NOV/ DEC 2012 ISSUE 36

INSIDE JOB
NEW ART SPACES AND ARRESTING IMAGES
TPAG / www.thepocketartsguide.com

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

CONTENTS

26 20 32 38

44 50 54

58 62 64

10EDITORS
LETTER

12ART WIRE

20 IN THE FRAME
Trooping the Colours

26 PERSPECTIVES
All the Worlds a Stage

32 ART LANDS
Melaka

38 FRONTIERS
Spectacle and Space

44 DIALOGUES
The Contemporary Diaspora

50 STATES
OF THE ART
The Changing Shape of Abstract Art

54 PORTFOLIO
Slowness and the Longevity of Fortune

58 SPACE
Raising the Platform

62 INDUSTRIAL
AFTERLIFE
Yue Min Jun: Faces in the Crowd

64 FEATURE
When not in Rome...

70 MAP
Art galleries in Singapore

74 DIRECTORY
LISTING

80 ART

CLASSIFIEDS

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EDITORS LETTER
ISSN 2010-4375 / MICA (P) 130/03/2011

Dear Readers, The November/December issue of the Pocket Arts Guide comes out during an auspiciously busy period in the art scenes of Hong Kong and Singapore. It is not just that time of year when galleries attend art fairs and put on seasonal exhibitions. These vibrant hubs for many years artistically anonymous and known primarily for finance are starting to make a noise globally as Asias artists and art scenes join the arena. I was recently asked to talk on a London-based radio station about the impact of the Asian art scene. It struck me that the world is feeling the vibe of whats happening in Asia but is keen to understand the details at street level. That interest also affirms the balance of local and global that TPAG has strived for and that we are becoming known for. Asia has had an established art scene for a millennia so this is not altogether historical, but I think the dramatic shift from the traditional to contemporary markets and the eclipsing of London and New York by Hong Kong in recent years has been a mind-warping surprise, waiting to be understood. Political experts might find a correlation between economic development and this evolution of art and culture. It also signifies a certain type of democratization. As artists find a voice, museums and galleries become more than national cabinets of history and tradition. They come alive, and its the new and original ideas that make them flower. So the theme of this issue is new art spaces, and that also means the breaking down of barriers and revitalization. We look at the newly-opened Gillman Barracks in Singapore and Art Stage in 2013; and we also look at the political nature of Wang Yehans abstract art, the changing nature of performance art ,and the changing of status of Chinese artists.

Editor-in-Chief Remo Notarianni remo@thepocketartsguide.com Art Director Herman Ho herman@thepocketartsguide.com Contributors Gladys Teo, Irina Bourmistrova, Richard Chua, Michle Vicat, Ko Yin Man Advertising & Media Partnership 3-Three Consulting Pte Ltd 23 Genting Road #03-01 Chevalier House Singapore 349481 O: +65 67484339 F: +65 68583880 Advertising: Duane Thia +65 9699 9220 Raymond Liow +65 9639 5280 Ivy Loh + 65 9795 4094 sales@thepocketartsguide.com Distribution & Circulation: Callie Gay +65 9477 5928 mktg@thepocketartsguide.com Press Releases: pr@thepocketartsguide.com Hong Kong Contact: Sally Lee +852 9095 6316 sallylee@thepocketartsguide.com
On The Cover: Overground Ewen Coates

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Remo Notarianni
Editor-in-Chief

1518 NOVEMBER 2012

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

ART WIRE

A Trip to Bali Recent Works by Jason Lim 4.11.12 18.11.12 Goodman Arts Centre www.goodmanartscentre.sg Singapore In 2011, Singaporean artist Jason Lim attended a ceramics artist-in-residence programme in Ubud, Bali for six weeks. He encountered and interacted with an unspoiled Southeast Asian environment that starkly contrasts with the clinical cityscape of Singapore. This exhibition is a visual celebration of his Bali experience embodied in the series Flowers of Ubud.

Picasso on Paper 15.10.12 30.11.12 Collins & Kent International www.collinskentint.com.hk Hong Kong Art investment company Collins & Kent International (CKI) is launching a historical Picasso exhibition in Hong Kong a VIP exhibition of one of the collections of the artists greatest works on paper. It also offers unique insights on how to build a valuable collection for under HK$300,000. The Picasso Works on Paper collection comprises of 42 rare pieces of art that include 30 linocuts, seven lithographs, and five etchings that are being displayed for the first time in their history.

Kisses of an Enemy 26.10.12 15.12.12 Sana Gallery www.sanagallery.com Singapore Sana Gallery presents new ideas and images about the Middle East to Singapore. Its inaugural exhibition in the city features the work of Thaer Maarouf and Semaan Khawam. Maaroufs exhibited body of work includes portrayals of concealed human figures and faces behind layers embedded with Jasmine flowers. Khawams paintings and stencil works seek to explore human and societal consequences of events occurring in Syria. His work is is bursting with subtle elements drawn from graffiti art and poetic practices.

French Influence in Russian Propaganda 30.10.12 27.11.12 Alliance Francaise www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg Singapore This exhibition presents a series of 40 original poster prints, known as affiches in French, titled French Influence in the Russian Propaganda from the collection of Lady Kyra BaezMartell. These affiches of Russia, became collectible items. The effectiveness in delivering social and political messages through the cartel propaganda affiches was widely used in the French Revolution. The French influence in cartel expression has often been called avant-garde.

Joel Morrison 13.09.12 17.11.12 Gagosian Gallery www.gagosian.com Hong Kong In this exhibition, artist Joel Morrison makes intricate, complex sculptures and drawings out of common objects. His sculptures are made from found objects such as plaster busts, weather balloons, water bottles, and shopping carts, which he then casts into polymorphous forms, and bright stainless steel. In Morrison's oeuvre, a quirky conversation between a world of humour and the art-historical canon seems to be taking place.

Gods of Metal 09.11.12 29.12.12 Galerie Steph www.galeriesteph.com Singapore Presented along with Saskia Fernando Gallery of Colombo, this is the first Singapore solo exhibition of Sri Lankan sculptor Prageeth Manohansa, who is known for his unique and charming metal creations. Prageeths sculptures are mainly fashioned out of recycled scrap metal, into stunning metal works of art. This transformation of cold forged metal into warm delightful animal sculptures avoids sentimentality and demonstrates his unique genius and creativity.

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ART WIRE

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Mach Mania: The David Mach Show 22.11.12 12.12.12 Opera Gallery www.operagallery.com Singapore This is an exhibition of David Mach one of Britains best-loved artists and a renowned Scottish sculptor, installation and collage artist. Over the years, Mach has made his name turning everyday items into mind-blowing feasts of colour. Working with an eclectic variety of objects, his sculptures are made from magazines, match heads, car tires, bricks, scrap cars and ubiquitous and everyday stuff that we know but pay little attention to.

First Solo Exhibition of French artist Bernar Venet 26.09.12 24.11.12 Art Plural Gallery www.artpluralgallery.com Singapore Bernar Venet unveils new sculptural reliefs from his GRIB series, a continuation of the wooden Indeterminate Lines that were produced between 1979 and 1983. The works were made using 35mm steel plates and they were torch-cut by hand. The technique adds to the aesthetic irregularity of the scribbles and gives the works a rough character that makes them more accessible than previous works.

Distinct Factures: A Return from Langsdorff 18.10.12 05.12.12 2P Contemporary Art Gallery www.2p-gallery.com Hong Kong This exhibition by Hong Kongbased French artist Cedric Maridet explores perceptual understandings of space and definition. He appoints the theoretical concept of transforming the gallery space into a Wunderkammer, a chamber of curiosity that was a fascinating portal of discovery in the Renaissance period in Europe for things yet to be defined. To Maridet this is an intellectual point of departure, and an opportunity to defamiliarise and rediscover.

Ironic Mythologies: Dorothy Yoon, HaYoung Kim & Hyojin Park 08.11.12 01.12.12 Amelia Johnson www.ajc-art.com Singapore This exhibition features three of Koreas most active young artists Dorothy M Yoon, Hayoung Kim and Hyojin Park, and the works have been carefully selected by London and Seoul based, independent curator and art consultant Heejin No Skipwith of Bright Treasure Ltd. Ironic Mythologies presents three visual languages created by talented female artists to convey their beliefs, fantasies and challenges in order to draw attention to and even question several social taboos.

