Singapore - The New Contemporary Art Centre will be opened in Beijing later this year.
This centre will promote Singapore and Southeast Asian art to the Chinese as well as the international art community.
To do this, a new partnership between the Singapore Art Museum and an Indonesian foundation, the Yayasan YDY Nusantara, has been set up.
Chinese contemporary art may be all the rage now, but collectors like Budiardjo Tek believes that Southeast Asian art also has a lot to offer. That is why the Singapore-educated Indonesian philanthropist want to see more being done across Asia, which he hopes will fuel a new cultural renaissance.
Mr Budiardjo is partnering the Singapore Art Museum to set up a new facility called the New Contemporary Art Centre, or NCAC. The New Contemporary Art Centre will be located in Songzhuang in Beijing.
Songzhuang is considered to be the epicentre of Chinese contemporary art where some 1,500 artists, including internationally renowned artists like Fang Lijun and Yue Minjun, live and work, and meet regularly to discuss the latest developments in contemporary art.
Mr Budiardjo said: "We build the art centre, we have the studio there also, and we bring artists from Southeast Asia to go to Beijing to have their exchanges with Chinese artists. And we provide scholarship or the facilities to bring them back."
Michael Koh, CEO, National Heritage Board, said: "The intention is to have a facility together with the NCAC and work together to bring Southeast Asian art and Singapore art to the international community.
"I say this because many international foundations are also setting up in Songzhuang, Beijing and through this internationalisation of the centre, we hope that even more cultural exchanges can be conducted."
The project gets the thumbs up from a famous art lover and collector - former Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Ms Megawati said: "I am very glad to learn of the New Contemporary Art Centre project in Beijing which the Singapore Art Museum and the Yayasan YDY Nusantara of Indonesia are collaborating on.
"This new centre will enhance cultural exchanges between Southeast Asia and China, and the world from an Asian cultural perspective. I know many artists are very excited about this project and I wish the new centre a great success."
Ms Megawati is in Singapore to open an exhibition by Chinese contemporary artist Feng Zhengjie.
"Primary Colours: Feng Zhengjie" showcases 25 of Feng`s recent artworks. The exhibition is now on at the Singapore Art Museum till mid-April.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com (29 Januari 2008)
