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0 Attendance mixed at Singapore art events

Three big art events with overlapping schedules saw mixed attendance in Singapore over the course of the last week. The three festivals, Art Stage Singapore, Singapore Contemporary Art Show, and Art Apart Fair drew an eclectic mix of attendees, but some of the shows saw a surprising decline of visitors.

Art Stage Singapore, which has previously enjoyed attendance numbers around 50,000, only welcomed just over 40,000 people to its fair. This is the first time that Art Stage Singapore has seen a decrease in the number of people who attend. Experts believe the decline can be attributed to several reasons, the chief among them being fears of a worldwide economic downturn. Tickets for a single day’s admittance at Art Stage Singapore went for about $32, so it is believed that some people didn’t attend simply because they were being cautious about spending. Stock markets tumbled during the event, meaning that people were less likely to attend and less likely to invest in artwork.

Despite economic fears, the Singapore Contemporary Art Show saw over 16,000 attendees. Organizers said goals for the fair had been 20,000 attendees, but that the final count for visitors was close to the mark. The Art Apart Fair, which drew attention because of its exclusion from Singapore Art Week programming, saw between 3,000 and 4,000 attendees, a number that is consistent with previous installments of the event. Tickets for entry into the Art Apart Fair were just $10, and many of the tickets purchased were from attendees who walked in from the street — a jump in the number of those types of attendees for the festival, which generally sees mostly specially invited guests.

While the competing art events could have drawn attendance away from one another, many people attended multiple fairs. One organizer said that the multiple events could’ve diluted the quality of art available in Singapore, a nation still expanding its art scene quickly and significantly. There was also still a surprising amount of purchases during the events, which called into question whether people were actually tentative about spending in a tenuous economic situation.

Though the art events’ schedules overlapped, each one drew different types of buyers. With so many big-name galleries participating in Art Stage Singapore, one attendee decided that the art offered at the other events was more accessible to him to invest in.

Take part in the exciting surge of art by signing up for an art class today. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive and easy to navigate website that lists an exhaustive compilation of different art classes. Bone up on your creative skills with the help of a teacher who will help adjust lesson plans to suit your level of experience. Fine tune an existing oil painting portfolio through classes or learn how to create mosaic art for the very first time. Invite a group of friends to participate for an unforgettable fun time.

For more on the three festivals, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-art-weeks-three-art-fairs-draws-mixed-turnout.

0 Singapore Biennale scheduled for October of this year

The Singapore Biennale, which has had a three-year hiatus in the country, is back and in full swing this year and scheduled for the end of October this year. The theme of this year’s show is mirrors, meaning that different cultures across the world might be unique to one another, but still be reflections of one another in some ways.

The biennale event will zero in on not only art from Singapore artists, but also artists from around the Southeastern Asian region. This will act as an effort to represent art in this region from a regional perspective, which has never been done before. Southeastern Asian art has always been represented by an outside entity, which might not represent it as effectively as artists from the region might represent themselves. This will bring a wholly unique perspective to masterpieces from the area, and is a reason to be excited about the biennale.

The mirror theme of the event will serve to examine and compare the similarities and differences among cultures across the globe. Organizers hope that new doors of understanding and dialogue will be opened among the visitors of the show. They look to help visitors plot the course of their lives but examine themselves more closely at the same time. The goal is to help observers make connections to the art they view, but also have insights about cultures they might not always understand perfectly.

There will be dozen of artists participating in the biennale this year, including a strong showing from Singapore’s creative minds. A leading Singaporean sculptor who recently received a prestigious award will be prominently featured, as will a foremost Chinese artist.

Organizers are expecting around half a million visitors, which puts the event on par with previous installments. Many of the shows that will be featured as a part of the Singapore Biennale will take place at the Singapore Art Museum, which is the entity tasked with organizing the festivities this year. However, there will be some unexpected art exhibition spaces, including shows housed at historical places within the Bras Basah Bugis precinct. This will keep the show fresh and exciting, helping attendees visit art in found places rather than only museum-style exhibit halls. This will tie in to organizers’ desires to make the biennale a nationwide event, ensuring that as many people as possible will get to attend.

Get ahead of this year’s biennale by enrolling in an art class through SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is the best way to see all available art classes in one place. Register your interest in tutorials on everything from drawing to painting to sculpting and much more. Even if you’ve never so much as picked up a paintbrush before, expert teachers will help guide you through the entire process. You will be able to meet on your terms and complete projects you’re interested in, making the class a completely personal and enriching experience.

