Art Radar Asia | Contemporary art trends and news from Asia and beyond

Art Radar takes a break for Lunar New Year in 2012

Posted on January 19, 2012

LUNAR NEW YEAR VACATION HOLIDAY

Wishing you all a prosperous Year of the Dragon! The Art Radar team will be taking a much-coveted break over the Lunar New Year, which means we will not be publishing any stories between Monday 23 to Sunday 29 January 2012.

Image by Herr_Bert on flickr.

Following that break, we will be back on schedule, with our first newsletter for the new year going out to subscribers on Wednesday 1 February 2012 (UST). What can you expect from us in the year ahead? We will…

ensure that our latest paid team member, our Intern, Patrick Rhine, is settling into his new role.

award a ton of books to lucky readers just for subscribing to Art Radar; keep an eye on our site in February for our Korean art museum and gallery guide giveaway.

head to ARCOmadrid in February to talk on a panel called Asian Maps about the future of art magazines in Asia.

accept a number of new students into our Certificate in Art Journalism and Writing 101 – applications for the January 2012 intake close on the 21st of this month – and launch our 102 certificate programme later in the year.

wrap up our four part Asian art world trends series.

put together a series on the surprisingly not-so-secret world of fake art in China, with other series exploring undiscovered art regions in the pipeline.

celebrate Art Radar‘s fourth birthday (yippee!) in August.

launch a number of other projects and initiatives that we cannot announce just yet, but that we hope will make the Asian art world more accessible to all those interested in learning more.

What would you like to see on Art Radar in 2012? Leave a comment below with your ideas and suggestions.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous Year of the Dragon!

-The Art Radar team

Posted in From Art Radar | Tagged ARCOmadrid, Art Radar fourth birthday, Art Radar team, Asian Maps, Certificate in Art Journalism and Writing 101, fake art China, from Art Radar, holiday, Kate Nicholson, Lunar New Year, vacation, Year of the Dragon | Leave a comment

New records for Chinese auction houses despite market slowdown – ArtTactic report

Posted on January 18, 2012

CONTEMPORARY CHINESE ART AUCTIONS

While the Eurozone crisis and rumors of a property bubble burst slowed the art market in the fall of 2011, Chinese art auctions still made record sales. According to a report released by research company ArtTactic, Poly Auction and China Guardian have taken the lead in terms of overall market share.

Yue Minjun's 'Untitled' failed to sell at Sotheby's Hong Kong Autumn 2011 Sale of contemporary Asian art.

According to ArtTactic,

Record year for the Chinese art market, despite slow down in second half of 2011

With the economic problems in Europe intensifying in the autumn of 2011,the steam also seems to be coming out of China’s economy. Economic growth forecast has been set to 8.5 percent for 2012, down from 9.3 percent this year.

Although, the total (big four) auction sales for autumn 2011, was down 16 percent from spring 2011, Last year still marked a record year for the Chinese art market, up 34 percent from 2010. The mainland Chinese art market (based on results from China Guardian and Poly Auction) was largely responsible for this, with total sales value amounting to 0.1 billion in 2011, up from 0.2 billion in 2010. Christie’s and Sotheby’s in Hong Kong also experienced robust growth in 2011, with total auction sales of 0.7 billion, against 0.4 billion in 2010. Among the Big Four auction houses (Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Poly and China Guardian) the domestic auction houses achieved a 64 percent market share in 2011, versus 62 percent in 2010.

Whilst Poly and China Guardian have taken the lead in terms of overall market share, Christie’s and Sotheby’s have regained their position in the contemporary Chinese art market, which they lost in 2010. The two international auction houses gained a 65 percent share of the Chinese contemporary art market in 2011, up from 46 percent in 2010. The Chinese contemporary art market saw its total sales value this autumn drop by 28 percent from the spring sales. However,despite the slowdown in the second half, the total for 2011 was up 61 percent on last year.

Click here to access the report on the ArtTactic website (pay per report or free for subscribers).

PR/KN

What is ahead for contemporary Asian art, 2012 and beyond? Part I - January 2012 – on trends in the art world and how those may influence auction markets
Chinese art market confidence remains at “all-time high” – ArtTactic November 2011 report - December 2011 – confidence in the Chinese contemporary art market is the highest in the world, though reservations remain
Christie’s ‘Faces of New China’ Private Collection Sale underperforms amidst art market slowdown - December 2011 – market fears lead to severe underperformance for an important auction of contemporary Chinese art
How confident is the art market? Depends on the price range - October 2011 – clarifying which works do well and which flounder in a recession market
Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn Sale 2011: Contemporary Asian Art - October 2011 – a major October exhibition in which several lots failed to sell

Subscribe to Art Radar for more on the Asian contemporary art market

Posted in Auctions, Business of art, Recession | Tagged art market bubble, art market recession, art market reports, Arttactic, ArtTactic Chinese Contemporary Auction Analysis January 2011, ArtTactic reports, auction houses, Beijing Poly, China, China Guardian, China Guardian Auctions, Chinese contemporary art market, Christie's Asian art auctions, Christie's auctions, Christie’s Asia, contemporary art market reports, growth rate, Patrick Rhine, Poly Auction, Sotheby's auctions, Sotheby's contemporary Chinese art auctions, Sothebys Hong Kong | Leave a comment

Why are regional art shows so tricky to curate? The Japan Times

Posted on January 18, 2012

REGIONAL ART SHOWS JAPAN ARAB CONTEMPORARY ART

As highlighted in an article published in The Japan Times in December 2011, the decision of Japanese curators Kenichi Kondo and Fumio Nanjo to bring contemporary Arab art to Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum also brought with it a number of curatorial challenges, among them, how to define the “Arab world”.

