Signage of war gallery completed to reflect full name

The new gallery at the Former Ford Factory building opened its doors yesterday, but it was the signage outside that drew attention.

The signage - in front of the building and by the road - now reflect the gallery's full name, Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies, along with the phrase "An Exhibition at Former Ford Factory".

When reporters were given a preview of the revamped space last Thursday, the three signs by the road and building entrance read just "Syonan Gallery".

A spokesman for the National Library Board said the signs had not yet been completed during the media preview.

She added: "The revamped exhibition has always been titled 'Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies, An Exhibition at Former Ford Factory'.

"There has been no change to the name of the exhibition or the Former Ford Factory, which remains a gazetted national monument."

The name Syonan Gallery had upset some Singaporeans who felt that it seemed to honour the Japanese Occupation of Singapore during World War II.

In a Facebook post last night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that the name of the exhibition "has understandably caused strong reactions".

He said: "We cannot erase our history or bury the past. The exhibition is a reminder of a traumatic period in our history and the suffering our pioneers experienced when Singapore lost its freedom and even its name."

This article by The Straits Times was published in The New Paper, a free newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.

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