Yayoi Kusama: Love Forever 02.11.12 20.12.12 Ota Fine Arts www.otafinearts.com Singapore This exhibition presents 50 black and white marker drawings, created between 2004 and 2007, by Yayoi Kusama, with an environmental spread of 25 works, each of which are limited edition silk screens on canvas. The artists improvisation is deft, moving between abstraction and figuration. It also vibrantly but elegantly conveys her motifs: eyes, female profiles, and her characteristic polka dot.

Drunken House: Zhu Xinyu 02.11.12 24.11.12 Art Seasons www.artseasonsgallery.com Singapore This is a presentation of the works of Chinese artist Zhu Xinyu, whose construction of an imagined world emphasizes atmosphere over details. Through these impressions he is able to summarise disparate scenes using a deft touch in which everything is framed without being mechanical. In this arrangement, the issues of perception and recognition are structured on a fundamental level by the ability of the works to feel at once faint and bold.

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Written Images: Contemporary Calligraphy from the Middle East 20.09.12 04.11.12 Sundaram Tagore Galleries www.sundaramtagore.com Hong Kong Written Images: Contemporary Calligraphy from the Middle East, curated by noted art historian Karin von Roques is a first in the history of Hong Kong galleries in the way it brings together Iranian and Arabic calligraphy. Artists including Egyptian Ahmed Moustafa, Iraqi Hassan Massoudy and Tunisian Nja Mahdaoui were among the first to look at writing from an entirely new perspective and reposition calligraphy in the contemporary context.

Master Strokes: Works by Abbot Song Nian of the Mahabodhi Monastery 27.09.12 02.12.12 Asian Civilisations Museum, Shaw Foyer www.acm.org.sg Singapore This exhibition celebrates the artistic individuality and generosity of the Reverend Song Nian on the 15th anniversary of his death. It will showcase pieces from this creative and religious masters rich body of works, including several which he donated to the national collection, along with seal carvings, The Reverend Song Nian (19111997), a native of Jiangsu province in China, was the abbot of the Mahabodhi Monastery in Bukit Timah, Singapore.

Lattitude/Attitude 26.11.12 02.03.13 Schoeni Art Gallery www.schoeniartgallery.com Hong Kong In the past 20 years, Schoeni Art Gallery has been recognised a pioneering force in the establishment of contemporary Chinese art. It is delighted to present its 20th Anniversary Exhibition entitled Latitude/ Attitude. Curated by Huang Du, the Hong Kong exhibition Latitude complements the Beijing exhibition, Attitude in September. The exhibition will be comprised of works from the collection of Schoenis Late-Founder Manfred Schoeni, of which his daughter and current Gallery Director Nicole Schoeni, have added her .

Chu Teh Chun: Nature in Abstraction 05.10.12 03.11.12 De Sarthe Gallery www.desarthe.com Hong Kong This exhibition looks at a crosssection of the work of one of Chinas greatest 20th century abstract artists. The works on offer show the artists talent in combining European aesthetics with Chinas artistic and cultural forms. This is summed up by a combination of mysterious abstract and eddying natural forms. The combination is showcased poignantly by this unique and groundbreaking exhibition, in one of Hong Kongs most cross-cultural galleries and art venues.

DiverseCity 2012 16.11.12 02.12.12 Singapore Art Museum at 8Q www.sif.org.sg/diversity Singapore DiverseCity 2012, is an annual arts showcase by Singapore International Foundation (SIF). This year, it features over 92 Singaporean artists and 108 works they have shown in 90 cities. DiverseCity 2012 is a celebration of the diversity of Singaporean art and culture. A culmination of SIFs work in bridging communities through its Singapore Internationale grant, DiverseCity 2012, it will feature Ming Wong, Ho Tsu Yuen, Vertical Submarine, Robert Zhao, and Zakaria Zainal.

Resolution of Reality 02.11.12 16.12.12 Singapore Tyler Print Institute www.stpi.com.sg Singapore This exhibition of Joo Choon Lins work is a reflective look at forgotten electronic gadgets from different perspectives, demonstrating the transience of technology. This sitespecific installation at Third Floor examines the odd relationship between technology and nostalgia. Both are fundamentally incompatible concepts by definition technology has come to represent change but nostalgia clings to the past. Lin integrates the sensorial properties of technologies once familiar but now forgotten, and explores the reconciliation of these worlds.

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ART WIRE

Jean Coulot: Colours of Life 01.11.12 29.11.12 Kumquat Gallery Hong Kong Hong Kongs Kumquat Gallery welcomes the Parisian gallery PierreFranois Garcier for an exhibition of 20th century Swiss artist Jean Coulot who epitomised the painting of his time. In this exhibition, a carnival of vibrant colours conjures up the 1960sa time when colour in art resonated with the forces of life, and artists such as Matisse, were painted onto the memories of a generation. In this exhibition, Coulots technicolour celebrations of life live on in the 21st century.

Charwei Tsai: A Dedication to the Sea 15.11.12 Louis Vuitton Espace Singapore This opening of a solo exhibition at Louis Vuitton Espace Singapore by artist Charwei Tsai, one of Asias celebrated young artists, presents a series of intimate installations based on Water, Earth and Air; it is exclusively curated by Eugene Tan. The artworks explore the many complex and mystical aspects of the sea. The work is a creative testament of Tsais versatility and spiritual understanding. It is also an endorsement of his talent by one of the worlds biggest brands.

Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous with French Cinema 05.12.12 09.12.12 The Cathay and Alliance Francaise de Singapour
www.rendezvouswithfrenchcinema.sg

Singapore Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous with French Cinema enables audiences to experience the best of French contemporary cinema. Featuring a new line-up of films never before seen in Singapore, Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous Cinema will also present the opportunity to meet with actors and directors after the screening sessions. The event will enable viewers to engage with the films on different levels.

IN THE FRAME

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Pictures on parade To some it is a touchstone of culture that spotlights and reinvigorates heritage buildings amid soaring skyscrapers. In that sense, it heralds a new era in which Singapore, rather than create conditions for art fairs and galleries to set up shop, also tries to make art a permanent part of the landscape. The artistic oasis in the urban fabric, may be a gesture of commitment, more sincere in its simplicity than the grandiosity of Hong Kongs West Kowloon Cultural District, which has turned into a drawn out promise nothing new in a city that has learned to just get on with business without depending on government. According to Dr. Eugene Tan, Programme Director at the Singapore Economic Development Board, the barracks is proof that government support in the arts can effectively make a difference when it comes to building a scene.

Arsenal of talent The architects and visionaries of the Gillman Barracks transformation recognise there is a unique experience in combining art, military history and colonial architecture. Its developer, JTC Corporation, working with the Singapore Economic Development Board, and the National Arts Council, deliberately attempted to retain the 1930s character of the barracks, which was originally founded for the British infantry in 1936. Its logo was designed by young talents from different local schools and esteemed local contemporary art and design collective PHUNK. It is a kind of art tourism venture in the way it includes restaurants, a caf and even a music venue (Timbre) and it also reaches out to people who are not so interested in art. According to some, the art scene is being engineered to a certain extent by being nurtured by the government, but Asian cities really are turning into more than financial hubs, offering more than theme parks and restaurants. The Gillman Barracks is a solid fixture of art on the landscape. If it symbolises the governments commitment to Singapores creative future, hopefully it will soon stash weapons of mass creation from home-grown talent that feels wellrepresented and honoured to be there.