For more on this year’s biennale, go to http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-biennale/2444248.html.

0 Nearly 100 events scheduled for Singapore Art Week

Local artists are the main focus of this year’s Singapore Art Week. While the art fair has traditionally hosted big names in the art world from around the globe, the success of Singaporean artists will be front and center, making this installment of the festival even more exciting.

Organizers are expecting at least 100,000 attendees for this year’s event, which stretches just over a week and features a wide variety of talks, tours, exhibitions and more. One such Singaporean artist of interest is a sculptural artist who created an installation of giant seeds. The artist seeks to inspire those people who might stumble upon the bright red, shiny clumps of seeds in the middle of a green lawn. The installation is also meant to commemorate Singapore’s 50th birthday, perhaps imparting some wisdom with what might grow from the seeds within the country’s creative realm in the next 50 years. The artist hopes to surprise people who might be roaming around aimlessly during Singapore Art Week. The seeds are a way to connect with the audience, who might feel like they discovered a secret surprise just for them.

Other outdoor art installations that will be a part of this specific exhibit include enormous mynah birds perched in a lawn for passers-by. Both Singaporean artists and other Southeastern Asian artists contributed sculptural works to complete this show.

The outdoor exhibit was organized so artists could have a chance to display their larger works, which might be problematic within indoor galleries with restricted space. The organizer of this show said that the show even inspired artists to imagine their works on a bigger scale than normal, breeding imaginative creations that might not have happened otherwise.

Hundreds of artists from Singapore are slated to participate in Singapore Art Week, making the festival more Singapore-centric than ever before. This will allow for attendees of the events to compare art in Singapore to art from the broader world. One international artist who will be prominently featured in an event at Singapore Art Week is a photographer who shot the now-classic “Afghan Girl” for the cover of the National Geographic magazine. The portraits will highlight a journey from North and South America to Asia, featuring photos of important figures from around the continent and world. A question and answer session with the photographer, Steve McCurry, in order to enriched the experience and add context to many of his iconic photos.

Photography can very much be an art form, which some people might not know. Get a full education in art by signing up today for an art class on SGArtClass.com. The website lists numerous classes for different artistic interests. If you already are interested and have experience taking photos, work closely with one of our expert teachers to find out all the exciting ways you can incorporate that into an art presentation, such as collage, assemblage art, or other formats.

For more on the upcoming Singapore Art Week, go to http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-art-week-close/2423430.html.

0 Art Stage Singapore has good start so far

Singapore artists had some significant successes in the preview show for Art Stage Singapore, able to sell art pieces for large profits.

The art show preview, which was only available to those with invitations to the event, featured several Singaporean artists who received high praise for their works. One such work, an acrylic and gel portrait on fiberglass, sold for nearly S$48,000. Another artist sold all four paintings that he had on display, which were made from oil and alkyd. Yet another Singapore artist sold an artwork that was acrylic paint on wood.

One gallery organizer who participated in the preview show said it was not typical for there to be so much interest in the art during the opening day. Though it was perhaps an isolated event for such a large amount of art to be sold, it showed the high interest in artists’ offerings for the festival. Many visitors to the event were eager to not only see the masterpieces produced from the artists participating in the show; they also looked to invest in artwork that moved them.

Art Stage Singapore was available to all ticketed visitors throughout the weekend following the preview show. The event serves as the kickoff to the Singapore Art Week, which is sure to be a big success this year. The art scene in Singapore is still flying high thanks to the government’s efforts to boost artists, galleries, museums and more following the 50th birthday of the nation.

Art Stage Singapore will feature participation from nearly 200 art galleries, with a significant representation of galleries anchored in Singapore itself. As a part of Art Stage Singapore, a collection of talks are set to take place covering themes of urbanization and the importance of art in different facets of society, like city building, architecture, culture and more.

A competing art event, Singapore Contemporary Art Show, is taking place at the same time as Art Stage Singapore, proving the impressive boom of art exhibitions and festivals throughout the nation. Many people who attended shows at Art Stage Singapore said they’re extremely likely to check out the new event.

One art collector who has been to Art Stage Singapore multiple times remarked that the event is becoming more commercialized in its development. The collector also expressed surprise that some art galleries weren’t participating in the festival, but admitted that there was a lot to do and see as a part of the broader Singapore Art Week.

