新加坡博物館的文化再現

Abstract

國家文化的再現一直以來有來自各種角度的探討，但從博物館的展覽來檢視卻鮮少成為 這類議題的核心，尤其是博物館的角色一直在改變當中。根據Henrietta Lidchi 的說法， 博物館內的文化再現可分為兩個層次：詩學（poetics)與政治（politics)層次。詩學指的 是博物館內的各類「文本」所再現出的象徵意義，而政治指的是博物館作為一個機構， 其從業人員在收藏、分類、與策展的過程與決策，其實會影響參觀者對展覽的認知。本 文循此邏輯，探討新加坡博物館，尤其是新加坡國立博物館與亞洲文明博物館，所呈現 出的「新加坡性」。

The discussion of representation of national cultures from various aspects has been a subject in cultural studies. Yet such discussion is rarely centered in the context of museums. According to Henrietta Lidchi, the exhibition should be explored in terms of the “poetics” and “politics.”“Poetics”refers to how objects, texts and photographs work to represent their culture while “politics”means how the activities of collecting and curating be instrumental means of knowing certain culture. Following this logic, this research explores the poetics and politics of the exhibition in Singapore museums, especially National Museum of Singapore and Asian Civilization Museum for the representation of “Singaporeaness.”