Tarek Al-Ghoussein, 'Untitled 23' (D Series), 2008, digital print. The works of this Palestinian artist are expected to be on display in "Contemporary Art from the Arab World", at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum from 16 June through to 28 October 2012.

West Asian art comes to Japan

New art from the West Asian region is attracting the attention of those in art world power cities like London and New York, and those in know in Tokyo want to see art from the region in local museums, too. As a result, the first exhibition of its kind ever to be arranged in Japan, called “Contemporary Art from the Arab World“, is scheduled to be held at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo from 16 June through to 28 October 2012.

According to The Japan Times feature, the decision to hold an exhibition of contemporary Arab art was problematic for Kondo and Nanjo, Associate Curator and Director of the Mori Art Museum, respectively.

Curating an exhibition or [set of works] from a particular region is never easy, but the Mori’s attempt to create a show of Arab art – a project that began in summer last year, long before the emergence of the Arab Spring – presented a unique set of challenges.

Click here to read the whole article, titled “Restless Arab region presents curatorial challenge”, on The Japan Times website.

Defining the Arab region

In this increasingly globalised world, is it still necessary to put on art shows that focus on a particular region? Members of the Japanese public, explain the curators, are broadly aware of Middle Eastern region, but know little of its art scene, and Kondo believes that a regional approach is necessary in order to introduce the West Asian artists effectively to Japanese audiences and stir public interest in the exhibition. “In order to grab [the public's] interest, you need to start with what they know,” he states.

Reem Al Ghaith, 'Dubai: What's Left of Her Land?', 2008, mixed media installation. This artist’s works are expected to be shown in "Contemporary Art from the Arab World", at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo from 16 June through to 28 October 2012.

The exhibition will present, as quoted on the Museum’s website, works by approximately thirty artists “from ten or more countries in the Arab world, those on and around the Arabian Peninsula including Iraq, the Gulf countries, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan [and] Egypt.” In order to choose the artists for this five-month-long exhibition survey, several research trips to countries in the West Asian region were initiated. Catalogues of important cultural events in Middle Eastern and European countries, such as the Sharjah Biennial, the Istanbul Biennial and the Venice Biennale, were studied by the curators as part of their search.

Need for local experts

A show like ”Contemporary Art from the Arab World” requires of its curators an extensive knowledge of the current art climate in the region in focus, and not just its artists, but its art scholars and other professionals, too. “Of course, I studied the history and politics of the region, but it is equally important to use existing networks of specialists there,” Kondo explains. Connections with West Asian art experts, such as Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi, the president of the Sharjah Biennial, proved particularly valuable during visits to countries like Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia where security can be an issue, either with regard to obtaining visas or navigating violent conflict.

As stated in the curatorial notes for the exhibition,

This exhibition will not subscribe to the commonly held, negative stereotype of the Arab world as a realm of terrorism, conflicts, religious fundamentalism and so on. Instead, through the diverse creative expression of the region’ s own artists, it will depict the people of the Arab world as they are, in real time.

LP/KN

Japanese curator Yuko Hasegawa plans multi-disciplined Sharjah Biennial 11 - December 2011 – Japanese curator heads curatorial team for this Middle Eastern biennial
12th Istanbul Biennial: women artists and emerging regions stand out - November 2011 – explore position of the Middle Eastern artists at the twelfth edition of the Istanbul Biennial
Collect Arab art? Journalist Mustafa Akyol demystifies Islam – TED video - July 2011 – read highlights of journalist Mustafa Akyol’s TED Talk on the past, present and future of Islamic culture
Asian Curatorial Network Forum challenges traditional exhibition practices - July 2011 – looks at alternatives to conventional museum venues and brings to the fore new ideas for curatorial practice
Contemporary Art in the Middle East – a first book survey – May 2011 - Art Radar reviews this book on contemporary Middle Eastern art

Subscribe to Art Radar for more on museum shows of contemporary art in Japan

Posted in Curatorial practice, Kenichi Kondo, Museum shows, Tokyo, West Asian | Tagged Ahmed Basiony, Arab art, Arab art world, Arab contemporary art, Arab Spring, Arabian Peninsula, art survey exhibitions, art survey shows, contemporary art, Contemporary Art from the Arab World, curatorial practice, Dubai: What's Left of Her Land?, Egypt, Fumio Nanjo, Gulf countries, Iraq, Istanbul Biennail, Istanbul Biennial, Japanese art museum, Japanese art museum shows, Japanese curators, Jordan, Kenichi Kondo, Lebanon, Liya Prilipko, Middle Eastern art, Middle Eastern artist, Middle Eastern artists, Middle Eastern contemporary art, Middle Eastern contemporary artists, Mori Art Museum, museum show, Museum shows, political art, Reem Al Ghaith, regional art surveys, Restless Arab Region Presents Curatorial Challenge, Saudi Arabia, Sharjah Biennail, Sharjah Biennial, Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi, Syria, Tarek Al Ghoussein, The Japan Times, Tokyo, Tokyo art events, Untitled 23, Venice Biennail, Venice Biennale, West Asian art, West Asian artists | Leave a comment

What is ahead for contemporary Asian art, 2012 and beyond? Part II

Posted on January 18, 2012

CONTEMPORARY ART TRENDS CHINESE GALLERIES GLOBALISATION

For the second post in the Art Radar art trends series we take a look at changes to contemporary art galleries. The past decade has seen galleries expand, both in their reach and roles. Just how are they responding to the challenges of a globalised world?

