Director's Note

Walk into most art galleries and you’ll see visitors padding quietly through the space, thoughtfully contemplating the works. This was not the scene at the exhibition of Yip Yew Chong’s “I Paint my Singapore”. All around, people were chattering away as they shared their memories with their companions, prompted by scenes of Singapore in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Yip, a visual artist, had spent a considerable amount of time doing research to ensure that the details in the painting were accurate and the reactions he got suggest he succeeded. Artworks like this validate the importance of history and memory, which is why we made Yip and his painting our cover story this month.

One reason “I Paint my Singapore” received so much attention was because it was a 60-metre-long painting; its length made it notable. Likewise, it was the length, this time of men’s hair rather than artworks, that made the government pay attention in the 1960s and 1970s. Librarian Andrea Kee revisits the campaign against long-haired men – aptly called Operation Snip Snip – and uncovers the bald truth behind it.

Long-haired musicians were among the people caught up in the campaign against hippie culture. Not all musicians were peacenik hippies though. In the late 1960s, one small group of local musicians decided that they would try their luck in South Vietnam, entertaining American troops. Writer and content creator Boon Lai finds out why they risked life and limb to perform in a war zone.

Speaking of war, writer and curator Zhuang Wubin’s examination of photo studios during the Japanese Occupation is a fascinating study of the challenges that photographers had to go through during that period. 

In this issue, you’ll also read about the fast and furious history of dirt bike racing, see Singapore through the eyes of Joseph Conrad, and learn what Singlish was like before the word was invented. 

In addition, we look at the contemporary collecting effort by the National Library to acquire and preserve materials for posterity. We also check out some interesting things that were recently donated to us, such as items relating to the first Singapore Mount Everest expedition, and photos and documents from a 100-year-old martial arts association. 

Interestingly, even though the focus of the group was martial arts, not everybody was kung-fu fighting. What else did they get up to? You’ll have to read the article to find out.

Alicia Yeo
Director
National Library Singapore