Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit (1912-2012)

CEBU, Philippines - Ongoing until April 29, 2012 at the Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum is the touring exhibit of the Titanic for its 100th anniversary. Its first time in Southeast Asia! Despite our hectic schedule, we managed to spend an hour and a half within 13 cavernous halls of the 21gallery spaces of the ArtScience Museum (within that “Lotus Flower” distinct architectural design at the foot of Marina Bay Sands).

Our hairs stood on ends as we viewed a tattered leather man’s wallet, some personal journals, jewelry pieces, travel trunks of old that could enclose two adults cozily within, shoes and other intimate apparel belonging to persons who met an untimely end in the freezing waters of the Atlantic. We ventured audio-visually through exact replicas of the cabin hallways; a peek into a typical luxurious first class cabin (like a hotel suite!), as against a third class – also known as “steerage” – accommodation which resembles the third class bunkers of our domestic ships; the Verandah Café; and the iconic Grand Staircase. Bits and pieces of the lives of those who perished – rich and poor – were on display in terms of yellowed photographs, confidential letters, assumed names, clandestine travel arrangements, etc.

On its maiden voyage, the RMS (Royal Mail Steamer) Titanic started from Southampton (England), then to Cherbourg (France), on to Queenstown (Ireland) before finally proceeding to New York, its final destination. A first class ticket to NYC cost US$2,500.00 (currently about $57,200), while a third-class ticket was only US$40.00 (currently about $900.00). The purportedly unsinkable ship, considered the world’s biggest at the time, struck an iceberg at 11:40pm on April 14, 1912, sinking 2 hours & 40 minutes later. Passengers still believed the unsinkable description to the very end, so that the first lifeboat carried only 19 passengers, despite its 65-passenger capacity. The captain was a retired distinguished master mariner of the White Star Line; many passengers from all class levels were not meant to be in the Titanic but they booked last minute or changed their bookings from other ships. The number of lifeboats was arbitrarily reduced by management decision. Hypothermia was the cause of most deaths. It was such an experience to touch a real iceberg to relive the freezing temperature at the boat’s sinking. The promenade deck was eerily windy and cold; while the boiler room was claustrophobic and hot!

Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal until August 12, 2012.