To embrace the ever-growing art scene throughout Singapore, now is the best time to think about enrolling in an art class. Visit SGArtClass.com to browse a wide selection of art classes with offerings for every interest and genre. Even if you already have experience painting, you can hone your craft and experiment with other paint mediums under the expert tutelage of one of our carefully vetted art instructors.

To read more about Art Stage Singapore, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/promising-start-for-art-stage-singapore.

0 Local artists to have strong showing during Art Week festivities

A plethora of Singaporean artists are a testament to the renewed push for the arts in the country at this year’s Singapore Art Week. Because of a nationwide emphasis on creative expression, more Singaporean artists than ever will be participating in Art Week, elevating arts in the country onto the world stage.

Visitors to the Singapore Art Week will be able to see the masterpiece of Singaporean artists at solo exhibitions, shows at museums and displays at two different art fairs in conjunction with the nine-day-long event. This will give everyone a chance to see how far art in Singapore has come, including initiatives and funding the government has taken to cultivate its own artists.

At one event, a female Singaporean artist best known for painting has gone in an opposite direction, producing a body of work that experiments with animation as well as video and sound art as a direct result of her time in an artistic residency.

Another female Singaporean artist will be pushing herself creatively in the realm of installation art, creating a lush jungle scene that explores human interest in such environments.

Other Singaporean artists can be found at group exhibitions at art schools and institutes across the nation. Any of these Singapore Art Week events would be a good place to get acquainted with the works of one of the country’s new emerging artists. One art expert attributes the growth of art and development of talented artists in Singapore to a renewed focus on art because of the recent opening of National Gallery Singapore. Other art events like Art Stage Singapore have acted as creative incubators for the country’s artists, pushing them into the spotlight alongside other artists from around the globe.

The Singapore Art Week will be a wonderful way to see Singapore artists, international artists and classic works that were responsible in part for Singapore’s creative resurgence. One such artwork is from artistic stalwart Tang Da Wu. Visitors to Singapore Art Week can see the artist’s seminal “Earth Work, 1980/2015” body of work. The exciting exhibit contains iconic masterpieces and work treating the topic of Singapore’s urbanization around that period of time.

There is no time like the present to get involved in Singapore’s art scene. If you become inspired by what you see at one of the many events during Singapore Art Week, you should think seriously about enrolling in an art class through SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is one of the simplest ways to choose the art class that is right for you. The website offers a listing of all different kinds of art classes, including portrait drawing, watercolor painting, installation art and many more. Art teachers will work around your schedule and level of expertise in order to give you the best and most informative art class possible.

Read more about the artists to be featured during Art Week by going to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/local-talents-showcase-their-works-at-singapore-art-week.

0 Singapore to host prestigious art competition

The third installment of the well-known Prudential Eye Awards will be hosted this year in Singapore in conjunction with the jam-packed Singapore Art Week. The competition returns for the second year in a row to Marina Bay Sands, which will also host a months-long exhibition of the art pieces involved in the competition.

The award was founded in order to give recognition to the best emerging artists in the Southeastern Asian region. In conjunction with a museum and an art gallery, the competition also looks to establish and maintain an art education program. The overall Prudential Eye Awards competition is broken down into five separate categories, including spots for digital and video works, installation art, painting, photos and 3-D sculpture. Of the artists competing to win in these categories, only one will emerge with the show’s top prize — best emerging artist, which includes an additional cash prize and an opportunity for a solo art show. The winner of the top award as well as the winners of each of the five categories win cash prizes. Four additional awards that the artists are competing for are also available — two of which will be voted on by the public.

A collection of experts in the art and museum world will be on hand to judge the competition, including executives from Marina Bay Sands and others immersed in the art world.

Ahead of the competition itself, two artists from Bangladesh are distinguishing themselves from the rest of the competitors in the fields of photos and 3-D sculpture.

Shumon Ahmed is competing in the photo category. His work for the competition explores the melding of several different art genres — photos, video and textual elements — to tell completely engaging stories. These stories are immersive and inclusive at the same time, offering a rich experience for viewers.

Promotesh Das Pulak is competing in the 3-D sculpture category. His works are well known for experimenting with unexpected mediums, such as natural elements. His combination of these elements with violent combat equipment offers a commentary on the loss of innocence, forcing viewers to think hard about the wider implication of the masterpieces they’re viewing.

