9 May 2007
Opened on 2 October, The Cathay Gallery located on level 2 of The Cathay on Handy Road showcases the history of Cathay Organisation, the Loke family, their various business interests in Malaysia and Singapore from the mid 1800s. These business interests include tin mines, plantations, properties, film production studios, film distribution, hotels and cinemas. Today the family still owns the estates and properties established by Loke Yew and Cathay Organisation’s business continues to focus on lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality in Singapore and Malaysia.
This unique collection of memorabilia that the family has kept over the years includes items related to their businesses, interests such as art and photography as well as personal items.
Special Exhibitions
The Cathay Gallery will regularly feature changing exhibitions on a variety of topics related to film, photography, travel, the arts and many other interests of the Loke family.
From 11 May to 31 August, The Cathay Gallery showcases photographs of the famous temples and buildings of Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia taken by the late Dato Loke Wan Tho.
Magnificent Angkor, 11 May to 31 August 2007
As captured by Dato Loke Wan Tho between 1954 to 1956
An adventurer and a keen photographer, Dato Loke Wan Tho made a series of trips to Siem Reap between 1954 and 1956 to photograph the magnificent temples of Angkor. Over 100 of his photographs were published in the book, Angkor in 1958, written by good friend and collaborator, Mr Malcolm MacDonald, Commissioner General of Singapore & South East Asia. Dato Loke became firm friends with HRH Prince Sihanouk & his wife, HRH Princess Monique & was awarded the order ‘Commander du Sahametrei (Cambodian)’ in 1962.
Angkor covers the region of Siem Reap in Cambodia where the Khmer empire flourished from the 9th to the 15th centuries.
What remains today are the over 1,000 stone temples, some merely stone rubbles. The site’s other buildings and surrounding villages including palaces built of wood have long since disappeared.
The Angkor Thom, “Great Walled City”, was the capital of Angkor built by Angkor’s greatest king, Jayavarman VII of the late 12th century. It was the centre of his vast building programme. At its peak, it was said to have housed 50,000 residents. Its crowning glory, his state temple, the Bayon with its magnificent heads, took 21 years to complete.
During the 15th century, nearly all of Angkor was abandoned after Siamese attacks until the late 19th century when French archaeologists began the arduous task of clearing the thick vegetation, restoring and repairing the foundations. Today, Angkor is a World Heritage Site.
Featured in this exhibition are Dato Loke’s black & white photographs of the Angkor Wat (the main and most famous temple), Banteay Srei, Bayon, East Mebon, Phimeanakas, Preah Khan, Pre Rup, Ta Prohm, Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King.
Also on display are sandstone & polished stone Khmer sculptures of the 5th to 12th centuries.
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