Chart of the demographics of ArtReview's Power 100, 2008 vs 2009.

Gallerists become agents

Undeniably, globalisation has dramatically broadened the range and diversity of operations in contemporary art dealership, and a new generation of gallerists is casting off the constraints of the permanent gallery in favor of a more dynamic approach: organising temporary exhibitions in loaned and non-traditional venues.

Aspiring London dealers organise shows in alternative art spaces – some have transformed their own homes into ersatz salons – to bring operating costs down, and there are even some art professionals that are shunning the title of ‘gallerist’, acting instead as art advisor and intermediary between the collector and the dealer or artist.

With the economics of the storefront gallery growing prohibitive for small dealers, younger curators, seeking venues for projects, are taking advantage of these innovative models when putting together commercial and non-commercial exhibitions. Gallerists and curators are increasingly prevalent on Art Review’s list of powerful figures in the arts and this emergent group of highly-connected, independent professionals are using their new-found mobility to promote works of art with unprecedented flexibility.

Co-founder of Korean Eye, David Ciclitira.

Many rogue gallerists have used their acuity to promote specific causes in the contemporary art market. Sports promoter and art collector David Ciclitira is the founder of Korean Eye, an initiative that is generating new audiences for the comparatively neglected world of contemporary Korean art. Other organisations, such as The Ministry of Art in China, connect upcoming artists with Western museums, galleries and collectors.

This is part two of our four part series on contemporary art trends in Asia in 2012 and beyond. Click here to read part one in this series, a post that talks about shifts in the business of art.

Galleries move east

The 2000s saw several Asian cities become new art epicenters, and major international galleries have opened branches to gain a foothold in these budding markets. Sundaram Tagore was among the first to establish a gallery in Hong Kong in 2007, and was quickly followed by Ben Brown Fine Arts in 2009 and Gagosian Gallery in 2011. White Cube recently announced that they will be opening their new location in Hong Kong on 2 March 2012.

Hong Kong's historic Pedder Building, home to Ben Brown Fine Art and Gagosian Gallery. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Hong Kong is not the only city to see a rapid influx of gallery giants. Beijing’s sprawling industrial art districts are home to an increasing number of Western galleries, such as first-comers Chambers Fine Art and The Pace Gallery, as well as newer arrivals like Eli Klein Fine Art. Though some thought these galleries entered the Chinese art market surprisingly late, they are wasting no time in expanding their Asian operations. The Pace Gallery is now considering a move into Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Chambers Fine Art Beijing, situated in the Ai Weiwei-designed Caochangdi art district.

Many new Asian galleries are broadening their reach through collaboration with more established and better connected foreign galleries. The first exhibition space in Beijing’s 798 Art Zone, the non-commercial Beijing Tokyo Art Projects, was the product of a collaboration between contemporary artist Huang Rui and Japanese gallerist Tabata Yukihito.

Exhibition partnerships are also common; Redbox Studio’s 2011 exhibition of sculpture by Wang Shugang was organised in conjunction with Alexander Ochs Galleries Berlin. In India, joint venture-style relationships are on the rise, such as Grosvenor Vadehra, which is the result of a partnership between London’s Grosvenor Gallery and Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi, and South Delhi gallery Nature Morte’s collaboration with the Bose Pacia Gallery which gave rise to Bose Pacia Kolkata.

This is part two of our four part series on contemporary art trends in Asia in 2012 and beyond. Click here to read part one in this series, a post that talks about shifts in the business of art.

Gallery hopping artists settle

Damien Hirst’s 2008 decision to bypass dealers entirely and sell his work directly through a Sotheby’s auction shook the international art world. Hirst’s (ultimately successful) gambit exposed an anxiety that was subtly but surely present in the minds of numerous art professionals, the event got observers contemplating the usefulness of the traditional networks of dealers and collectors.

Perhaps none have bucked this system more than the contemporary artists coming out of China. Roberta Smith of The New York Times pointed out in 2008 that overheated art markets tend to spur mobility between artists and dealers. In Beijing’s cutthroat art market, artists balked at restraints on their commercial ascent, and they would often enter into “exclusive” contracts with multiple galleries or sell works directly from their studio. The questionable practices do not run one way: Beijing galleries are known to renege on settled deals should they sense the potential for a higher price elsewhere.

Zhang Xiaogang's 'Forever Lasting Love (Triptych)', was auctioned in April 2011 as part of the sale of Guy Ullen's collection of contemporary Chinese art.

Though the dynamic between artist, dealer and collector is undeniably changing, some in the industry see potential for artists to establish relationships with smaller dealerships who offer individual attention and dedicated promotion instead of simply brand association. Younger Chinese contemporary artists are already more willing to sign into long-term partnerships with dealers, and a possible slowdown for the Chinese art market could mean a return to a more stable, gradual development for Chinese artists and galleries, ushering in a more mature market.

This is part two of our four part series on contemporary art trends in Asia in 2012 and beyond. Click here to read part one in this series, a post that talks about shifts in the business of art.

How do you think these trends will play out in the coming decade? Is the traditional gallery as we know it on its way out? Leave us a comment with your thoughts.

