Manila Galleon explores a trade that connected Asia to the Americas and Europe. For centuries, Spanish ships laden with porcelain, silk, spices, and other goods sailed annually across the Pacific from Manila to Acapulco, returning with millions of pieces of silver.

Featuring over 140 extraordinary works of art from the 16th to 20th century, the exhibition reveals how people, goods, and ideas circulating through the global port cities of Manila and Mexico City created a distinctive shared cultural and artistic heritage. Looking at Manila as a precursor of Singapore, it reflects the unique qualities of Singapore’s own blended society and the important role port cities have played in artistic and cultural exchanges that shaped the world.