Singapore - Paintings, photographs, sculptures, installation art. Visual art collectors, up-and-coming artists and art aficionados will have an array of opportunities to be awed during ARTSingapore 2007.
The five-day exhibition, part of Singapore‘s premium lifestyle program named A Luxe Affair, will start Oct. 4 and take place at Suntec Singapore.
The eighth-year run is to showcase contemporary masterpieces of a number of worldwide notable artists from 87 galleries in 14 countries, including Australia, India, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
ARTSingapore spokeswoman Florence Fang said here recently, the exhibition would not only feature artpieces crafted by established big names but "will also launch new pieces by up-and-coming artists".
Notables Chua Ek Kay, American Andy Warhol and American Fernando Botero will respectively be representing the Singaporean Cape of Good Hope gallery, the South Korean Insa gallery and the American Robinsons Art gallery during the event.
Meanwhile, Chinese Chen Wenling, Wang Jinsong, Zheng Delong, as well as Indonesians Agus Suwage, Astari Rasjid, Pintor B. Sirait and Titarubi will be among artists representing the Indonesian Vanessa Art Link‘s galleries both in Jakarta and Beijing, China.
Zola Zolu gallery in Bandung, West Java, and Langgeng gallery in Magelang, Central Java, will also participate. Zola Zolu‘s Udin Antara is one of 29 artists selected by the ARTSingapore committee.
Pieces from Indonesian legend Affandi and living artist Srihadi Soedarsono are also expected to fill a total of 5,000 square meters of the exhibition venue.
Fang said this year‘s exhibition would see several differences compared to last year‘s.
"We have expanded our floor space as there are 87 galleries to take part this year, compared with only 60 last year," she said.
Art aficionados, she said, would also have an opportunity to know their artists during art talks, as well as to interact and build networks with each other.
The talks, she said, would be the first time ever for the committee to set up.
"The talks will involve artists, visitors and art collectors. The talks are also designed so artists receive feedback on their pieces," said Fang.
The exhibition would also display, she said, items from Uli Sigg‘s private collection.
The committee says Sigg sits on the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and on the International Advisory Council of the Tate gallery in London, UK and "is arguably the most influential figure in modern Chinese art today".
In addition, the committee is upbeat about selling more pieces this year as it recognizes the emergence of art enthusiasts, particularly those in Singapore.
"More and more young people here appreciate art these days. They‘re finding art investment interesting, and its value increases over time, which is good," said Fang.
"Therefore, we‘re also expecting more artpieces (to be displayed) and more sold this year."
The committee, she said, accrued more than S$4.3 million (US$2.82 million) last year from the art collections sold, of total exhibited collections worth more than S$20 million.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (17 September 2007)