PR/KN

Related Topics: galleries, globalisation, Asia expands

What is ahead for Asian contemporary art, 2012 and beyond? Part I - January 2012 – the first post in our contemporary art trends series on shifts in the business of art
Must-know global art trends from 6 art professionals – The Miami Herald - January 2012 – various art professionals weigh in on what they see as the most important trends in contemporary art
Hong Kong home for top-shelf White Cube art - July 2011 – announces White Cube’s expansion to Hong Kong and its implications
Contemporary galleries face intense competition, must re-think game plan - January 2011 – How many galleries are getting squeezed by real estate prices and competition from auctions?
Is globalisation of the art market slowing down? The Economist reports - June 2010 – With the continuing predominance of Western contemporary artists at auction, is globalisation of the art market overstated?

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Posted in Asia expands, Galleries, Globalisation, Promoting art | Tagged 798 Art District, art China, art dealers, art galleries, art gallery, art in China, art market, Art Review The Power 100, Asian art, Asian art galleries, Asian contemporary art dealers, Beijing, Ben Brown Fine Arts, Chambers Fine Art, China, Chinese artists, Chinese contemporary art, Chinese galleries, contemporary art, contemporary Chinese art, Damien Hirst, David Ciclitira, dealers as curators, Eli Klein Fine Art, emerging art market trends, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Gallery, hong kong, Indian contemporary art, Korean Eye, Nature Morte, Pace Beijing, Patrick Rhine, Roberta Smith, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, The Ministry of Art, trend watching, Vadehra Art Gallery, White Cube | Leave a comment

Southeast Asian photography: Langgeng Art Foundation holds rare group showing

Posted on January 18, 2012

EMERGING SOUTHEAST ASIAN ARTISTS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

The Langgeng Art Foundation has brought together works by Southeast Asia’s top photographers in a rare exhibition that is running until 21 January 2012. The survey shows off the extraordinary photographic techniques used by the region’s artists to explore the notion of “territory”.

Zhao Renhui/The Land Archive, 'Japanese Tourists with binoculars on small boat', 1961, archival photographic print. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

The show, titled “[SEA] Territories of the Real and Unreal“, is the first in a series of annual exhibitions that will highlight contemporary Southeast Asian “art contexts and practices”. According to the Langgeng Art Foundation, each of the sixteen artists participating in “Territories” clearly demonstrate an ability to create and explore “powerful, accessible and yet often ambiguous means of expressing of [Southeast Asia's] peculiar realities”.

Included in the survey is work by Amanda Heng and Zhao Renhui from Singapore; Ismail Hashim and Yee I-Lann from Malaysia; Indonesian artists Angki Purbandono, Davy Linggar, Julia Sarisetiati, Paul Kadarisman and Wimo Ambala Bayang; Filipino artists Gina Osterloh, Isa Lorenzo, Lena Cobangbang, Poklong Anading and Steve Tirona; and Konrkrit Jianpinidnan and Manit Sriwanichpoom from Thailand.

Territories seen, remembered, photographed

As exhibition curators Adeline Ooi and Beverly Yong explain in their catalogue essay, people often “associate ‘territory’ with notions of demarcated land, of ‘claimed space’. Photographs represent territories of the seen, remembered and photographed, sites in which the ‘real’ might be claimed or re-invented.” The artists selected for the exhibition have used a range of strategies to claim photography “as a site of cultural, geographic, social and personal discourse”.

Narratives of place

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan (b. 1975, Thailand) explores rural life in rural his home country, Paul Kadarisman (b. 1974, Indonesia) creates an eerie effect with images of a Jakarta empty of life and traffic and Zhao Rehnui (b. 1983, Singapore) uses archival photos in a rediscovery of a “lost” Singapore coastline.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, 'Living in History, Tales of Praya Prab Mt' (installation view), 2011, Google Earth map of Praya Prab Mt. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Paul Kadarisman, 'Wish You Were Here' (installation view), 2009, digital images (slideshow) on monitor. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Different ways of seeing

Isa Lorenzo’s (b. 1754, Philippines) powerful black and white “collages” explore the concepts of memory and place, Ismail Hashim (b. 1940, Malaysia) has been working with grids and montages since the 1970s to create witty visual essays and Gina Osterloh (b. 1973, USA) uses the camouflage technique to create visual trickery.

Isa Lorenzo, set of silver gelatin fibre collage prints, 61 x 51cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Ismail Hashim, 'Berdiri Atas Kaki Sendiri Atas Dua Roda', 1977, toned silver gelatin print patched on board, 106 x 130 cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Gina Osterloh, 'Small Group Dynamic', 2010, archival pigment prints with UV laminate, 20.3 x 25.4 cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Anonymity and intimacy

Amanda Heng’s (b. 1951, Singapore) work explores her relationship with her mother through visual depictions of body language in action, Poklong Anading (b. 1978, Philippines) explores the nature of subjectivity and looks at how viewers read the actions of “ordinary” people as they undertake everyday activities and in Davy Linggar’s (b. 1974, Indonesia) series, silhouettes of models are used to to comment on they ways in which the global media has influenced body and language.

Amanda Heng, 'Another Woman', selected images: 1996-1997, digital C-Type print (11 frames). Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Poklong Anading, 'Anonymity #1-#12' (installation view), 2005-2007, backlit photographic durations, 25.4 x 20.3 cm (12 boxes). Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Davy Linggar, 'Casting #1-#5', 2011, digital C-Type prints, 120 x 170 cm (5 panels). Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Popular identities

The images that make up Steve Tirona’s (b. 1975, Philippines) “The Imelda Collection Series” (2009) were originally commissioned in 2006 as publicity shots for a jewellery line designed by the former first lady of the Philippines, and Julia Sarisetiati (b. 1981, Indonesia) replaces the “hot chicks” that are often seen draped across motorbikes and cars in magazine spreads with bare-bodied men to make a statement about the depiction of women in advertisement imagery.

