When Art and Fashion Meet

Curators Naomi Wang (left) and Jackie Yoong tell us what it means to curate the Asian Civilisations Museum’s first fashion and textiles, and jewellery galleries, which open their doors next year.

- Valerie Wong

Mention museums and the imagery that invariably comes to mind are that of imposing spaces filled with regal artwork from paintings to sculptures or ceramics. And that’s simply because an academic bias of certain material mediums exists, says Jackie Yoong, curator at Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). But the 35-yearold is hoping to help change that perspective. In early 2020, ACM will be opening two permanent galleries: one on fashion and textiles, helmed by Jackie; and the other on jewellery, by Naomi Wang, 30.

Occupying the third floor of ACM, both galleries will explore Asian histories, cultures and identities. The fashion and textiles wing will kick off with an exhibition on Chinese dress from the late Qing dynasty to the end of the Cultural Revolution, while the jewellery one will begin with exquisite pieces from South-east Asia, with an emphasis on the Indonesian archipelago.

The theme of Chinese dress is in line with the museum’s ongoing season of Chinese Art that runs till mid 2020. Rotations in the fashion and textiles gallery will rely on these broad themes, which are refreshed yearly. The jewellery gallery exhibition, on the other hand, is slated to be permanent, with rotations conducted on a more opportunistic basis.

The duo have been working in parallel towards the launch, but they share common goals for the two new permanent galleries. Not only do they hope to attract a younger audience to the museum, including students and enthusiasts of the respective fields, they also want to reveal the amalgamation and interactions of various Asian cultures through the objects they curate. “Nationalism is an artificially constructed idea. Physical borders exist only because they are imposed,” says Naomi. “South-east Asia is actually very connected, and more similar than dissimilar.”