New NParks exhibition celebrates Singapore Botanic Gardens’ UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription and National Orchid Garden’s 20th anniversary
10 Jul 2015
To celebrate Singapore Botanic Gardens’ UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription, Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Communications and Information, launched the National Parks Board’s (NParks) new exhibition titled “Botanical Inspirations”. The exhibition showcases the Gardens’ rich orchid heritage and celebrates the National Orchid Garden’s 20th anniversary.
Mr Wong said, “Today’s exhibition is a reflection of the Gardens’ natural and cultural heritage, as well as its significant contributions to the orchid industry globally. I am very pleased that the Singapore Botanic Gardens has been inscribed as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the first tropical botanic gardens in the world to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is truly an outstanding achievement for Singapore and a wonderful birthday present for all of us as we celebrate our Jubilee Year. The inscription reinforces why the Gardens mean so much to us. It has played a significant role in nation building and in the very boom of the rubber trade and orchid industry. And to so many of us, the Gardens is a place where we have walked with friends, picnicked with family and courted the ones we love. The Gardens is a place we are proud of as a people. Let us remember our past as we appreciate our Gardens. Let us also appreciate the Gardens by making new memories with it.”
“Botanical Inspirations” kicks off SG50 celebrations at the Gardens. It comprises two separate showcases – “Orchids of Singapore Botanic Gardens and Their Heritage” and “Tropical Splendour: Plant Portraits from the Shirley Sherwood Collection of Contemporary Botanical Art”. The Gardens was recently inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 4 July and the new exhibition is part of its ongoing efforts to increase public awareness about the Gardens’ rich heritage and its role as a leading botanical institution.
Orchids of Singapore Botanic Gardens and Their Heritage
Over 16,000 orchid plants will be on display. This includes heritage orchids that have become part of Singapore’s floral heritage, orchids named after foreign dignitaries and other distinguished guests, and uncommon orchids that are not available commercially. This is the first time the heritage orchids are exhibited at this scale outside of the National Orchid Garden. The public will also have the opportunity to view the Aranda Lee Kuan Yew and Vanda Kwa Geok Choo, named after the founding Prime Minister of Singapore and his wife, respectively.
This showcase focuses on the Gardens’ rich orchid heritage. From orchid breeding and hybridisation experiments in the late 1920s (under then Garden’s director Eric Holttum) to the ongoing conservation and breeding programme today. Orchids have long been associated with Singapore. Our cut-flower orchid industry exports more than 10 million stalks each year. The Gardens played a pivotal role in making possible the orchid industry and continues to contribute through research such as the development of micropropagation techniques for the production of orchid hybrids.
In addition, the Gardens will showcase its collection of orchids in botanical art by artists based in Singapore dating back to 1890. There will be 12 reproductions of orchid illustrations on display featuring native orchids, important species in orchid breeding, and orchids from the region.
The showcase also pays tribute to the National Orchid Garden, a popular attraction within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. From 10 July to 31 August, as part of its anniversary celebrations, admission to the National Orchid Garden is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. There will also be pop-up stores by Singapore’s five leading nurseries at the Orchid Plaza in front of the National Orchid Garden on 11 and 12 July.
Tropical Splendour: Plant Portraits from the Shirley Sherwood Collection of Contemporary Botanical Art
This is the Gardens’ first exhibition of botanical art by international artists. Botanical art blends scientific accuracy with artistic sensibility and highlights the beauty and diversity of the plant world. Botanical illustrations portray plants with great precision and details for it to be recognised and distinguished from another species. Throughout history, artists have recorded plants discovered on expeditions with scientifically accurate drawings. With the introduction of photography, botanical drawings have since developed into an art form for people from all walks of life to appreciate.
The exhibition features 55 highly detailed illustrations representing works of 36 artists curated by Dr Shirley Sherwood, a collector of an extensive range of contemporary botanical illustrations and author on botanical art. This is the first time that these pieces from Dr Sherwood’s collection have travelled to Southeast Asia and offers visitors a rare opportunity to view a diverse collection of botanical drawings by various artists. Exhibition highlights include highly detailed illustrations of plants found in the tropics.
Ten reproductions of botanical illustrations from the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ own collection will also be on display. These drawings of four families of plants, namely gingers, palms, legumes and dipterocarps, represent the groups of plants that have been extensively studied in the Gardens.
Jubilee Weekend at the Singapore Botanic Gardens
At the same time, “Botanical Inspirations” kick starts SG50 celebrations at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. NParks will be organising a Jubilee Weekend carnival at the Gardens from 7 to 9 August, featuring nostalgic activities which celebrate shared memories as well as the rich cultural and botanical heritage of the Gardens.
On 7 August, there will be a variety show reminiscent of the “Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat” or “People’s Variety Show”, which was first held in the Gardens in 1959. This will feature a line-up of up to 13 local artists and cultural dance troupes performing contemporary and evergreen songs in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil from 5pm to 7pm. The following day (8 August), visitors will be treated to an evening of classical music by a classical music group accompanied by a touch of contemporary tunes from a popular local band from 5pm to 7pm. Visitors to the Gardens will be treated to performances at the Bandstand from 7.30pm to 8.15pm on both days (7 and 8 August), and outdoor movie screenings from 8.30pm to 10.30pm. The festivities will culminate in a live telecast of the National Day Parade with pre-telecast performances by local artistes on 9 August.
Other activities include heritage guided walks and interactive booths; cultural booths showcasing botanical themed batik painting and calligraphy, traditional games, art and crafts; childhood knick knacks, badge-making, balloon sculpting; and childhood favourite snacks like kacang putih and ice balls.