Clockwise from top: Dumpsites (2012) Vermont Coronel, stencil on canvas Uji Handoko Eko Saputro Rock of Ages Edward Burtynsky Self and the Other (2012) Kawayan De Guia, mixed media

Model City Phase 2 (2012) Mark Salvatus, printed cut-outs and wood

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Photo: Sundaram Tagore Gallery

Arts new front line International galleries Sundaram Tagore, The Drawing Room and Ota Fine Arts are among the first to set up in The Gillman Barracks. The galleries spoke of the opportunities the venue creates and its place in Singapore as a springboard for the entire region.
The Drawing Room The Gillman project sets itself apart because it provides one area of access to contemporary art from all over, and at the same time this gathering of commercial venues are superimposed by an institutional, educational platform. To be part of this is to be part of a structured hub in Singapore on contemporary art that presents our work to a bigger market and a broader audience. The artists that The Drawing Room presents show a glimpse of contemporary practices in the Philippines today - artists investigating the shifting terrains of places, the economics of artistic production, the superimposition of traditional practices with contemporary manoeuvres to the medium, and the cultural confluence of the Philippines' colonial history. We feel that become very engaged to the works when they gained perspective that they are from the Philippines. Cesar Villalon, Director Ota Fine Arts Many of the galleries in the Gillman Barracks have mostly international artists on their roster. Over the last few years, one of the central goals of Ota Fine Arts is to highlight the regional characteristics and commonalities unique to the Asian "cultural belt" in our programmes. The Singapore art scene is indeed familiar with Yayoi Kusama, since her participation in the first edition of the Singapore Biennale in 2006. This year, her worldwide status has been shored up by her collaboration with Louis Vuitton, and as Singaporeans like the Japanese are always avid shoppers, Kusama has been receiving a great deal of attention from the general public. For our first show, we chose to exhibit Kusama's latest works as we would like to introduce the public to other variations of her aesthetic, lesser known than her signature motifs such as the infinity nets and polka dots. Yasuko Kaneko, Director Sundaram Tagore The Gillman Barracks is an experiment in creating an Asian artistic hub. I would say importing an international artistic presence and curatorial know-how is raising the bar of artistic presentation in Singapore. We are introducing artists to Singapore, and while some of the artists may be new to them, many are world famous and the Singaporean audience is already familiar with their work and their methodology to a certain extent. With a large number of local and expat collectors, a powerful collector base is taking shape in the city. I have been coming to Singapore for almost two decades now and I always knew there was tremendous potential here. Now with the support of the government and with the formation of the Gillman Barracks, we have been given the opportunity to help define the international artistic patina of Singapore. Sundaram Tagore, Director

Yayoi Kusama art pieces in Ota Fine Arts gallery

Portrait of David Byrne by Annie Leibovitz

Transformers 1 (Spakol-Bukol) (2010) Alfredo Aquilizan, stainless steel, LED lights

Photo: The Drwaing Room

Photo: Ota Fine Arts

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

PERSPECTIVES

ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE

In January 2013, Art Stage reaches its fourth edition. Every year, it has something different to offer and the landscape of Singapore appears to change along with it. TPAG spoke to founder Lorenzo Rudolf on the origins of Art Stage, its developments and its place in a rapidly changing art world.
Text: Remo Notarianni Photos: Art Stage

PERSPECTIVES

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

TPAG: What was the inspiration behind Art Stage Singapore?

Lorenzo Rudolf I wanted to promote and develop Asias art market by giving the region a voice in the contemporary art world, and make it a truly competitive global player. I created Art Stage Singapore to bring the West to Asia and showcase the regions best artists and galleries. Singapore was the best location for the fair. It is positioned at the crossroads of China, India, Southeast Asia, Australia and the Arabian Peninsula. It is a leading financial centre, and it boasts excellent infrastructure. The time was right, and I could not ignore this incredible opportunity to showcase fantastic art from across Asia, in a truly remarkable city. We are the only major international art fair with a focus on Asian artists and galleries, and in particular Southeast Asian art. About 80% of the galleries who participate in Art Stage are from Asia; this is a very important ratio for us to maintain. If visitors want to see Western art then they can go to any of the other major art fairs, but if they want to see the best Asian art, then they come to Art Stage. This is what sets us apart. In 2013 Art Stage will continue to support Singaporean artists and curators with the highly successful Singapore Platform. There will also be various Project Stage exhibitions and a number of new initiatives, such as the Indonesian Pavilion, the Australia market platform, and a new digital version of the fair called Art Stage+. In fact, we want to encourage more Singaporean and Southeast Asian galleries to participate in the fair. This is why were extending discounts across the region, in the hope of incentivising wider participation by the best galleries. When visitors come to the fair in January, they will be seeing the best art that Asia has to offer.

Photos from Art Stage 2012

What do you think sets Art Stage Singapore apart from other major art fairs in the region?

How do you think Art Stage is evolving year by year?

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

TPAG: How do you think Singapore is developing as an art hub and what role has Art Stage played in this?

Lorenzo Rudolf The art scene in Singapore has developed rapidly over the past decade. The Esplanade has just celebrated its 10th anniversary, the new National Gallery of Art is under construction, and the citys latest major arts district, Gillman Barracks, has also just opened. It is an exciting time for the Singaporean art scene. Art Stage Singapore is a vital part of this art scene, and contributes to the countrys reputation in the arts world by attracting collectors, galleries, artists and art enthusiasts from around the world. The Singapore Platform, now in its third year, is a curated exhibition at Art Stage, and showcases work by some of the most exciting artists in Singapore. Building on past successes, the Singapore Platform has helped raise the profile of local artists and curators by putting them on the radar of international galleries.

How does the curation of Art Stage reflect its overall message?

Year on year, we continue to strengthen the fair's unique philosophy, which is is built on two key cornerstones: a focus on quality through stringent selection and the presentation of art in context. The vast majority of galleries participating in the fair are from Asia, and the vast majority of artists exhibiting at the fair are from Asia. We are Asias global art gathering. The floor plan is going to look rather different next year. We have to accommodate over 30 000 visitors to the fair, we have to construct booths for over 130 galleries from more than 20 countries, as well as reserve areas for our special platforms and projects, like the Singapore Platform, the Indonesian Pavilion, and Project Stage. As always well also be hosting a series of lectures and discussions. Last year, Art Stage exhibited 43 Project Stage artists, organised 22 special installations, 6 performances and a series of talks. This year, well be adding over 30 Indonesian artists to that list, as well as numerous emerging Singaporean artists and curators. I would rather leave it up to our visitors to decide that. Were going to have some of the worlds best artists and galleries at the fair, so there will definitely be a lot to see and enjoy.

How is the layout of the fair showcasing galleries?

Clockwise from top left: Arbo Deus Pennatus (2011) Uram Choe metallic machinery, electronic devices (CPU board, motor), 112 x 46 x 79cm Red is the Color of Life, and so is Black (2010) Geraldine Javier oil on canvas, 193 x 244cm Untitled (Divina Proportione) (2011) Ai Weiwei huali wood TV Cello (1999) Paik, Nam June mixed media Tumbangnya Sebuah Pemikiran (2012) Samsul Arifin acrylic on canvas, 280 x 200cm

What sort of cutting edge galleries and artists, presented at the fair this year, best represent the innovative flowering of Asian artists?

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 TPAG ISSUE 33 AUGUST 2012

ART LANDS
MELAKA
Led by Melaka-born Australian Tony Yap the 4th Melaka Art and Performance Festival (MAP) aims to present the work of both local and international artists against the backdrop of world heritage sites in the Malaysian state.

his year saw a good turnout of Australian artists at MAP, coupled with counterparts from Southeast Asia. International media such as Korean Press succinctly teased out the strong links between Malaysia and Australia, alongside other European countries.1 The event was also strongly supported by the Australian government in 2011.2 Over four days (20 23 September 2012), Melaka saw different artists working with, interacting with, and responding to the different world heritage sites in the state. Each and every one of them have established an individual and personal relationship with these sites, namely St Paul's Church, open areas, and a public area at the gateway to St Paul's Hill. Since its inception in 2009, the festival has seen noticeable developments, both nationally and internationally. More art forms have been included, namely visual performance arts, and film. The performance section of the festival has been positioned as a dance and performance art showcase, of which this article has chosen to focus on.

