The Great Port Cities of Asia

Kennie Ting is a writer, museum director and cultural heritage professional, fascinated by the history, heritage and culture of port cities in Asia, especially Singapore, where he was born. Previous books explore his interests: Singapore 1819: A Living Legacy (Talisman, 2019), the Heritage book in the Singapore Chronicles series (2015) and The Romance of the Grand Tour: 100 Years of Travel in South East Asia (Talisman, 2015). As Director of the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum in Singapore, he has overseen the curation of exhibitions on the arts of Southeast Asia, China, India, the Islamic World, Japan and Korea, as well as the material culture of cosmopolitan Asian port cities. Between 2016 and 2024, he transformed the ACM from a classical museum of ethnography and Asian art, to one that eschews traditional art histories for cross-cultural themes such as maritime trade, faith and belief, materials and design, and hybrid communities. During this time, he also expanded the museum’s collecting and curatorial scope to include works of contemporary photography, fashion and design. For his contributions to the arts and culture, Kennie was conferred the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France in 2021, and the Public Administration Medal (Silver) by Singapore in 2023.

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