Steve Tirona, "The Imelda Collection Series", 2009, digital C-type prints, 40.5 x 61 cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Juliasari Setiati, 'Cowok Otomotif', 2009, digital C-Type prints 100 x 100 cm (6 pieces). Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Collective imaging

Yee I-Lann’s uses archival photographs to show how generations of Malaysian families of different races celebrated different occasions throughout the 1970s and Manit Sriwanichpoom photographs a range of expressions on the faces of people in the crowds that gathered in Bangkok to celebrate the King of Thailand’s birthday and the 60th anniversary of his coronation.

Yee I-Lann, 'Malayisana: Bersatu Padu', 2002, digital C-Type prints , 165 x 114 cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Manit Sriwanichpoom, 'Waiting for the King' (installation view of selected images), 2006, pigment prints, 56 x 56 cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Real and unreal

Lena Cobangbang’s (b. 1976, Philippines) uses digital technology to create a world of imaginary “utopia” by artificial means, a vision of “fake foliage and toy figures suspended in gelatin”. Wimo Ambala Bayang (b. 1976, Indonesia) uses the same medium to show a fallen elephant in the four locations that make up sacred north-south axis of Mt Merapi’s volcano peak. The works are a personal tribute to the victims of the 2010 Mt Merapi eruption. Angki Purbandono (b. 1971, Indonesia) specialises in scenography, producing artistic digital images of real objects with an ordinary flat-bed image scanner.

Lena Cobangbang, 'Overland Series', 2008, Durst Lambda print, 102 x 67 cm (4 panels). Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Wimo Ambala Bayang, 'Sleeping Elephants in the Axis of Yogyakarta: Parang Kusumo Beach' (2011) and 'Sultan’s Palace Square' (2011); each: digital C-Type prints, 110 x 165 cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Angki Purbandono, 'Doberman', 2010, Scanography prints on transparent film, neon box, 100 x 168 x 15 cm. Image courtesy Langgeng Art Foundation.

Langgeng Art Foundation: explore, share, learn

Grace Samboh, Executive Director of the Langgeng Art Foundation, told Hong Kong’s Pipeline Magazine, in an article published in the December 2011 edition, that “the idea behind the foundation is that of a gateway where people can circulate, explore, share and learn”. The Foundation was started in 2010 by Deddy Irianto, founder and manager of Langgeng Gallery in Magelang, Indonesia, as a body that organises various physical and intellectual resources – thoughts, finances, local, regional and international networks – to support and inspire Indonesian art communities. “[SEA] Territories of the Real and Unreal” is the first in the series of annual exhibitions and talks that are aimed at building a greater understanding of Southeast Asian contemporary art and contexts.

PLG/KN

Modernity through eyes of 8 South Korean photographers - October 2011 – take a closer look at each of the artists
Photobook prices are soaring: Will monographs follow? – August 2011 – New to collecting? Have a limited budget? Click through to read more about this rising collectible.
Artist Manit Sriwanichpoom’s pink prophecies for Thailand – Art Radar interview – November 2010 - how Sriwanichpoom uses photography to expose the brutal truth behind Thai society and to denounce consumerism
Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann mixes batik and photography in “Boogeyman” exhibition – October 2010 - Yee explores the Orang Besar
Lisa Reihana’s electronic Maori art at Anna Landa new media biennial 2009 Australia – video – July 2009 - an intriguing and inspiring body of work collectively called Digital marae

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Posted in Domestic, Emerging artists, Environment, Historical art, Identity art, Islamic art, Landscape, Mass media, Memory, Nationalism, Photography, Political, Social, Southeast Asian, Urban | Tagged Adeline Ooi, Amanda Heng, Angki Purbandono, Anonymity #1-#12, Another Woman, art exhibitions, art photography, Berdiri Atas Kaki Sendiri Atas Dua Roda, Beverly Yong, Casting #1-#5, contemporary photography, Cowok Otomotif, Davy Linggar, Deddy Irianto, Doberman, Gina Osterloh, Grace Samboh, Indonesian art exhibitions, Isa Lorenzo, Ismail Hashim, Japanese Tourists with binoculars on small boat, Julia Sarisetiati, Langgeng Art Foundation, Langgeng Gallery, Lena Cobangbang, Living in History Tales of Praya Prab Mt, Malayisana: Bersatu Padu, Manit Sriwanichpoom, Overland Series, Paramita Leertouwer-Gupta, Paul Kadarisman, photography exhibitions, Pipeline Magazine, Poklong Anading, Sleeping Elephants in the Axis of Yogyakarta: Parang Kusumo Beach, Small Group Dynamic, Southeast Asian artists, Southeast Asian photography, Sultan’s Palace Square, The Imelda Collection Series, The Land Archive, Waiting for the King, wimo ambala bayang, Wish You Were Here, Yee I-Lann, Zhao Renhui, [SEA] Territories of the Real and Unreal | Leave a comment

Art Stage Singapore 2012 round up: Sales slow, coverage listless

Posted on January 18, 2012

CONTEMPORARY ASIAN ART FAIRS ART MARKET

From 12 to 15 January, the Marina Bay Sands Convention and Exhibtion Center hosted the second annual Art Stage Singapore, organised by Art Basel and Art Basel Miami founder Lorenzo Rudolf. The fair, which saw around 31,000 visitors, included 133 galleries representing 19 countries and over 600 artists.

"We Are Asia" was the much-touted theme of Art Stage Singapore, and this was reflected in the fair's curatorial outlook.