Showcasing works in these world heritage sites is strategic, both artistically and in terms of organisation. Melaka is rich with culture and heritage. According to the blurb in the brochure of the event, collective ancestral heritage serves as a context for framing contemporary culture and artistic practices, both of which aim to cross cultural and socioeconomic divides. To the organisers, it is "a three day celebration which remains free to all". In another paragraph, detailing the curatorial philosophy behind the festival, the theme involving the act of "turning around" is predicated on "transform-ation through the creative drive", where an attempt is made to connect the heritage foundation for Melaka with contemporary arts, albeit under the auspices of Melaka's "heritage-driven tourist industry". The theme is Traces of Transformation.3

CONTEXT & CONTENT:

MAPPING THE MAP

Text: Richard Chua

Photo: Richard Chua

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Photo: Richard Chua

MELAKA

ART LANDS

Photo: Attilio Rapisarda

Photo: Attilio Rapisarda

ART LANDS
MELAKA

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Internal landscapes
Whether or not the blurb has been written for an intended audience comprising of funders and supporters, the lofty aspiration is its aim to make the festival open to all, while requesting a transformation. The nature and type of "transformation" is open to interrogation. There are two possibilities: one that involves artists engaging in performances that transform the form, space, and bodies; the second, the transformation within the hearts and minds of the spectators visiting the festival and encountering the artists. Clearly the festival intends the former, but to a large extent, the festival also aims for the latter to take place, in the hearts of the peoples in Melaka, which involve the natives of Melaka and those whose visit to the place is either be incidental or purposeful. It all sounds good -- a festival that aims to showcase contemporary art and to serve a social purpose in binding people together. All of which encompasses benefits to the promotion of contemporary art, to promoting tourism in Melaka, to bringing the natives of Melaka together. It brings to mind the strategies of late Krishen Jit in navigating multicultural

interaction in Malaysia.4 And in summary, education plays an important role in bridging differences and consolidating similarities. Differences can be made common through establishing common vocabularies between performances and artists, while similarities can be consolidated through the spirit of a festival gathering people together, through the commercial mechanism that is operating in the festival.

in site 3, spectators might find it difficult to understand the relationship between both, or the lack of it, under the backdrop of the greenery, of which its presence has been thoroughly emphasised through Anne Laures performance of a person on a boat made of branches. Again, it could also be said that "happenings" involving spectators should be instantaneous and accidental, for the organic nature of the festival could generate new possibilities in interpretation and new knowledge. It might be a good idea to incorporate a strong academic forum in the festival, away from the usual sharing of ideas and experience format, and to critically look at different artists practice in relation to the socio-political setting of the site of Melaka in colonial and postcolonial contexts. And that would require another phase of analysis to deepen the content of the festival and frame the discussion and contexts of these artists with the world heritage site of Melaka in different categories.

Festival forum
However, in reality, when all elements are brought together into one without a clear delineation of roles, the festival risks putting too many fingers into different soups. The result is chaotic, leaving the people (including the artists) bewildered on what's to be gained from the festival experience. In this respect, public education or simply public awareness as the main intention, together with all the various sub-objectives, should be strengthened. Spectators may not be unsure of why the sites were chosen in the first place, or with the curator's intention, and why the artists were allocated to these sites. In, for example the performances of Anne Laure and Tony Yap

1 MAPFest 2012 is produced by Arts & Performance Festival Melaka Sdn Bhd and is supported by Tourism Malaysia, the Melaka State Government, together with the efforts of E-Plus Entertainment, Mercatus Plus Malaysia, Badan Warisan Malaysia, Kingdom of The Netherlands, the French and The Netherlands Embassies, the Australian Government, the Australian High Commission, Australia Malaysia Institute, Multicultural Arts Victoria, the Embassy of France, The Tony Yap Company, Nyoba Kan, Simone Lourey and William Randall. Photo: Richard Chua "Over 50 artists from 15 countries showcased their talents." September 28, 2012. Accessed October 6, 2012. Korean Press. http://www.koreanpress.net/news/view.asp?idx=3108&msection=4&ssection=5. 2 "Australia Supports The Melaka Art And Performance Festival." Accessed October 6, 2012. Australian High Commission, Malaysia. http://www.malaysia.embassy.gov.au/klpr/media_MAPFest.html. 3 "Selamat Datang." Accessed October 6, 2012. Melaka Art and Performance Festival 2012. http://www.melakafestival.com/index.html. 4 Rajendran, Charlene. and Wee, C. J. Wan-ling. "The Theatre of Krishen Jit: The Politics of Staging Difference in Multicultural Malaysia." TDR: The Drama Review 51, no. 2 (2007): 11-23. http://muse.jhu.edu/ (accessed October 6, 2012). 36 37

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

FRONTIERS

he finale of MAP (Melaka Art and Performance Festival) was directed by organizer Tony Yap complete with sound and lighting elements. It also raised questions about new frontiers in performance art. Whilst the performances were largely unscripted and improvised, could they be labelled "performance art" with elements of visual staging? Can dancers and theatre-practitioners be called "performance artists"? How is performance perceived and evaluated differently when presented in a gallery/museum as opposed to a theatre? Whilst it is relatively common for artists to move between disciplines, the cross-pollination of visual art performance and theatre has been controversial. The dialectic between "performance" and "performing" arts was likely built upon the birth of visual art performance as a repudiation of theatre. Performing arts have traditionally been understood to be illusion and spectacle, but performance art seeks to dissolve the space between viewer and performer, with the contingencies of actual time-space, location and audience often factored into the work. The representation of reality is also a steering principle in performance art over performing arts with the rejection of illusion and spectacle, everyday clothing and improvisation favoured over costumes, scripts and rehearsals.

SPECTACLE AND SPACE

The site performances on the final day of the Melaka Art and Performance Festival in Malaysia were affective and entertaining, but also left a queasy feeling about the theatricality of works banded under the category "performance art".

Text: Gladys Teo Photos: Attilio Rapisarda

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Black Box vs White Cube This desired end goal of reality in performance art, perhaps, highlights the rejection of mimesis and visual art's obsession with authenticity, with a predisposition towards protecting ownership. Like other mediums in visual art, the art exists only in the moment in which the work is perceived: the audience has a role in the creation of the work itself, and each performance is unique depending on who is there to experience it. As a result, no two performances are ever alike. This is a departure from traditional performing arts where scripts, rehearsals, choreography enable replication, and audiences experience exactly the same performance over time and location spectrum. Performance art is object-based, predicated on the objectification and abstraction of the human body, but performing arts are time-based with origins in dance and theatre, predicated on subjectivity and the creation of a shared experience. In the visual art context, the body is an object, a canvas upon which the artist can project his or her desired meaning. Performing artists are experiencemakers, not object-makers, where they are concerned with audiences engagement and grapple with aesthetic challenges of integrating light, sound and visuals. The stress on the evocation of emotions and empathy then moves the human body as an object into a subject as performing artists are then concerned with the study of movement and the performative event itself.

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FRONTIERS

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Object of engagement Performance artists think within the framework of object-making in a timebased world, and are engaged in creating an intellectual framework around their object-based work. A performance is created and audiences are left to interpret the performance artist does not assume responsibility for individual reactions, whereas the performing artist works with a different concern, that of audience engagement. With this in mind, it is then clear which category the site performances at the festival fall into. Whilst the improvised dramaturgy lacked a thoughtful framework and context, the emphasis on audience engagement and interaction, however, was evident. This was epitomised by a group improvisation where a busker had his role increasingly revised from that of a spectator to another performer, much to the laughing delight of the audience. As the frontiers shift, a new zeitgeist of performance is opening up in todays cultural landscape where contemporary artists are continuously blurring the lines between theatre, dance, installation, performance art, visual art, live art. The context of each work then comes from who curates it, where it happens, who writes about it and who is its intended audience. Instead of asking whether it is dance-theatre or visual art performance, it is more useful to ask: Why was it made? How does it function? What tactics does it use? By looking across genres instead of getting tangled up in them, fruitful cross-pollination can give generate ideas and awareness. The festival, from this perspective, acknowledges work by time-based artists directors, choreographers, dancers who are creating performance on a regular basis. The festival, then, is a platform for both performance and performing artists engaging in parallel strategies to elevate the value and perception of performance work.

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

DIALOGUES

THE CONTEMPORARY DIASPORA

Geneva-based Belgian art consultant, Michle Vicat is the founder and the publisher of 3dots water, an online publication that promotes understanding of Chinese artists, who are now part of the contemporary fabric. She reveals how an artistic diaspora in recent decades is changing global perceptions.

y interest in China and Chinese artists started when I was living in Hong Kong in 1994 and 1995. My cultural interests had been in a completely different area until then, and I had been studying and working in Islamic art and architecture. Hardly any galleries in Hong Kong were devoted exclusively to what was happening in China at that time, but I found the work presented by Schoeni Gallery to be inspirational.

living and working in America. Xu Bing, Gu Wenda, and Zhang Hongtu had shaken the conventions of traditional art in China but had been forced into exile. To many Americans, however these were indistinguishable from the countless Chinese who had landed for economic reasons. For me, working with the gallery director from Hong Kong was terra incognita. I nevertheless sensed that what was taking place would change the global perception of art. However, trying to sell prints of Zhang Xiaogang or Wang Guangyi became a diplomatically complex, but educational marketing operation. I participated in several art fairs, including a prestigious one in Chicago. I was often confronted with comments on Zhang Xiaogang such as: It is nice, but how can I live with a Chinese face in my living room? Or, on Wang Guangyis work: My family would not like to have a Communist work at home!

