These days, we’ve maybe taken Singapore’s multicultural society for granted – because have we actually ever thought about what it was like before this vision was established? This exhibition presented by Founder’s Memorial is a step back into a crucial time in Singapore’s history to chronicle the key moments between the ’50s and ’70s that defined and shaped the foundation of this nation into what it is today. Unpack, explore and learn from the honest dialogues shared by real-life citizens and political figures of that time to understand the dilemmas and tension that led to the momentous change. Showcased in the multimedia exhibition are archival photographs, artworks, illustrations and artefacts like the original letters between Ministers Ong Pang Boon and S. Rajaratnam on the National Pledge in 1966. There’s also a three-part audio play inspired by S. Rajaratnam’s “A Nation in the Making”.
Not Mere Spectators culminates in present-day Singapore, where it encourages the audience to reflect and appreciate the nation’s multicultural journey, what it means to us, and how it needs to be upheld for the years to come.

