Not Mere Spectators - Seminar

Founders' Memorial

Title: All That is Solid Melts into Air: A Conversation with Daniel Goh on Multiculturalism in Singapore

National Gallery Singapore

Date &amp; Time: Sat, 7 Mar 2026, 4.30pm – 6.00pmVenue: The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium, Level B1, City Hall Wing, National Gallery Singapore Overview: Former statesman, diplomat and journalist S. Rajaratnam is one of Singapore’s foremost pioneering intellectuals. His radio play A Nation in the Making defined our founding multiracialism and his subsequent musings on the Ecumenopolis, a thoroughly urban world, laid the basis of our evolving multiculturalism for the making of Global City Singapore. But the world is changing at a rapid rate today. Super-diversity is rendering our identities to be more porous and fluid, while social media and AI technologies are fundamentally changing the way we know and relate to the world and reality. Social and cultural lives are becoming more transient. Philosopher Marshall Berman titled his famous book on the experience of modernity, All That is Solid Melts into Air, written around the same time that Rajaratnam spoke on the Ecumenopolis. Today, we are on the same trajectory in the evaporation of certainty and the normalisation of volatility. How can we preserve and strengthen our foundational multiculturalism? What would multiculturalism look like in 2050? What else can we mine from pioneering thought leaders like Rajaratnam to direct our own futures?Join us for a presentation by Daniel Goh, followed by an engaging conversation and audience Q&amp;A. About the SpeakerDaniel PS Goh is Associate Professor of Sociology at the National University of Singapore who studies race and multiculturalism, urbanisms, postcolonial cultures, and religion and society. He is serving as the Associate Provost of Undergraduate Education overseeing undergraduate research, the libraries, and the arts at NUS. He is also serving as the Vice Dean of Special Programmes overseeing global experiential and impact service learning programmes at NUS College. About the ModeratorJoshua Goh is Assistant Curator at the Founders’ Memorial. He has been involved in research and content development work for the Memorial since 2021. He holds a B.A. (Hons) and M.A. in History from the National University of Singapore. About Founders’ MemorialThe Founders’ Memorial honours independent Singapore’s founding values and nation-building journey. Opening at Bay East Garden in end 2028 as an integrated garden and gallery experience, it presents the story of how our founding leaders and generation built independent Singapore, establishing it on values and ideals such as multiculturalism, openness and integrity. The Memorial aims to spur Singaporeans to reflect on our founding values and draw inspiration for Singapore’s future. About Not Mere Spectators: The Makings of Multicultural SingaporeStep into 1950s–1970s Singapore, when multiculturalism was thought about, talked about, and consciously forged through policies, ground-up efforts and the daily choices of ordinary citizens. Move through the tensions between ideals and realities, then find your place on the stage of multicultural Singapore — still in the making today.

Terms and Conditions<ul><li>Tickets are non-refundable. Should you need to transfer the ticket to another visitor, please write to us at <a href="mailto:founders_memorial@ipossible.com.sg" title="mailto:founders_memorial@ipossible.com.sg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">founders_memorial@ipossible.com.sg</a> at least 24 hours before the programme starts.</li></ul><ul><li>While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information on this programme, Founders’ Memorial reserves the right to make modifications to programmes due to unforeseen circumstances. Please visit <a href="https://go.gov.sg/notmerespectators" title="https://go.gov.sg/notmerespectators" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://go.gov.sg/notmerespectators</a> for the most updated information.</li></ul><ul><li>By agreeing to join the programme, participants consent to sharing their information including phone number and email address with the organiser and partners for purposes relating to the event.</li></ul><ul><li>Please note that there may be photography and/or video recording (audio and/or video) at the programme. By attending, you consent to your photograph and/or recording (video/audio) being used for future communications both online and offline by Founders’ Memorial and its partners for archival and related marketing and publicity purposes.</li><li>For enquiries, please email us at <a href="mailto:founders_memorial@ipossible.com.sg" title="mailto:founders_memorial@ipossible.com.sg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">founders_memorial@ipossible.com.sg</a>.</li></ul>

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Not Mere Spectators - Seminar

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