Text and photos: Michle Vicat

Facing Page: Reflexion Sereine (2007) Ma Desheng acrylic on canvas, 150 x 200cm This Page (top): Not Yet Titled (back) (2009) Cui Fei thorns, twines and pins on wall Manuscript of Nature V _ Syracuse (front) (2010) Cui Fei, tendrils and salt on floor (bottom): Etirer(1982) Ma Desheng ink wash painting, 60.5 x 79cm

Photo: Nicolas Pfeiffer

Not much had been published in art magazines and newspapers, although some of the great Chinese artists were

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Photo: Nicolas Pfeiffer

A few years later, in 2003, I was living in New York, and was contacted by a gallery owner from Hong Kong who wanted to explore the American market and was publishing prints of the work of important artists living in China. I took the challenge but I had to educate myself about contemporary art in China. There were already some important collectors in America at that time, but only a few. The few galleries specializing exclusively in contemporary Chinese art turned out to be pioneers.

Photo: David Broda

Tracing the Origin VIII (2010) CuiFei sand on floor

Photo: David Broda

DIALOGUES

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Michle Vicat with Ma Desheng

Not Yet Titled (2009) (detail) Cui Fei, thorns, twines and pins on wall

Michle Vicat with Huang Yong Ping Photo: Monika Zhu

Fortunately, public perception of Chinese art has matured considerably, but a lot of work still needs to be done to inform people. That realization was the driving force behind the creation of 3 dots water as a website. China has become a major topic for debate in Europe and in the USA, but fear and admiration are fueled by stereotypes. The case of Ai Weiwei has had an enormous impact on peoples imagination and it is sometimes difficult to make people understand that not all Chinese artists are being tortured or deprived of freedom of expression. Not all the stereotypes are about politics. People who know little about Chinese art still believe that it consists only of elegant calligraphy and classical scenes of mountains shrouded in mist. In fact, the contemporary scene is more conceptual and diverse than most realize.

Cui Fei

3 dots water is a virtual publication, and it does not take a political stand. Our goal is to grow as a platform, and to connect artists with a larger public. There are enough books, academic studies and magazines available today that deal with contemporary Chinese art at an academic level or that engage in critical commentary. We present artists from different generations (Zhang Hongtu and Morgan Wong, for example) which allows us to pass over the traces of the Cultural Revolution, and telling the stories of artists who live in the diaspora (Cui Fei and Qiu Jie) establishes a link between them and the global Chinese community. We chronicle their ascent onto the global arena. The Swiss artist, Julia Steiner, who spent six months in residence at the Urs Meile gallery in Beijing, reveals the path of these artists who belong

Photo: Cui Fei

to the global market in which there will be, most probably, less and less barriers between contemporary Chinese art and Western art or Indian art. In the 21st century, nearly everyone is aware that something big has happened in Chinese art. The recordbreaking auction prices and soaring prices in art galleries have attracted enormous attention, but it can also be a distraction from the new art that is emerging now.

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

STATES OF THE ART

THE CHANGING SHAPE OF ABSTRACT ART

An exhibition in Hong Kong showing the work of Chinese artist Wang Yehan highlights abstract art as a political as well as an artistically complex language.

Text: Ko Yin Man Photos: Galerie Huit

he verdict on Chinas Cultural Revolution is plain to see in the 21st century. Mao simply wouldnt tolerate what the present government at least ostensibly does, finding the idea of a Zhang Xiaogang on his wall as offensive as donning a pair of Dolce and Gabbana tortoiseshell shades. Both have become symbols of Chinas prosperity. The period, now archived, serves as an extreme barometer of the connection between art and politics. What was and was not tolerated stands as a good model of the innate political power of imagistic language. Whats evident is that Mao looked towards the Russian soviet model during the Cultural Revolution and art students were requested to follow Social Realism. Abstract art was at the opposite end of the spectrum, ineffably intangible and in the eyes of dictatorial figures that means difficult to control.

Pictures of rural workers, oxen-like and proud, under the father figure of Mao, contrasted with shapes and forms defined as non-representational, that could neither be immediately understood by the people nor the government. They were however understood by those with a threatening know-how and perception, and with room for interpretation that spelled out another kind of intellectual freedom that faced the firing line in the Cultural Revolution. So Chinese artists considered abstract such as Zao Wou Ki joined the diaspora. The emergence in China in the last 30 years of abstract artists was a curious phenomena. During the 1980s, there were very rare abstract art artists in China, said Shanghai born abstract artist Wang Yehan, whose exhibition Metropolis Pixel was held in Hong Kong in September, organized by Julius Baser

at Galerie Huit. Not only could few understand abstract art. It had been labeled as a symbol of capitalism. Wang asserts that Chinese art students are still not encouraged and inspired to develop abstract art. In China, art students are guided to draw figurative art, the definition of aesthetic depends on how real the objects you draw and the emphasis on figurative art can destroy the development of an artists imaginative ability and conceptually thinking.

G1022 (2012) Wang Yehan acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50cm

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STATES OF THE ART

TPAG ISSUETPAG NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 36 ISSUE 34 SEPTEMBER

Born in 1959, Wang Yehan graduated from the University of Arts Shanghai (now Shanghai University, Fine Art College). In 1995 he went to Canada to study Art and Design at Torontos George Brown University, before returning to China to set up a studio in M50 Shanghai in 2004. As with other big name abstract artists, Wang developed his art in exile, but he is a part of a movement that is becoming more personal. For abstract artists, like Zao Wou Ki and Chu Teh Chun, the inspiration mainly comes from the natural world. My generation needs to establish another form of abstract art. What I represent is my own language. In Wangs Metropolis Pixel exhibition held in Hong Kong, the striking abstract work of Wang is characterized by unmistakably bold swirling pebble dashes. Each piece features dynamic shapes and forms which morph in and out of focus like an optical illusion or a trick of the light.

Ironically, the name of the exhibition was based on an interpretation. Wang revealed that he didnt know his art bore any resemblance to any futuristic Metropolis, This was a comment by an art critic, when I created my artwork, I didnt think about starting it. My style is comes from my intrinsic self. All I want just to keep developing my art and hope it can resonate with the viewers. It is hard to really trace the origins of abstract art. Some forms of Chinese calligraphy and Arabic geometric art might be considered a form of it. Categorically, though it is a shift from the figurative, often perspective-filled representations of reality that developed during the Renaissance, or in any of the global figurative traditions, reaching a height when photography came along to represent reality. Strongly associated in the 20th century with artists like Mondrian and Kandinsky, abstract art goes beyond the limits of visual reality and

artists are freed from the limitations of the figurative form, approaching a state of spiritual freedom. While rooted in reality, viewers decode the ideas of artworks by their own interpretation. The understanding of abstract art depends on how the viewers reconstitute the external world through dots and lines. In that sense, abstract art is imbued with a political power. It is less passive and invites the viewer to interpret. Abstract art appears to be more popular in the corporate sector in Singapore and Hong Kong. Even to collectors, there may be something threatening about artwork thats not as readily understood as figurative art. Is that not unsettling to collectors wanting to be in total control of their living rooms? According to Wang, more collectors in China are starting to embrace it, but only as they understand it.

G1001 (2012) Wang Yehan acrylic on canvas, 140 x 200cm

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

PORTFOLIO

There are concerns about an economic slowdown in the art market, but amid the cautious buying comes reflection and change.

Text: Remo Notarianni Photos: Sothebys

SLOWNESS AND THE LONGEVITY OF FORTUNE

Indonesian artist Lee Man Fongs Fortune and Longevity broke records at Sothebys Autumn sales.

