress Place Museum with its racially defined galleries addressing Chinese, Malay/Islamic and Indian ancestral cultures. Analysing the ACM as a field in which the curatorial team (informed by their habitus) in combination with various forms of capital are at play, exposes the relationships between macro structures (state policy and economic drivers) and the micro operations (day-to-day decisions of the curatorial team at work on Peranakan exhibitions). Through this analysis the study argues that the Peranakans’ refusal to support Singapore’s bid to join the Malay Federation resulted in their political and cultural marginalization. However, the Peranakan community’s legacy, consisting of unique, internationally prized material artefacts, presented ACM museum professionals with a compelling case to promote the community in this state-run museum. The study asserts that through these ACM exhibitions ACM museum professionals effectively repositioned the once disgraced Peranakan community in multiple ways: tentatively as an invaluable aspect of Singapore national cultural capital, as a galvanising symbol to encourage greater harmony between Singapore’s distinct racial groups and confidently as the source of a depoliticized collection of aesthetic artefacts within a newly defined canon of Southeast Asian art. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). 20 April 2014 ……….……………………...…….… …………………………………………………………… Date Signature Simon Weaving ……………………………………..……………… Witness The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed Date: 11 April 2014 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed Date: 11 April 2014 AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed Date: 11 April 2014 Abstract This case-study investigates whether it is valid to argue that the museological practices of the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), as manifested in the exhibition The Peranakan Legacy (1999–2006) and in the subsequent Peranakan museum (2008 to present), are limited to projecting officially endorsed storylines, or whether the museum has been able to portray multiple stories about the Peranakan community and their material culture. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework, the study considers the genesis and context of the ACM within the social structures in which it operates. This approach allows for consideration of the generative reproduction of Singapore’s colonial structures, such as the prevailing doxa on race, manifested in the organising principle of the ACM’s Empress Place Museum with its racially defined galleries addressing Chinese, Malay/Islamic and Indian ancestral cultures. Analysing the ACM as a field in which the curatorial team (informed by their habitus) in combination with various forms of capital are at play, exposes the relationships between macro structures (state policy and economic drivers) and the micro operations (day-to-day decisions of the curatorial team at work on Peranakan exhibitions). Through this analysis the study argues that the Peranakans’ refusal to support Singapore’s bid to join the Malay Federation resulted in their political and cultural marginalization. However, the Peranakan community’s legacy, consisting of unique, internationally prized material artefacts, presented ACM museum professionals with a compelling case to promote the community in this state-run museum. The study asserts that through these ACM exhibitions ACM museum professionals effectively repositioned the once disgraced Peranakan community in multiple ways: tentatively as an invaluable aspect of Singapore national cultural capital, as a galvanising symbol to encourage greater harmony between Singapore’s distinct racial groups and confidently as the source of a depoliticized collection of aesthetic artefacts within a newly defined canon of Southeast Asian art. Acknowledgement My sincere thanks to my supervisors Dr Gay McDonald and Dr Penny McKeon who have provided constant feedback and moral support throughout the many years of this part-time study. Without their encouragement and belief in my ability and in the significance of this case study, I could not have maintained the energy necessary to complete this study. My thanks to Joanne Elliot for her support with the administrative aspects of this research; she has been constantly kind and understanding throughout the entire process. I would like to thank Dr Kenson Kwok for his support in gaining permission for me to undertake this research project within the Asian Civilisations Museum. Additionally I would like to thank Dr Kwok for allowing me access to the curatorial teams attached to both The Peranakan Legacy and the Peranakan Museum. I am particularly indebted to the Asian Civilisations Museum curatorial staff who generously agreed to be interviewed for this study, some on multiple occasions. I would like to thank Peter Wee and Peter Lee, who generously provided great insights both as Peranakans and as expert in their fields. I would like to acknowledge the support of Dr Kirsten Wehner and Dr Anne Saunders and thank them for providing access to their unpublished doctoral theses; Exhibiting Australia: Developing the National Museum of Australia, 1977-2001 and The Mildura Sculpture Triennials 1961- 1978: an interpretive history. This study would not have been possible without amazing support from family and friends. I would like to thank Anne Mathison for her support and accommodation during my frequent trips to Singapore. I am indebted to Neil Phillips for his good humour, and the use of his front room, during my many supervisory meetings in Sydney. I am grateful to my recently departed father-in-law, Wallace Weaving, for his detailed editing in the early stages of this study, and his partner Natalie Weaving for her moral support. I owe much to Gae Bernays, who was a driving force towards finishing this thesis and provided detailed editing of footnotes towards the end of this study.