Art work by Navin Rawanchaikul (Thailand) Navinland Needs You: We are Asia! on display at Art Stage Singapore 2012Singapore 18, September 2012. Launching the 2013 international arts calendar is the third edition of Art Stage Singapore, taking place from 24 – 27 January at Marina Bay Sands.
Art Stage Singapore is an international contemporary art fair with a specific focus on fostering Southeast Asian artists and galleries. The unique fair is held annually, and features approximately 130 leading galleries comprising a mix of international and Asian names. Art Stage Singapore is Asia’s definitive rendezvous point for collectors, artists, art enthusiasts, academics and museum and gallery professionals.
Lorenzo Rudolf, the former Director of Art Basel, founded Art Stage Singapore in 2010. Mr Rudolf launched Art Stage Singapore to promote and drive Asia’s art market, giving the region a voice in the art world and a platform to become a competitive player on the global stage. The fair plays a vital role in supporting the Asian art industry, bringing the West to Asia and showcasing the region’s best established, and emerging, artistic talents.
“Our Asian focus provides us with a strong and unique identity within the international art scene,” Mr Rudolf said. “About 80% of the galleries will be from Asia. If collectors want to see Western art, they can go to any of the international art fairs. They make the trip here to see Asian artists.”
Despite a challenging economic situation, the most recent 2012 fair enabled a number of important sales, including:
- Michael Schultz Gallery sold an “Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting)” by Gerhard Richter for US$1.52 million (S$2 million).
- Haunch of Venison sold a number of Gonkar Gyatso works including the “Dissected Buddha”, 2011, for US$200,000 (S$260,000), as well as an undisclosed piece for US$400,000 (S$518,000).
- Gajah Gallery sold one painting by Nyoman Masriadi for US$350,000 (S$453,000).
- Linda Gallery sold a work by Srihardi Soedarsono for US$232,000 (S$300,000).
For the upcoming fair in 2013, Art Stage Singapore is proud to annouce a number of new initiatives, including the Indonesian Pavilion, country platforms for Singapore and Australia, and a new digital version of the art fair, Art Stage +.
Indonesian Pavilion: The Best of Indonesia Art Stage Singapore is pleased to present a group of the best Indonesian artists and galleries to participate in the Indonesian Pavilion. It will include a curated exhibition by established and emerging artists, and a section specifically dedicated to galleries. Aiming to be the most comprehensive representation of Indonesia’s contemporary art scene, the Indonesian Pavilion will form a dedicated show space of over 1000 square metres.
Fair Director Lorenzo Rudolf explains the reason why Art Stage Singapore decided to introduce the initiative, “The Indonesian art scene needs an internationally competitive platform in Asia where it can showcase its best. When a number of Indonesian artists came to me and expressed their anxiety over their limited access to the international art scene and market, I decided it is the right time for Art Stage Singapore to use both its regional advantage and resources to facilitate a new dynamic for both Indonesian artists and galleries”.
The Indonesian Pavilion will provide the country’s top artists with the opportunity to show their work to a global audience of collectors, galleries, and museum professionals. This opportunity is a new step in the evolution of the art fair.
The Indonesian Pavilion is actively accelerating the development of the Indonesian contemporary art market. It will provide an international focus on Indonesian galleries, strengthen Asian Pacific art networks, and link emerging and established artists to a new global audience.
Singapore Platform: Showcasing the Most Exciting Homegrown Talent The Singapore Platform, now in its third year, is a curated exhibition showcasing works by some of the most exciting Singapore artists. Building on past successes, the Singapore Platform has helped raise the profile of local artists, who have since been chosen to exhibit at reputable international galleries. For the 2013 edition, the Singapore Platform will be developed by Singapore’s National Arts Council (NAC), and will be an exclusive commissioning platform for Singapore artists. This strategic move is part of the Council’s priority to grow the capabilities of Singapore artists, and provide opportunities for them to produce ambitious new works. In addition, for the first time, the new Singapore platform aims to develop curatorial capabilities by appointing a young Singaporean curator to develop the exhibition.
Mr Khor Kok Wah, Deputy CEO of the National Arts Council, comments, “The Singapore Platform demonstrates Art Stage Singapore’s commitment to present the best art from across Asia, including Singapore. It remains an important and key opportunity for us to profile Singapore artists, alongside those represented by international galleries. Encouraged by the success of the Singapore Platform at the previous two editions of Art Stage, we hope to continue to leverage on the fair’s influence and reach to highlight and showcase new and ambitious Singapore works to both the region and the world at the 2013 edition of Art Stage Singapore.”
Participants for the 2011 Singapore Platform included: Heman Chong, Ho Tzu Nyen, Jane Lee, Donna Ong, Tan Guo Liang, Ming Wong, Ian Woo, Robert Zhao.
Participants for the 2012 Singapore Platform included: Betty Susiarjo, Ng Joon Kiat and Robert Zhao.
Australia Platform: Expanding our Reach Art Stage Singapore is introducing the Australia platform as a means to increase the representation of Australian galleries at the fair.
Lorenzo Rudolf comments, “Traditionally antipodean galleries showcase themselves at all of the major western fairs but have very little presence in the Asian art market, representing just 5% of galleries at last year’s fair. By providing Australian galleries with a dedicated platform we hope to increase their participation and profile in the Asian markets”.
The names of participating Australian galleries and artists will be confirmed by the end of October 2012.
Project Stage: A Platform for Emerging Asian Artists Art Stage Singapore will welcome over 130 galleries from 21 countries for the art fair in January. In addition to the main gallery section, where many of these galleries will be housed, Art Stage Singapore is also including a dedicated platform for rising regional talent, called Project Stage.
A unique Art Stage Singapore initiative, Project Stage typically features around 30 projects by young, emerging talents from across the Asia Pacific region. Previous presentations have included site-specific projects, new innovative concepts and interactive installations.
Art Talks: Thought Leaders and Cultural Exchange Leading up to the launch of the art fair in January, Art Stage Singapore will present a series of expert talks and discussions providing comprehensive insights on current trends and developments in both the Asian and international art world. Led by leading curators, critics, artists and professionals working in the field of contemporary art, Art Stage Singapore aims to increase art education, knowledge and debate within Singapore.
Year on year, Art Stage Singapore continues to strengthen the fair's unique philosophy emphasising three core values: quality, exhibition of art in context and presenting and supporting the art scenes and markets of Asia Pacific, with a specific focus on South East Asia.
Art Stage + : A New Virtual FairArt Stage Singapore is proud to announce the launch of a new online platform Art Stage + in a special collaboration with Gallerist Inc. Scheduled to launch at the upcoming third edition of the fair, this ground breaking collaboration, the first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, will provide a global audience with the opportunity to interact with a fully functional virtual replica of the fair.
Opening three days prior to the fair, Art Stage + will allow discerning art enthusiasts and collectors the opportunity to preview the works from every participating gallery at Art Stage Singapore 2013. Online sales and reservations through this new platform will commence in tandem with the first public viewing of the fair and will continue until 28 January, one day after the physical fair closes its doors.
Art Stage Singapore: We are Asia
-ends-