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PORTFOLIO

othebys October auctions coincided with Golden Week, the holiday in which well-heeled mainland Chinese usually cross the border or go abroad to splash out on luxury goods. But according to official news reports, spending hasnt met expectations this year. This could be the worst Golden Week since 2003, when Hong Kong started allowing in independent mainland Chinese tourists Caroline Mak of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association was reported as saying, pointing out a noticeable lag compared to last year. And thats not good news for the art scene, which has been nurtured in part by the boom in contemporary Chinese art and mainland buyers who have helped turn Hong Kongs fortunes, at least for some, in art, putting contemporary fine art on the luxury goods list in a city known for its competitive tax rate. Sothebys October auctions werent extraordinary but they sprung some surprises with healthy sales for South East Asian art such as the record set by the HK$36.3 million auction of painting Fortune and Longevity by Indonesian Lee Man Fong.

There has been speculation about the slowdown of growth on the mainland, but we are also in a period of prudent decision-making, as a generation of Chinese collectors look for more than brand name art that adds prestige to collections, favouring diverse, cutting edge value for money. So what if there is a grounding halt? It will mainly mean less speculative buyers on the market. Slowness doesnt make fast business but it is a pace that connoisseurship is comfortable with and that also comes with changing tastes. Tastes in Asia are becoming global as well as increasingly personal: one need not assume that the average collector just wants to buy what their friend has, says Graham Steele, Director of White Cube Asia, a UK gallery that recently opened a branch in Hong Kong. The world of art in Asia is getting bigger other international galleries coming in and it is through conversation and dialogue that these tastes evolve and develop. Economic slowdowns are woeful but they create conditions for change. Will that mean more time for collectors to put thought into buying

art pieces that go beyond impulsive status-seeking acquisitions? Having less disposable income could encourage thoughtful spending and the discernment of true connoisseurship. In that sense, a slow and reflective marketplace is something of an education for those wishing to spend their money wisely, and on art that they truly understand and love. And there is also more evidence of Chinese connoisseurship in the global art market. New auction houses are springing up internationally, such as China Guardian Auctions, which has made an international presence for the first time, holding its first sales in Hong Kong in October. It specialises in traditional Chinese ink paintings, calligraphy, and Chinese furniture. The Asian art superstars continued to shine during auction month, and the 20th century Chinese art category did fairly well at Sothebys with over 90 percent of the lots reportedly sold. The success of Lees sales emphasizes the emergence of Indonesian art, which is a new contender. As the art market in China matures, it can make way for collectors who have in-depth knowledge of quality and the time needed to understand it. One is reminded of German artist Anselm Kiefers comment that he missed the 1970s and 1980s, when collectors might take a year to make a decision before buying an art piece. There is indeed something wise and natural about slowness that fits into the buying process. One is also reminded of Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzus insight: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
Doppelganger (Pink Rocinante) Michael Joo, 2009-2012

Sales at Sothebys October auctions in Hong Kong were lower than last year but certain sections did well.

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

SPACE

RAISING THE PLATFORM

Art Stages third edition in January 2013 ushers in a new era for Asian galleries, setting a new stage for creativity in Indonesia and other countries in the region.
Amnesia Cultura Tisna Sanjaya. Mixed media, body print, monoprint, charcoal, ash on military fabric, 130 x 250cm each (14 panels)

ince it was founded in 2010, Art Stage has defined itself within a regional context, rather than be an international event that lifts Asian talent onto the world stage. By not being an ambitious international extravaganza that vies for attention with major global art fairs, Art Stage remains cozily a Singaporean affair and culturally an Asian event. One way that the 2013 edition demonstrates its commitment to regional creativity is with The Indonesian Pavilion, which reflects the current magnitude of Indonesian art. It has become one of the biggest art markets in Asia, rising 39 percent in 2011 in terms of auction revenue growth. In the pavilion a showcase called The Best of Indonesia, presents 30 well-established and emerging contemporary artists from Indonesia and it has a Galleries section.

by 50 percent, compared to 2011. 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 fairs chief executive, Lorenzo Rudolf was reported as saying. Heri Dono one of Indonesias most internationally recognised contemporary artists sees an exciting opportunity in the pavilion: I am both proud and enthusiastic to support the launch of the Indonesian Pavilion at Art Stage 2013, Dono was quoted as saying, The Pavilion offers an opportunity for Indonesias contemporary artists to show their most inspiring works and celebrate Indonesias growing international reputation, whilst exploring their own artistic journey within the global art scene."

the same intention raise awareness of local artists that have since been exhibited in international galleries. This year, Art Stage Singapore will be working closely with the National Arts Council to further develop its Singaporean platform and will be an exclusive showcase for Singaporean artists. Pushing artistic limits, and almost making the fair an art form in its own right, is a digital replica of the exhibition provided through Art Stage Singapore. It offers a chance for collectors and art enthusiasts to check out all the exhibited works from participating galleries. This is a groundbreaking way to preview the exhibition and will be open three days before the actual event. Visitors to Art Stage Singapore will also be able to view, place an order or purchase digitally.

Eyes on Indonesia
Many of the Indonesian works will be unveiled for the first time outside Indonesia, and many have been created exclusively for the fair. It was however reported that inspiration for this was poor participation of Indonesian galleries, which dropped

Setting the stage

Apart from the Indonesian Pavilion, Art Stage Singapore will also present a Singaporean platform and Australian platform. These platforms have Art Stage will take place at the Marina Bay Sands from 24 27 January 2013.
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Text: Remo Notarianni Photos: Art Stage

SPACE

Gajah Gallery presenting work at ArtStage 2012

A sculpture presented by Semarang Gallery at ArtStage 2012

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

INDUSTRIAL AFTERLIFE

YUE MIN JUN: FACES IN THE CROWD

Text and photos: Remo Notarianni

ith his current auction prices, Beijing artist Yue Min Jun isnt wowing the world like he did in 2007. But that hasnt wiped the gaping smiles off his iconic faces. Even those who do not know about the art, or the name Yue Min Jun, must have seen his gleaming signature caricatures. In many ways, Yue is the endearing poster boy of contemporary Chinese art who paved the way for generations onto the world stage. Back in the 1990s, Yue was a rising star of Hong Kongs pioneering Schoeni Art Gallery, but his art is now among the most popular for copycats in the back streets of Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. These imitations often end up in local cafs and restaurants. The grins of the caricatures may be impish but they are also family friendly enough to be welcomed by the masses. Investors still warm to the likes of Zeng Fanzhi, but ordinary people are probably more comfortable with Yues iconic silly men to the point of

barely noticing them. With regards aesthetics, they inhabit the public imagination more easily than the alien family portraits of Zhang Xiaogang or Zeng Fangzhis masked mysteries. Between September and October, luxury shopping centre Habour City, presented Yue Min Juns first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. The exhibition titled The Tao of laughter showcased five new sculptures and 12 silk screen paintings, based on Taoist notions of laughter as a route to inner peace. The Habour City event launched a series of limited edition crossover premiums with designs by Yue and available for sale at the Gallery by the Harbour. These included necklaces, T shirts, Mahjong sets and postcards.

Top right: New sculptures by Yue Min Jun were on display at Harbour City in Hong Kong. Left and right: Visitors admire Yues artwork and premiums with his designs.

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TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

FEATURE

WHEN NOT IN ROME

Italian gallery Partners & Mucciaccia Gallery inaugurated its Singapore presence at the Gillman Barracks with the exhibition From Picasso to the New Roman School curated by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi. The exhibition gives visitors a chance to experience work by the worlds great pioneers of contemporary art, highlighting their role in the artistic breakthroughs of the 20th and 21st century.

Untitled (2012) A.Bonalumi shaped canvas and vinyl tempera

he Mucciaccia Gallery was founded in Rome by Massimiliano Mucciaccia in the Sixteenth Century palace Muti-Bussi. It has since expanded from its historical setting, opening new spaces in the centre of Rome and the ski resort of Cortina dAmpezzo. Since it was founded, the gallery has worked with institutions to promote modern and contemporary art in Italy and internationally. It has staged historical shows, promoting the works of Giorgio de Chirico, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jacques Villegl. These exhibitions proved to make a difference, and had an educational value to upcoming artists. Its newly-opened Singapore gallery will fit into the changing cultural landscape of Asia, giving space and importance, on the one hand, to the great masters of the 20th Century because the gallery grants a privilege to significant works of art by important artists, and on the other hand, to current artists with a strong and successful position in the national and international market.