Surprisingly little ink has been spilled over the commercial results of the fair, with much of the coverage focusing on the event’s organisation and creative direction instead of trends or sales results. Lorenzo Rudolf, in particular, has been working hard in recent weeks to build Singapore’s public relations profile, billing the city as a hub for contemporary art in Asia. In the wake of Art Basel’s parent company, MCH Swiss Exhibition Group, acquiring the Hong Kong International Art Fair (reactions to which were collected by Art Radar back in June 2011), Art Stage Singapore looked to distinguish itself as a more local, artist-driven event. As Rudolf states,

In contrast to other art fairs in Asia, Art Stage Singapore is not a copy of a Western show, but Asia’s necessary top event with its own strong (Asian) identity. We have the clear target to support and to defend the interests of Asian artists and galleries by elevating them to a level of international importance. Therefore, the heart of the fair will be the best and most exciting of Asia’s artistic creativity. And in contrast to other art fairs in Asia, Art Stage also puts the art in a context – the main criteria for the fair are not trends and easy sell-ability. On the one hand, we showcase the art in an Asian context, on the other hand, we showcase the art in an artistic context, by supporting many very impressive special projects and presentations.

Chief Executive Officer and Director of Art Stage Singapore, Lorenzo Rudolf.

As the reports have trickled out (and trickled they did), many commentators have noted that there was a predominance of South and Southeast Asian art at the 2012 edition of the fair.

There’s a palpable Asian (if not Southeast Asian) feel to the whole proceedings. The Indonesian galleries are out in full force, the Chinese galleries are presenting some unusual work, and the Singapore presence is rather impressive: a prominent space is given to the local showcase “Island Allegories” (featuring Zhao Renhui, Betty Susiarjo and Ng Joon Kiat), Richard Koh Fine Art’s mini-room of Vertical Submarine’s cheeky text-based works is classy, ditto 2902 Gallery’s Zhao Renhui solo.

Mayo Martin, journalist for TODAY

I sense a more distinct Asian, in particular Southeast Asian, identity. The themes are relevant to the region and it feels less like a generic kind of fair.

Singapore-based critic and curator Iola Lenzi

Much of the media coverage of the event has centered on Singapore’s bid to become an art mecca for the greater Asian region. The Faster Times recently reported on the Singaporean government’s efforts to build the physical and institutional infrastructure necessary to sustain a contemporary art hub. In a similar vein, The Wall Street Journal discussed Gillman Barracks, a colonial military compound-cum-gallery space slated to open on 13 May 2012.

An artist rendering of Singapore's soon-to-be gallery district, Gillman Barracks.

With all this talk of branding and regional posturing, Art Radar was surprised by the lack of on-the-ground reporting to be found on Art Stage Singapore itself. What was published, at least in the online world, was mixed. While the fair started out strong with an invitation-only viewing that saw the sale of work by many Singapore artists, some journalists noted lagging sales as the event went on.

ArtStageSingapore_Twitter1

LuxArtAsia noted, with little optimism, that despite many comments on the higher quality of the works in 2012, collectors just were not buying. They considered several possible explanations for such weak sales including the success that various auctions held towards beginning of the fair saw, poor timing (with the Chinese New Year holiday period on the horizon and the Taiwanese presidential elections wrapping up on 14 January) and a recent collectors’ trip to Jogya in Indonesia that may have been the cause of some tight purse strings. Apparently some Chinese galleries are even considering a petition to refund the steep rental fee.

We are definitely feeling the insecurity in the art market as collectors have been holding back on major sales. We have seen some big and important sales but they have not been enough.

Lorenzo Rudolf

He Xiangyu, 'The Death of Marat', 2011, plastic, fiberglass and human hair. The work is a tribute to the artist's compatriot, Ai Weiwei.

Filipino artists were reported to have a strong turnout at the fair, and art works from this country also appear to have sold well.

ArtStageSingapore_Twitter2

The biggest sale of the weekend was Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Series 871-1). The painting was bought by a local buyer from Galerie Michael Schultz for 1.2 million euros (SGD2 million). Art Stage Singapore reported on other sales highlights for 2012 in a recent press release:

Haunch of Venison sold a number of Gonkar Gyatso works including the Dissected Buddha (2011) for USD200,000 (SDG260,000), as well as an undisclosed piece for USD400,000 (SDG518,000).

Gajah Gallery sold two paintings by I Nyoman Masriadi for USD350,000 (SDG453,000).

Linda Gallery sold a work by Indonesian artist Srihardi Soedarsono for USD232,000 (SDG300,000).

De Sarthe Gallery sold a few sculptures by Bernar Venet for USD100,000 (SDG130,000).

Galerie Perrotin sold MR’s Desktop of My Mind (2011) for USD240,000 (SDG311,000).

Galerie EIGEN + ART sold Nervositat by Martin Eder for USD86,000 (SDG112,000).

ESLITE Gallery sold a Wong Hoy Cheong work for USD88,500 (SDG115,000).

Gerhard Richter, 'Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting, 871-1)', 2001, oil on canvas.

We will leave with a walk through of the highlights of the fair in a video by VernissageTV.

Were you at Art Stage Singapore in 2012? If so, leave us a comment below. We would love to publish the first-hand opinions of those on the ground.

