Monday, November 24, 2008

P4. Place

Place refers to both the site where the event takes place (the venue), as well as the place at which consumers can purchase their tickets. In the case of Singapore Biennale 2008, tickets are sold at event site itself, which is at South Bridge Development Centre, City Hall, and Singapore Flyer. Choosing the right place for this event is very important because it will not only enhance and give effect to the event, but at the same time, it gives people the perception of Singapore, what the past is like, how rich our culture is etc. It also helps people understand Singapore, especially for the tourists, through City Hall and South Bridge Development Centre, to Singapore Flyer, it shows them how much Singapore has developed through the years and what we as a small country, is capable of.


City Hall was originally built in 1929 as a historical and symbolic status for post-independence Singapore. It was here that Admiral Mountbatten accepted the surrender of the Japanese from General Itagaki in 1945; that Singapore was proclaimed a city by Royal Charter granted by King George VI in 1951; that PM Lee Kuan Yew proclaimed self-government for Singapore in 1959, and where he declared merger with Malaysia in 1963, and then announced that Singapore was an independent republic in 1965.


All the past of Singapore, how we were formed, all started at City Hall. Thus, choosing this as a location for Biennale is perfect as tourists from other countries will be able to understand Singapore better, and the locals attending can also learn more about their home. Most of the rooms in City Hall is untouched, including courtrooms, judges’ chambers, and public administration sites, to add to the viewers’ experience.


South Bridge Development Centre is an ex-army camp built back in the 1930s. After the Second World War, the camp became headquarters for the Singapore Military forces and our first National Service Enlistment was held here in 1967. It was later used as the headquarters of Singapore’s volunteer defense forces, when it came to a conclusion on 9th October 2002 under conservation orders.


Biennale 2008 made full use of this premise but not having the indoors air conditioned. The climate, with its full humidity offers a different sense of experiencing the artworks. In these instances, the artwork melds with the environment in a unique way.

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