It will aim at once to have an educational and a nurturing role, and the gallery states that it believes it is only a question of time before collectors from South-East Asia and China will start to show an avid interest in Western art. The taste for Western art in SouthEast Asia has been developing in the past 10 years but it will be difficult to define the exact size of this growing interest, says Mucciaccia. However it is known by art market specialists that art collectors from Taiwan regularly acquire works of impressionists such as Monet, Czanne, Sisley. Picasso, Chagall, Fontana are the most favoured artists for art collectors from Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia. As for Chinese collectors, they have mostly bought Chinese art and the question is will Chinese buyers develop a taste for Western art? We believe that interest in collecting Western art will grow when knowledge and information about this art develops.

Text: Irina Bourmistrova Photos: Fiorenzo Nisi

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FEATURE

The gallery has pushed the envelope for Italys post-war conceptualists, modern and contemporary artists, who have been underappreciated outside Italy but are now enjoying increased international exposure. Italian contemporary artists have often been overshadowed internationally by its rich classical heritage, but they now form a very solid segment of the art market and their works have seen a rapid rise in the market place. Artists like Lucio Fontana, the inventor of concept of spatialism, and the most important Italian living artist, Agostino Bonalumi, are beginning to become indispensable to serious art collectors worldwide. In December, Partners and Mucciaccia gallery will bring a solo show of Agostino Bonalumi to Singapore with the hope of creating a passionate following among SouthEast Asian audiences.

The intent is to offer a dynamic space in Singapore, where artists, art critics, collectors, and students can meet to give life to interesting new projects, with curious and brilliant themes, all of them useful enough to create a dialectic says gallery partner Valter Spano. The Gallery in this manner will be a hub of cultural life in Singapore, functioning as a Kunsthalle or project space, stimulating observation and discourse. From Picasso to The New Roman School runs from now until November 30 at Partners & Mucciaccia Gallery, at Singapores Gillman Barracks.

The Pocket Arts Guide

A MEDIA PARTNER OF:
Onlookers admire Rotating First Section, a bronze sculpture by A.Pomodoro

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR

ART STAGE SINGAPORE

ASIA CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW

ASIA ON THE EDGE

(Left to right) P.Cannella Bonjours (2012) Matisse, mixed media on canvas Conversations (2007) O.Rainaldi, oil on canvas

DR 19 BAHT FOUNDATION CHARITY EVENTS

FINE ART ASIA

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR

SPOON ART FAIR

The Troubadour (early 1950s) G de Chirico, oil on canvas

JAN

FEB

MAR

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TPAG COVER ?

APR

MAY

JUN/JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV/DEC

Wed like you to choose your favourite cover of 2012. Get ready to vote in January 2013.

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TANJONG PAGAR, CHINATOWN & RAFFLES PLACE

1 2 iPreciation, The Fullerton Hotel DreamSpace Art Studio Utterly Art Galerie Sogan & Art Yong Gallery Art Commune Gallery Indigo Blue Art Art Club Singapore Galerie Belvedere Galerie Steph Ikkan Art International ReDot Fine Art Gallery Valentine Willie Fine Art Richard Koh Fine Art Art Xchange Gallery Ken Crystals Viridian Art House 80 Gallery - Song Nian Art Gallery

SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM AREA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 The Substation Art Plural Gallery Art Trove Yavuz Fine Art The Private Museum M Gallery Forest Rain Gallery Sculpture Square Art Galleries @ NAFA The Luxe Art Museum Yisulang Art Gallery Art Gallery 3 Art Seasons Gallery Mulan Gallery

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3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

ESPLANADE & MARINA BAY SANDS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Ode To Art Art Science Museum The Asian Civilisations Museum The Arts House Ode To Art Chan Hampe Galleries Nikei Fine Art Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery Art-2 Gallery Y2Arts Gajah Gallery Tembusu Art Gallery ArtXchange Gallery

ORCHARD ROAD
1 Pop and Contemporary Fine Art 2 Gallery Reis 3 Art Space @ Scotts 4 Opera Gallery 5 Heng Artland 6 M.A.D Museum of Art & Design

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GALLERY SPOTTED

HOLLAND VILLAGE

1 2

Sunjin Galleries Taksu

ADAM PARK

7Adam

Lion City Art Gallery

19 Tanglin Road #02-07 Tanglin Shopping Centre Singapore 247909 T: +65 6733 0289 / F: +65 6336 9975 E: lioncityartgallery.sg@gmail.com Facebook: Lion City Art Gallery Opening Hours Mon Sat: 11am to 6.30pm Sunday: 1pm to 5pm

TANGLIN ROAD

1 Bruno Gallery 2 The Gallery of Gnani Arts 3 Boons Pottery 4 HaKaren Art Gallery

5 Lion City Art Gallery 6 Yang Gallery

RIVER VALLEY ROAD

1 Icon Gallery 72 73

ART DIRECTORIES C
74/75 Singapore Galleries 76 Art Auctioneers Art Schools Art Services Artist Studios 77 Museum + Art Venues Hong Kong Galleries Europe and the US Art Fairs 80 TPAG Classifieds

TPAG ISSUE 36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

80 Gallery Song Nian Art Gallery

80 South Bridge Road #01-01 Singapore 058710 +65 6438 4481 info@80gallery.org www.80gallery.org Tue Sat: 12 pm to 6.30 pm Sun: 12pm to 5 pm
Closed on Mondays & Public Holidays

Sunjin Galleries Galerie Steph

ARTSPACE@Helutrans 39 Keppel Road Tanjong Pagar Distripark #01-05 Singapore 089065 +65 9176 8641 steph@galeriesteph.com www.galeriesteph.com Tues Sat: 12pm to 7pm Sun: by appointment only 43 Jalan Merah Saga #03-62 Work Loft@Chip Bee Singapore 278115 +65 6738 2317 info@sunjingalleries.com.sg www.sunjingalleries.com.sg Tue Fri: 11am to 7pm Sat: 11am to 6pm

Icon Gallery
476 River Valley Road Singapore 248361 +65 6735 4550 Hp: +65 9326 7405 info@icongallery.sg www.icongallery.sg www.facebook.com/icongallery.sg Tues Sat: 10.30am to 6.30pm Sun: 11am to 5pm
Closed Mondays & Public Holidays

Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery

140 Hill Street #01-06 MICA Building Singapore 179369 +65 6733 3822 info@capeofgoodhope.com.sg www.capeofgoodhope.com.sg Daily: 11am to 7pm

Lion City Art Gallery

19 Tanglin Road #02-07 Tanglin Shopping Centre Singapore 247909 +65 6733 0289
lioncityartgallery.sg@gmail.com Facebook: Lion City Art Gallery

A
Art Gallery 3
231 Bain Street #02-89 Bras Basah Complex Singapore 180231 +65 6333 4283 pohbeechoo@hotmail.com Mon Sat: 11am to 7pm Sun Public Holidays: 12pm to 6pm

Mon Sat: 11am to 6.30pm Sunday: 1pm to 5pm

Studio 67 Art Space

SINGAPORE GALLERIES

Art Seasons Gallery

1 Selegie Road PoMo #02-21/24 Singapore 188306 +65 6741 6366 info@artseasonsgallery.com www.artseasonsgallery.com Mon Sat: 11am to 7pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays or by appointment only

The Gallery of Gnani Arts

Tanglin Shopping Centre 19 Tanglin Road #01-17 Singapore 247909 +65 6735 3550 arts@gnaniarts.com www.gnaniarts.com Mon to Sat: 10am 7pm Sun: 10am to 6pm

09
The Art Club Singapore
98B Duxton Road Singapore 089542 +65 9838 2353 (Daniel)
daniel@theartclubsingapore.com

No. 67 Kampong Bahru Road +65 6225 7667 enquiries@studio67.com.sg www.studio67.com.sg Mon Fri: 10am to 8pm

Y
Impress Galleries
1 Kim Seng Promende #02-07/08 Greatworld City Singapore 237994 +65 6736 2966 / 6440 4533 impress@singnet.com.sg www.impressgalleries.com 10.30am 9.30pm daily