PR/KN

India Art Fair’s Collectors’ Circle educates new buyers - December 2011 – a look into how the upcoming India Art Fair plans to attract new buyers
ART HK versus Art Stage Singapore: ART HK dealers debate Asia’s top fair - June 2011 – how dealers make sense of the two competing shows
Art Basel takeover of ART HK: What did dealers at ART HK 11 say? - June 2011 – the gamut of opinions on how the new ownership may change ART HK
Art Stage Singapore’s East-West balance praised – January 2011 - How did Art Stage Singapore manage their participants in their inaugural year?
Galleries say debut Art Stage Singapore brings diversity ART HK lacks - January 2011 – Art Stage Singapore’s demographic focus and how it differs from ART HK

Subscribe to Art Radar for more on art fairs in Asia

Posted in Connecting Asia to itself, Fairs, Round up, Singapore | Tagged Art Basel, Art Basel ART HK takeover, art in Singapore, Art Stage Singapore, Art Stage Singapore 2012, Betty Susiarjo, de Sarthe Gallery, Eslite Gallery, Filipino artists, Gajah Gallery, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Gerhard Richter, Gillman Barracks, Gonkar Gyatso, Haunch of Venison, He Xiangyu, I Nyoman Masriadi, Iola Lenzi, Linda Gallery, Lorenzo Rudolf, Marina Bay Sands, Mayo Martin, MCH Group, MR., Ng Joon Kiat, Patrick Rhine, Singapore art fair, singapore art stage, South Asian art, Southeast Asian art, Srihardi Soedarsono, VernissageTV, Wong Hoy Cheong, Zhao Renhui | Leave a comment

Seeking Korea artist residency? International opportunities at Seoul Art Space Geumcheon

Posted on January 18, 2012

ASIA ART SPACE ARTIST RESIDENCY

Seoul Art Space Geumcheon wrapped up its 2011 international artist residency exhibition, called “Reflections of an Outsider on ‘Outsiders’”, in December 2011, prompting Art Radar to take a closer look at this and the other centers that make up Seoul Art Space’s cultural network.

Kazuya Takagawa's 'Narratives of One Object' on display at "Reflections of an Outsider on 'Outsiders'", an exhibition held at Seoul Art Space Geumcheon in 2011. Image courtesy Seoul Art Space Geumcheon.

Seoul Art Space Geumcheon home to international artists

Seoul Art Space Geumcheon in Doksan-dong is quickly establishing itself as an epicenter in Korea for the facilitation of global exchange of ideas. The organisation focuses on the sharing of culture, experience and knowledge between local and international artists during six month to one year long residencies that culminate in a group exhibition. Between 2009 and 2011, 41 artists from seventeen countries were supported by the art space.

A new residency theme is proposed every year. In 2010, for example, there was an open call for Da Vinci Idea 2011, a concept which encouraged artists to combine creative output with technology. Robotic works, digital art, kinetic art and works using wireless networks were part of the final exhibition, giving the audiences a glimpse into how artists are using the latest media. In December 2011, The Korea Times reported on an exhibition of work by the eight international artists in residence at Geumcheon that year, called “Reflections of an Outsider on ‘Outsiders’”. Much of the art work on show addressed Korean labour issues or movements.

Since 2010, Seoul Art Space Geumcheon has also been running an artist exchange programme in collaboration with overseas institutions including Hangar.org (Barcelona, Spain), SMART Project Space (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Bank ART 1929 (Yokohama, Japan), apexart (New York, USA) and Gertrude Contemporary (Melbourne, Australia). Selected artists are provided with a return airfare, and all their living and workplace costs are covered for the one to three months that they are in residence. They are also given the opportunity to exhibit their works and to be a part of an Expert Support Program through which they meet and work with local art professionals.

Installation shot from "Open Call for Da Vinci Idea", an artist residency exhibition held at Seoul Art Space Geumcheon in 2010. Image courtesy Seoul Art Space.

Installation view of "Reflections of an Outsider on 'Outsiders'", a residency exhibition held in 2011 at Seoul Art Space Geumcheon. Image courtesy Seoul Art Space Geumcheon.

Third term artist open studio and exhibition event at Seoul Art Space Geumcheon. Image courtesy Seoul Art Space.

“Community art” is a focus for Geumcheon, and the term is defined by the centre as an activity that contributes to the understanding of the pervading culture of local and foreign communities. The concept is one of the driving forces behind the programmes that were implemented by Geumcheon in 2010 and 2011, each aimed at building an awareness of Korean social issues and increasing the local community’s interaction with art.

Repurposing abandoned Seoul buildings for art

Seoul Art Space, founded in 2008, has a dual mission that differentiates it from other art foundations. It tries to serve the needs of artists and the local community by reviving abandoned and idle buildings and reestablishing them as venues for both art creation and wider cultural engagement. The organisation is affiliated with Seoul Foundation for Arts & Culture and was started by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as part of an ongoing “culturenomics” policy push.

Heo Eun Hyi, Public Relations Representative at Seoul Art Space, explains the concepts that the organisation is grounded in,

The idea … behind Seoul Art Space is to create multi-faceted spaces where artists of different genres such as visual arts, performing arts and literature can exchange ideas, and a place where citizens and artists can come together. Seoul Art Space aims to increase the dialogue between art and the industry in the hope of creating new projects…. Unlike the previous [idea] of a large cultural or arts center in one area, Seoul Art Space aims at reaching out to more people by making small but significant differences everywhere.

Seoul Art Space's organisational structure.

11 Seoul Art spaces

As of January 2012, there are eleven venues that make up Seoul Art Space, with locations throughout the Korean capital.

