The Media Event I had the privilege to attend was an exhibition dubbed, Neither East nor West: Asians in Monochrome Event, organized by the National Heritage Board. The event has been running from the 23rd of October 2008 and would come to a close on the 1st of February 2009. Situated at the Special Exhibitions Gallery at Asian Civilization Museum Empress Place, the event is having a special guided tour on the 16th of January, for the public to get the story behind the personalities and portraits of Neither East nor West.
The objective of the exhibition was to showcase the portraits taken from the Lafayette collection, even boasting those of important Asian dignitaries who played a significant role in bridging the gap between East and West. Furthermore, it aims to reinforce the idea that differences, be it in geography, race, religion or culture, does not count when individuals from different backgrounds collaborate.
The exhibitions were set based in the late 19th to early 20th century. In that particular era, portraits taken in London were deemed luxurious. Those who were of status and wealth could have their pictures taken at the Lafayette Studio in London’s New Bond Street. Today, the original negatives are housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum located in London. As of date, there are a total of 40 historic portraits from the collection and 12 more from G.R. Lambert & Co.
The event was publicized in the form pamphlets which were left at the counters in Community Centres(CC), and handed out at tourist attractions and several heartland malls. Posters were displayed along the streets near the CBD area. Information on this event was also readily available on the websites of the places of attractions.
The event was not reported as it was an ongoing event. It was on going for a period of about 4 months. As the museum held many other exhibitions, this event was not the only exhibition held at the museum. Hence to report on it would not be fair to the other exhibitions held in the museum. Nevertheless, this event received quite a lot of publicity.
The event was a success to a certain extent as it met its objectives managed to reach its objectives. It did reinforce the idea that differences is of no consequence when people come together peacefully. The exhibits shown were in tact and well presented. Furthermore, the explanation provided by the museum was also very detailed. There were also people of different races who visited the exhibition thus reiterating the objectives of the exhibit.
However, the event received quite a disappointing amount of visitors, while I was there. Improvements could be made in the form of appealing to more visitors perhaps in the form of more aggressive marketing and event awareness.
In order to achieve greater success for this event, I would provide media coverage for this event. The news could be engaged to report on this event therefore increasing awareness among the public. With increased awareness, there is bound to be a larger turnout. I would also place a couple of exhibitions along the streets next to the museum as a preview to entice the public viewing the entire collection in the museum. I’ve observed that performances have always been a hit when it comes to events. Therefore, engaging relevant performances in tie with the museum would draw a crowd and would also encourage them to view the exhibits. Finally, a more hands on approach have also been more interesting than just a passive display of articles. The exhibit could do with more interactive pieces so as to provide better understanding of the culture of the exhibit as well.