You don’t have to feel like you have to enter a prestigious art competition in order to have a little healthy competition in your artistic life. Think about getting a group of friends together and enrolling in a common art class via SGArtClass.com. Depending on the broad interests of your group, you can easily see what classes and art genres are available by visiting the website. Enroll in an acrylic painting class, or try your group’s hand at something a little different, such as oil pastels. An expert teacher can help you develop a friendly competition during the lessons, but in the end, everyone will come out winners — art classes can impart unexpected skill sets to those who take them, such as creative problem solving.

For more on the competition, go to http://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/singapore-turns-hub-contemporary-asian-art-201979.

0 Film, visual arts events packed into upcoming Art Week

The Singapore Art Week will be so heavily populated with exhibits, contests and events that the “week” of art will be stretched into nine whole days of displays and festivals. A new emphasis in this year’s art extravaganza will be that of cross-pollination, meaning that more than just paintings will be on display throughout the days.

Singapore films will enjoy prominence as a part of this effort at Art Week. To bring a peppering of classic movies to life, a number of organizers are proposing to go on special walks and tours to bring interested fans to the sites of specific scenes in the movies. This will bring renewed interest in films from Singapore while igniting the imaginations of existing fans of the works. An example of one such event organized is a forest featured in a classic 1965 film. To make the stop even more magical for those who attend the tour, the organizer constructed a bus stop made entirely of sand.

Another artistic film undertaking as a part of Singapore Art Week is a special exhibit developed by a film archive group. The group has made a collection of film stills from a now-defunct Singapore film company, as well as a tour to different locations featured in the exhibit’s film stills.

Yet another film event will be a celebration of the movie “Concrete Island.” The event will include a tour of important locations, a presentation of research and historical materials related to the film, and a talk by a noted historian during a tour. Other parts of the project will span longer than Singapore Art Week itself, including a special reading and mobile movie tour.

Though when most people think of art they think of static paintings in frames, hung in a gallery, organizers of the film efforts in Singapore Art Week stress the importance of the many different forms art can come in. Film, for example, might challenge viewer to rethink their views on the way art can unfold.

Other events that will help showcase Singapore’s broad artistic strengths include a live theater showing as well as an art exhibit that features skateboard art — proof that there will truly be something for everyone at Singapore Art Week. Expect a diverse and exciting audience.

Celebrate Singapore Art Week by signing up for an art class with SGArtClass.com. Through our well-organized and comprehensive website, you will be able to easily connect with expert teachers well-versed in the art genres you’re most passionate about. Tailored to the skill levels of both beginning and expert artists, our classes cover a wide range of genres, including video art, sculpture, decorative painting and much more. There isn’t any excuse not to immerse yourself in art — the time, date and location of the art classes you sign up for are entirely up to you.

To learn more about upcoming events at the Singapore Art Week, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-art-week-a-bonanza-of-film-and-visual-arts-events-packed-into-nine-days.

0 Plan to attend upcoming contemporary art showing

The newest attraction to Singapore’s blossoming art scene is an upcoming contemporary art show, set to be held toward the end of this month in a sprawling space at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The brand new art fair will commence with a special event just for VIP attendees, and then it will be open to public ticket holders for the remainder of the time over the rest of the weekend.

The theme for the show is “A World of Art,” and the entire event will feature thousands of masterpieces from artists all around the globe. Many of the pieces that will be highlighted in the event have never been displayed in Singapore, making the event even more of a draw to lovers of art around the nation and broader region. Artworks by creatives from more than a dozen different countries will be represented at the art show, with artists from Singapore itself well represented. Many of the artists whose work will be on display are new to the art scene as a whole, meaning that the ideas and compositions they will present will be fresh takes from emerging names. Now is a great time to see burgeoning artwork and invest in up and coming artists as they win prizes and receive good feedback at auction events.

As a special promotion, all those individuals wishing to attend the contemporary art show who purchase their ticket in advance — available for one day or all three days — can also bring a friend to the show for free. Tickets at the door cost the same as advance tickets, but the extra free admission isn’t included.

A few examples of the artwork that will be a part of this enormous show are appropriately surreal and contemporary. One such masterpiece from a South Korean artist features a composition drawing many different ideas together. At the bottom, a serene scene of waves crashing onto the shore seems to hold everything else up. The everything else is what makes the painting particularly interesting. Anchored by a shiny, bright red purse is a bouquet of flowers, a parrot flapping its wings, a tiger yawning on a pedestal, a nude male marble statue in repose, fading away to wildflowers, and a zebra lingering in the background. All of the individual parts come together to create a surreal but engaging masterpiece that visitors will be sure to linger over.

