Bangkok--17 Apr--jigsaw communications
ArtScience Museum commemorates the historic voyage of RMS TitanicOver 11,000 visited the blockbuster exhibition during the three day Easter weekend
Over 11,000 visited Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition during the three day Easter weekend as the global interest in the ship reaches its peak and sees the world coming together to mark its 100th year anniversary. ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands makes history by hosting the exhibition in Singapore during this centennial milestone.
On 10 April 1912, the world’s largest ship left its shipyard at Southampton, and started a journey that was to transport the hopes and dreams of 2,228 people to America. Exactly 100 years later, ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands will commemorate the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic with the release of 2,228 Kong Ming lanterns signifying the number of passengers aboard the ship around the museum’s vicinity. The releasing of the lanterns kick starts a three week long commemoration that allows visitors to the museum to experience various aspects of the Titanic, ranging from Irish dancing to an opportunity to photograph themselves dressed in Edwardian costumes at the Grand Staircase.
Kong Ming lanterns were originally used in China as signaling balloons. In keeping with the original purpose of the lanterns, a total of 2,228 Kong Ming lanterns will be lit from 8 p.m. to midnight on 10 April to signal the 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. Starting from 1 April 2012, visitors to the Titanic Exhibition will have the opportunity to pen their wishes on the Kong Ming lanterns and have their photos taken at ArtScience Museum rain oculus located at basement 2.
Mr. Nick Dixon, Executive Director, ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, said, “Hosting Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition on its 100th anniversary is truly a historic event for both ArtScience Museum and Singapore. To mark the maiden voyage of this majestic ship, it is important for us to not only commemorate the voyage, but to remember the individuals who were onboard the ship.’”
He added “The strong visitation to the exhibition over the three day weekend illustrates the global build up in interest of the event, evidenced by many recent television documentaries, magazine features and film releases. With the numerous activities planned for the month of April, there will definitely be something suitable for all visitors to the exhibition. I would encourage people who have yet to experience the exhibition not to miss this opportunity to re-live the magic of the RMS Titanic 100 years on before its close on April 29th.”
Throughout the month of April, visitors can also enjoy Titanic-themed fringe activities such as Irish dances, caricatures, paper cutting portraits, interactive dance performances and a choral concert by PsalmiDeo Chorale. To further enhance the experience in the exhibition, visitors can dress up in Edwardian themed costumes and have their photos taken at the Grand Staircase. Visitors will also be able to view documentaries on the exploration of the Titanic wreck site. In order to bid the exhibition bon-voyage on its closing date, 29 April 2012, a string ensemble will perform melodies that were played aboard the Titanic, while lit paper boats will be set afloat on the lily ponds surrounding ArtScience Museum.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is designed to tell the incredible human stories from the legendary RMS Titanic’s maiden voyage. The use of authentic artifacts and extensive room re-creations combined with the compelling stories of the passengers and crew have made this exhibition one of the most successful exhibition in the world with more than 25 million tickets sold to date. Items from the ship’s construction, vials of perfume from a maker who was traveling to New York to sell his samples, china etched with the logo of the elite White Star Line, postage stamps, sheet music, coins, jewelry, personal items and many other authentic objects offer historical insights into the life and times of travelers of that era and the wide socio-economic disparity between rich and poor.
These artifacts are displayed in ArtScience Museum’s lower galleries which have been meticulously recreated to resemble actual locations in Titanic, such as the First and Third Class Cabins, Verandah Caf?, the famous Grand Staircase, the Promenade Deck and Boiler Room.
Over the past 15 years, more than 25 million people have seen this powerful Exhibition in major museums worldwide. RMS Titanic, Inc. is the only company permitted by law to recover objects from the wreck of the Titanic. The Company was granted Salvor-in-Possession rights to the wreck site of Titanic by a United States federal court in 1994 and has conducted eight research and recovery expeditions to the Titanic rescuing more than 5,500 artifacts. The Company recently completed its eighth and most ambitious mission to the wreck site of Titanic this summer of 2010. For the first time in history, RMS Titanic, Inc. alongside the world’s top oceanographic agencies set out to map the entire wreck of Titanic with the hopes of raising the ship virtually for future generations.
Boasting an iconic lotus-inspired design, the world’s first ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands is poised to be the heart of the growing ArtScience movement. ArtScience Museum, which features 21 gallery spaces, totaling 50,000 square feet, is the premier venue for major international touring exhibitions from the most renowned collections in the world.