Opening of ‘Death by Man’: A Spooktastic Night at the Museum
For Halloween this year, the Museum launched its most ghastly exhibition to date—Death by Man. Curated by artist-photographer, Jasvic Lye, the exhibition brings to light the issues that Singapore’s wildlife face, such as habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. Death by Man tells the stories of animals that live alongside us—those that have been lost, and those that we may lose due to human activities and rapid urbanisation.
Through this journaled obituary, Jasvic hopes “for people to recognise each individual animal as a sentient being and understand that one life [lost] is still one life less”. She hopes that Death by Man inspires people to “consider how our presence, actions and urban developments are affecting our wildlife and how much we can possibly lose if we continue to turn a blind eye to this issue”.
The exhibition
This temporary exhibition is split into two main sections. In the first part of the exhibition, specimens from the Museum are showcased up close, with details of the potential threats that they face due to urbanisation.
Further in, a photo wall of animals that have passed from human activities serves as a contemplative and quiet space for one to read their stories and reflect on their lives.
The Death by Man exhibition, with specimens in the foreground and a photo wall of animal carcasses in the background.
Night tours on Opening Day
The Museum held tours for the exhibition for one night only, on 27 October 2023 (7–9 PM). If you were not able to catch the tours and celebrate Halloween with us, here’s what went down!
Visitors were treated to a complimentary 20-minute tour of Death by Man. The tour briefly explained the history of land-use change in Singapore and how this impacted our wildlife, the threats that they face and the motivation and stories behind Death by Man.
A tour guide conducting a night tour for a group of visitors around a display of specimens.
Some gasped at the gory pictures, while others held back their tears at the tragic fate of these animals. The dark backdrop of the Museum was the perfect atmosphere to this eerie and soul-gripping exhibition.
In response to the reactions of the public to the exhibition, Jasvic commented that “it [was] interesting to listen to the different conversations that [Death by Man] has sparked and witness the range of emotions that the stories have evoked. Feeling angry and crying while viewing the portraits and stories shows that people still care”.
A girl dressed in a princess costume, pointing at one of the photos on the Death by Man photo wall.
In the spirit of Halloween, many of the visitors dressed up in their best costumes. From spooky witches to playful sharks, the creepiest and most creative costumes were donned that night!
A man and a woman standing in front of a specimen showcase, dressed in spooky costumes for Halloween.
A family donned in Halloween costumes, standing in front of a giant black marlin displayed on the wall.
Thank you all for coming for our Death by Man night tours and dressing up! We hope to see you again next year for another spooky Halloween!
Come see Death by Man!
Death by Man will be on display from now till April 2024. Come learn about the stories behind the portraits. Book your tickets to the Museum here.