Singapore - As artwork become a more fashionable and prized asset among the expanding elite in Thailand, Thai art lovers will have a chance to appreciate the works of some up-and-coming as well as more renowned artists in Asia at the largest contemporary art exhibition to be held in early October in Singapore. ‘‘This is the largest and the most comprehensive art exhibition in Southeast Asia, showcasing some of the region‘s best and upcoming artists,‘‘ Chen Shen Po, fair director of ARTSingapore 2007, said in a recent interview.
‘‘This is an arena that we have built and [we] have seen so many successful painters take off from here.‘‘
ARTSingapore 2007 will be held from Oct 4-8 at Suntec Singapore. The event will feature artworks from 86 galleries from 14 countries, with more than S$20 million worth of art pieces on display and for sale.
Artwork from all across Asia ranging from India to some of the most elaborate collections of Chinese artworks will be on display at the event, which is set to showcase to the world the growing importance of Asian artworks.
‘‘In the past there was a great admiration for western artworks but now the trend is shifting toward Asian artwork and this is an opportune event to showcase talent and to gain recognition,‘‘ Ms Chen told the Bangkok Post.
As artwork is becoming more of a long-term investment among Asians who are gradually accumulating wealth, thanks to the booming economy in the region, art galleries are propping up in every city trying to promote more local Asian artists to the world.
Some Thai galleries are also participating in ARTSingapore 2007, which is being organised and supported by the National Arts Council and the Singapore Tourism Board.
Over its seven-year run the event has established a reputation as a cutting-edge contemporary Asian art fair, where galleries take the opportunity to showcase classic artworks and launch new pieces by up-and-coming artists.
For instance, past ARTSingapore fairs exhibited artwork by notables such as Xu Bing, Subodh Gupta and Yayoi Kusama, well before these artists became household names among connoisseurs.
As the only major contemporary art fair in Southeast Asia, ARTSingapore also serves as a trade and networking platform where gallery owners, collectors, artists and art aficionados can gather to forge business alliances, acquire new artworks, share ideas and exchange information.
So far this year ARTSingapore 2007 offers an impressive array of art pieces from galleries across the region, including Australia, India, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, as well as art pieces owned by private collectors.
Some of the big names expected to be exhibiting this year include: Affandi, Ananta Mandal, Andy Warhol, Chua Ek Kay, Eric Chan, Farhad Hussain, Fernando Botero, Guo Jin, Justin Lee, Lee Yong Deok, Liu Ye, Ngugen Xuan Manh, Prajakta Potnis, Ruan Xiao Jie, Shibu Natesan, Sobodh Gupta, Srihadi, Tang Zhigang, Zhang Xiao Gang, Zheng Delong, and Zhou Chunya.
Source: www.bangkokpost.com (22 September 2007)