Forest Rain Gallery

261 Waterloo Street #02-43/44 Singapore 180261 +65 6336 0926 info@forestraingallery.com www.forestraingallery.com Mon Fri: 10am to 6pm Sat: 10am to 4pm
Sunday and Public holidays by appointment only

+65 8128 8661 (Marcus)

marcus@theartclubsingapore.com

Minut Init Studio Galleria

Third Floor 29B Jalan SS 21/37 Uptown Damansara Utama 43700 Petaling Jaya, Selangor +60 1 9697 8897
minut.init@gmail.com www.minutspaceinit.blogspot.sg

www.theartclubsingapore.com
Facebook: TheArtClubSingapore

By appointment only

Yong Gallery Calligraphy and Woodcarving

260 South Bridge Road Singapore 058809 Tel /Fax: +65 6226 1718 Hp: +65 9786 6916
yong_gallery_singapore@yahoo.com http://yonggallerysart.blogspot.com

Mon Fri: 5pm to 9pm

Or by appointment

ARTXCHANGE Gallery
6 Eu Tong Sen Street #02-65 The Central Singapore 059817 +65 9027 3997 benny.oentoro@live.com www.artxchangegallery.com Mon Sat: 11am to 9pm

7Adam
7 Adam Park Singapore 289926 +65 6463 0777 enquiries@7adam.com www.7adam.com Open Daily: 11am to 8pm

Heng Artland 290 Orchard Road #04-08 Paragon Singapore 238859 +65 6738 4380 arts@hengartland.com.sg www.hengartland.com Open daily: 10.30am 8.30pm

Daily: 10am to 7pm

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ART DIRECTORIES

TPAG ISSUE 35 OCTOBER 2012

ART AUCTIONEERS
Christies Hong Kong Limited 22/F Alexandra House 18 Chater Road, Central Hong Kong Sothebys Singapore Pte Ltd 1 Cuscaden Road Regent Hotel Singapore Singapore 249715 Larasati 30 Bideford Road #03-02 Thong Sia Building Singapore 229922

ART SERVICES

ART STUDIOS

MUSEUMS + ART VENUES

Singapore Art Museum 71 Bras Basah Road SAM at 8Q 8 Queen Street

HONG KONG GALLERIES

Belgravia Gallery 12/F Silver Fortune Plaza 1 Wellington Street Central, Hong Kong Ben Brown Arts 301 Pedder Building 12 Pedder Street Central, Hong Kong Cat Street Gallery 222 Hollywood Road Sheung Wan Hong Kong Edouard Malingue Gallery First floor, 8 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong Sin Sin 53-54 Sai Street Central, Hong Kong Schoeni Art Gallery 21-31 Old Bailey Street Central, Hong Kong

ART SCHOOLS
Lasalle 1 McNally Street Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts 38/80/151 Bencoolen St Art Schools School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA) 1 Zubir Said Drive Singapore 227968 The Singapore Tyler Print Institute 41 Robertson Quay

Synergraphic Design 10 Changi South Street 1 Singapore 486788 +65 6546 4133 sales@synergraphic.com.sg www.synergraphic.com.sg Mon Thur: 8.30am to 5.45pm Fri: 8.30am to 5.30pm Sat: 8.30am to 12.30pm
Closed on Sundays

AXA Art Asia Hong Kong +852 2161 0000 axa-art@axa-insurance.com.hk Singapore +65 6880 4957 art@axa.com.sg China +8621 6156 3500 axa-art@axa-ins.com.cn www.axa-art.com Providing tailor-made solutions to private and corporations, museum, galleries and exhibitions; coverage for paintings and sculptures, rare books, wine and other collectibles.

Leo Hee Tong Block 173, Bishan St 13, #05-105 Singapore 570173 +65 6258 8787 + 65 9794 6511 leoheetong@hotmail.com Studio 404 91 Lorong J Telok Kurau Road Singapore 425985

Liu Xuanqi Art Studio Goodman Arts Centre 90 Goodman Road Block B #04-08 Singapore 439053 +65 9168 7785 hillad2006@gmail.com Opens daily: 9am to 6pm

National Museum 93 Stamford Road Singapore 178897 Asian Civilisations Museum 1 Empress Place Singapore 179555 National University of Singapore Museum (NUS) University Cultural Centre 50 Kent Ridge Crescent National University of Singapore Singapore 119279 Goodman Arts Centre 90 Goodman Road Singapore 539053

EUROPE AND THE US

Flo Peters Gallery Chilehaus C, Pumpen 8 20095 Hamburg Germany +49 40 3037 4686 info@flopetersgallery.com www.flopetersgallery.com Galerie Christian Lethert Antwerpener Strasse 4 D - 50672 Kln (Cologne) Germany Alan Cristea Gallery 31 & 34 Cork Street London W1S 3NU White Cube 48 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB L & M Arts 45 East 78 Street New York 10075

Synergraphic Design specialises in design and manufacture of decorative, sculptural and structural glass art works for use in architectural and interior spaces.

Agility Fine Arts +65 65000250 finearts@agilitylogistics.com www.agilitylogistics.com - Recommended Art Handler & Freight Forwarder for ArtStage 2012 - Climate-controlled Fine Art Bonded Storage Facility - Museum-standard Specialized Art installation, packing & logistics

Helu-Trans (S) Pte Ltd 39 Keppel Road, #02-04/05 Tanjong Pagar Distripark Singapore 089065 +65 6225 5448 info@helutrans.com www.helutrans.com Storage Solutions Art Handling & Shipping Artspace Rental Project Management

Leslie Goh Strangers' Reunion 37 Kampong Bahru Road Singapore 169356 + 65 9681 1418 paint@lesliegoh.com.sg www.lesliegoh.com.sg 9am-10pm daily except Tue Please call for appointments/enquiries

Urich Lau Wai-Yuen Goodman Arts Centre 90 Goodman Road Block B #04-07 Singapore 439053 +65 9682 7214 urichlwy@gmail.com By appointment only

Sculpture Square 155 Middle Road Singapore 188977 MICA Building 140 Hill Street Singapore 179369 Telok Kurau Studios 91 Lorong J Telok Kurau Singapore 425985

Damina Gallery 1406 Oceanic Centre 2 Lee Lok Street Ap Lei Chau Hong Kong +852 9575 6439 donna@daminagallery.com www.damina-gallery.com By appointment only Gagosian Gallery 7/F Pedder Building 12 Pedder Street Central, Hong Kong Para/Site Art Space G/F, 4 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

ART FAIRS
Lim Leong Seng Studio 107 91 Lorong J Telok Kurau Road Singapore 425985 +65 9738 2792 leongseng8@hotmail.com www.limleongseng.com.sg By appointment only Jennifer Yao Lin Goodman Arts Centre 90 Goodman Road Block B #03-14 Singapore 439053 +65 9151 3227 cice_lin@yahoo.com By appointment only Affordable Art Fair (Singapore) 17 20 November 2012 www.affordableartfair.sg India Art Fair (New Delhi) 1 3 February 2013 www.indiaartfair.in

Times Insurance Consultants is a specialist in providing comprehensive insurance policies to cover a wide spectrum of art objects including paintings and sculptures, collectible wines, antiques, rare books, jewelleries and more. Contact: Ms Sally Lee +852 9095 6316
sally.lee@timesinsurance.com.hk

Lotus Fine Arts Logistics (S) Pte Ltd 6 Lok Yang Way Singapore 628625 +65 6266 7660 www.lotus-art.com Packing & Crating Installation & Transportation Project Management Climate controlled Storage Insurance

Puerta Roja Private Latin Art Space Shop A, G/F Wai Yue Building 15 17 New Street Sheung Wan, Hong Kong +852 2803 0332 info@puerta-roja.com www.puerta-roja.com By appointment only
76 77

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ART HISTORY HAS A FUTURE

We end 2012 with the November/December bumper issue, concluding a year of insightful coverage that has kept pace of history while it is happening. We look forward to finding out more in 2013.

BRUNO GALLERY

91 Tanglin Road (in between Tudor Court & St. Regis) #01-03 Tanglin Place, Singapore 247918 Tel / Fax: +65 6733 0283 www.brunoartgroup.com singapore@brunoartgroup.com

BRUNO ART GROUP Singapore | Israel | Venice | Turks&Caicos

See you in the new year.

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