Land of the Morning: The Philippines and its People

16 Oct 2009 - 10 Jan 2010
@ Special Exhibitions Gallery, ACM Empress Place

Made up of 7,107 islands, the Philippines is known for its stunning natural beauty and its people - warm, resilient and synonymous with the People Power movement. Land of the Morning: The Philippines and its People explores the identity of the Filipino people, created by the blending of indigenous local cultures and foreign influences.

More than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule is most visible in the religion, language, architecture, art and food of the Philippines. Today, the Philippines has the largest Catholic population in Asia. Muslim communities in the south, indigenous highland communities and the influence of Chinese migrants add to the picture of cultural diversity that is the Philippines.

This unprecedented exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum features more than 290 rare and important artefacts - ancient gold, Catholic imagery, tribal artefacts and contemporary Filipino artworks – from museums and private collections in the Philippines, some of which will be on display for the very first time.

This exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Ayala Museum, Manila.