The Romancing Singapore exhibit-which runs until January 15,2033, according to the sign-documents the astonishing and eventful recent history of love, sex, and relationships. As you enter the Singapore Discovery Center, a docent reminds you that it is only in the past 20 years that the separate roles of Sexer and Soulmate were mandated to replace the bafflingly long-lived (and now obsolete) institution of marriage, in which these functions had always been fused. The exhibit includes posters, newspaper reports, an educational slideshow, and video from a 24-hour news channel. Some of the most intriguing artifacts are fragments of a vanished past: Take, for instance, the condom, a personal device formerly needed to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Or the rose, which was once used by couples as a gift to symbolize their affection. These days, it's just another pretty flower.
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