Thurs Mar 28 2024, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM SGT

The Minangkabau from the highlands of West Sumatra form the world’s largest matrilineal society. Family property, land, and heirlooms pass down from mothers to daughters. A Minangkabau headdress in Singapore’s National Collection epitomises the community’s identity, and features a combination of local and imported materials that sheds light on the complex cultural and commercial interactions of the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Hidden from view, an adhesive was used to line two imported cloths to the underside the headdress. In this talk, a conservator, curator, and conservation scientist will present an integrated analysis of the headdress. They will reveal how gold, natural resin, machine-printed cottons from Europe, and brocades of Indian or possibly European origin were integral to the production of Minangkabau material culture.

Sat Feb 24 2024, 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM SGT

Cándida Fernández de Calderón, director of the Fomento Cultural Citibanamex A.C., discusses her work with craftsmen to preserve and promote Mexican heritage. The talk will be followed by a panel discussion with Lidia Riveros, Tracy Tang, and Denisonde Simbol, who worked with communities to amplify their voices in the Manila Galleon exhibition.

12 January 2024, 7-8 pm

This talk covers the curation process of the ACM’s current special exhibition, Manila Galleon: From Asia to the Americas.

30 November 2023, 7-8:30 pm

Join Afton Chen (Reckless Ericka), Lina Osman (LINAOTH), and Taufiq Iskandar (Youths in Balaclava) as they talk about how their respective labels began and have evolved through the years.

24 November 2023, 7-8 pm

What is driving the conflict between China and India, and is there a happier future in front of them?

16 November 2023 – 17 March 2024

Manila Galleon explores a trade that connected Asia to the Americas and Europe.