Seoul Art Space Mullae and Seoul Art Space Geumcheon support the visual arts, with a focus on dialogue and collaboration between local artists and those from abroad. International artist exchanges and residencies feature strongly in the programming for the centre. Mullae was opened on 28 January 2010 in a former industrial area that is emerging as one of Seoul’s premier artist communities, and it provides local artists with studios, hostels and theatre and exhibition spaces. Geumcheon opened in October of 2009 in a renovated printing factory and is a hub for local and international artists. The venue has studios, hostels and a collaborative work area.

Seoul Art Space Seogyo opened on 19 June 2009 and is a center for experimental arts that houses an art archive and a number of art magazine offices. The multicultural space is located in the Hongdae area and is affiliated with the nearby Hongik University, which is well known for its progressive art and design departments. Seogyo participates in the annual Hongdae Festival, and its annual programming includes workshops, performances and exhibitions.

Another Seoul Art Space venue in Sindang caters to the development of art and crafts with residency programmes for artists that work in a variety of fields including pottery and embroidery, an open studio event for resident artists and a crafts studio that is made available for use by the local community. The centre is located in a former indoor market where 52 vacant shops were converted into forty small studios.

There are also spaces in the network that support cultural practitioners working in design, performing arts, literature, art for children and art therapy.

Seoul Art Space locations in 2012.

What is in store for 2012 at Geumcheon?

Click here to follow Seoul Art Space Geumcheon’s blog for the latest on activities for 2012.

Some of the events and programmes for 2012 at Seoul Art Space Geumcheon include an international symposium with a focus on global art issues and an open call for the fourth international resident artist programme. Also on their calendar is a creative educational programme called 1 Night and 2 Days with Artists, a workshop for high school students, moderated by residency artists, that attempts to build links between art, technology and young people.

CSL/KN

Echo: Support for contemporary Iraqi art - January 2012 – Art Radar interviews founding director Rijin Sahakian on functions of Echo
Tokyo Wonder site 2011 solos for 20 emerging Japanese artists - December 2011 - Art Radar lists the artists and takes a closer look at five of them
Modernity through eyes of 8 South Korean photographers – October 2011 – Galerie Paris-Beijing exhibition on eight contemporary Korean photographers
Hong Kong Wan Chai Visual Archive: community art experimentation - August 2011 - non-profit, community-focused, and it will cease to exist in the next two or three years
Representing South Korea at the 54th Venice Biennale: Lee Yong-baek and his art - December 2010 – artist Lee Yong-baek presents his works Broken Mirror and Angel Soldier

Subscribe to Art Radar for more on Korean contemporary art and the spaces that support it

Posted in Art spaces, Nonprofit, Residencies, Seoul | Tagged 1 Night and 2 Days with Artists, Apexart, art, art exhibition, art programmes, art space collaboration, artist collaboration, artist community, artist exchange, artist residencies, artist residency, artists, Asian art, Bank ART 1929, Christine Lee, cultural exchange, culturenomics, Da Vinci Idea 2011, Expert Support Program, Gertrude Contemporary, government art funding, Hangar.org, Heo Eun Hyi, Hongik University, international artist exchange, Korean art, Korean art exhibition, Korean art organisation, Korean artists, nonprofit art spaces, open call artist residency, Reflections of an Outsider on Outsiders, Seoul Art Space, Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, Seoul Art Space Mullae, Seoul Art Space Seogyo, Seoul Art Space Sindang, Seoul artist, Seoul Foundation for Arts & Culture, SMART Project Space | Leave a comment

FINAL DAYS! Art Radar journalism course application deadline draws near

Posted on January 18, 2012

CONTEMPORARY ART WRITING ONLINE LEARNING

The deadline for applications is 21 January 2012 and places are filling up fast! Get your application in to us today - click here NOW to express your interest.

Do you want to write for newspapers, magazines or the Web? Is dealing with the media a part of your daily work routine? Art Radar has been successfully training art writers since its inception almost three years ago and we have now designed a certificate programme based on our experience.

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Why should I be interested in this certificate?

As a student of the Art Radar Certificate in Art Journalism and Writing 101, you will learn the ins and outs of writing about contemporary art through

fortnightly self-study modules designed to help you tackle the toughest parts of writing an article.
writing articles that will really be published.
one-on-one feedback on all your writing.
participation in the editorial management of a busy online newspaper.

The deadline for applications is 21 January 2012 and places are filling up fast! Get your application in to us today - click here NOW to express your interest.

And what you will gain on completion of the certificate is even greater. In just over three months you will have a portfolio of edited and workshopped writing, a physical certificate to include in your resume and important art world contacts, all of which could potentially lead to increased job options within art or publishing.

The course is conducted entirely online through email and Skype so learners can be located anywhere in the world. Reliable access to a computer and the Internet is all that is needed and new students are accepted at any time of the year due to our flexible start and completion dates.

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The deadline for applications is 21 January 2012 and places are filling up fast! Get your application in to us today - click here NOW to express your interest.

Who is this course for?

Gallery owners who need to pitch stories to journalists.
Students who want to pursue a career or project work in arts journalism.
Managers of gallery and museum websites and blogs who want to attract more readers.
Artists, dealers or anyone who is promoting artists and wants their work to be found on Google.
Applicants to graduate programs who need to demonstrate writing/publishing experience.
Collectors, students or art enthusiasts who want to get closer to artists and art insiders.
Job hunters who are seeking direction in the art field.
Job applicants who would like to stand out from the crowd with a certificate in arts writing.
Anyone who would like to stay on top of art events, trends and news or deepen their knowledge of contemporary art in Asia and beyond.

How can I find out more?

The deadline for applications is 21 January 2012 and places are filling up fast! Get your application in to us today - click here NOW to express your interest.

KN/HH

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