A landmark exhibition exploring the connections between Southeast Asia and Latin America opened in Mexico City on Dec 4, inaugurated during a milestone state visit by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Based on two 2023 exhibitions by the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and National Gallery Singapore (NGS) in Singapore, Somos Pacifico, or We Are The Pacific, reorientates the lenses through which people view the world order and the world map.
More than 300 objects – about 80 from Singapore’s national collection – emphasise the colonial trade route between Acapulco in Mexico and Manila in the Philippines from 1565 to 1815 as foundational to the creation of the modern world.
Mexico’s Ambassador to Singapore Agustin Garcia-Lopez Loaeza said during a media preview in Spanish: “All of us are the result of the Acapulco-Manila galleon trade. It’s an axis in our identities.”
Following Mr Tharman’s announcement on Dec 2 that Singapore would open an embassy in Mexico in 2026 – the first in the Spanish-speaking world and just the second in Latin America after Brazil – he added: “I’ve always believed that diplomacy, especially for Mexico, can only work if culture is part of the equation.”
The exhibition’s launch was part of Mr Tharman’s itinerary during his first state visit to Mexico and also Latin America, which concluded on Dec 3.
Singapore first established diplomatic ties with Mexico in December 1975. The 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations is the launch pad for a new era in both countries’ relationship, one of greater depth and breadth, Mr Tharman said. “Our decision reflects Singapore’s confidence in Mexico’s future and will allow us to engage with Mexico’s leaders, officials and the business and cultural community more actively and deeply,” added Mr Tharman, in remarks to the media alongside Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the National Palace located in the Mexican capital.
The Straits Times