Contemporary art is art created now, by artists living in our time and using their masterpieces to make commentary about society and life today. If you’re interested in creating some contemporary art, there’s no time like the present to visit SGArtClass.com and sign up for one of the many art classes offered on the website. Expert teachers will work with both your schedule and artistic knowledge to craft a unique class experience for you — held in the comfort of your own home or in a common art studio.

For more on the upcoming show, go to http://senatus.net/event/singapore-contemporary-suntec/.

0 A look ahead at Art Stage Singapore

It’s very nearly time for Art Stage Singapore to begin, and the exciting event will feature a renewed focus on art from the Southeastern Asian region and its relation to the broader art world. This is especially important for a region in which artists have not been participating in the creative world for very long in a historical sense.

For the very first time at Art Stage Singapore, a forum on art from the surrounding region will take place, emphasizing the importance the event is placing on artists from both Singapore and the rest of Southeastern Asia. Organizers for this special forum hope that it will help viewers and participants understand the role of art from Southeastern Asia in contemporary art, globally, as a whole. Artists are able to pick up on the pulse of various movements, an official of the forum says, and what they have to say about society through paintings and other works can be essential reflections on our lives.

The forum’s theme will take a critical look at urbanization in Southeastern Asia. A collection of artwork specifically commissioned for this event will be on hand to help reflect and further explain a series of talks that will examine the relationship of cities and art. Experts will be on hand to lead these talks, including a renowned architect and an auctioneer. The artwork for this special portion of the show will help highlight the physical growth that Southeastern Asian communities have recently enjoyed, as well as the political and cultural growth.

While there will be a large focus on Singapore and its surrounding region at Art Stage Singapore, the event has traditionally drawn a wide range of artists from all around the globe. This year’s showing will be no different, showcasing talent from participants across the world. Another special feature of the upcoming event will be a display by modern dadaist artists — sure to be a delight for all viewers.

An example of one of the artworks that will be on display as a part of Art Stage Singapore will be a sculptural work by an artist from Thailand. The work is of a high-end Ferrari sports car, but the catch is that the entire work is constructed in what looks like a white wicker or woven wooden material. Viewers of this work will delight in analyzing its significance — perhaps a marriage of modern and materialistic desires with traditional forms of finery.

Singapore’s art scene continues to bloom with a wide variety of festivals and shows. Now is one of the best times to become involved with the art scene by educating yourself in an art class. SGArtClass.com offers one of the widest selections of art classes available all in one place, and it’s easy to choose the art class that’s right for you out of dozens upon dozens of offerings. Take an individualized art class tailored to your interests, or sign up for a common class with a group of friends or coworkers.

For more on the upcoming Art Stage Singapore, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1306086/preview-art-stage-singapore-2016.

0 Singapore arts look to glean more donors

Artists and creative endeavors in Singapore have recently enjoyed a boom in donations thanks to the nation’s 50th birthday and a push to boost the arts scene. However, with the new year and a sluggish economy, many artistic efforts, institutions and galleries are tightening their belts in anticipation of fewer donations.

As a part of Singapore’s 50th birthday, a number of arts festivals were held leading up to the grand opening of National Gallery Singapore. It was easy for corporate and individual donors to get swept up in the creative spirit, gifting different artistic projects tens of millions of dollars. To help encourage this sense of giving, those individuals who did donate money to galleries and the like received booming tax rebates. However, this year, the increased rebate rates aren’t guaranteed, and it’s extremely likely that corporate sponsors will fall off.

To try and keep that from happening, art collectives, facilities and other efforts are looking to connect with potential donors on a personalized level. For example, there are several permanent exhibition galleries in the newly opened National Gallery Singapore that bear the names of corporate sponsors, ensuring a shared legacy because of the donations provided to help the arts. An official from National Gallery Singapore says that the most essential thing institutes can do to gain donors is to understand what motivates the people and corporations they seek sponsorships from. One of the donors for National Gallery Singapore also wants to promote art from the Southeastern Asian region worldwide, so it was a simple and mutually beneficial process for the gallery to secure sponsorship.

Even if donations from big corporations could stall, art projects can still seek aid from smaller businesses and individuals. Doing this will help projects connect with individuals, making future visits and interactions with the projects more personal. One example is an arts entertainment group offering tiered membership opportunities for donors. At the highest level of donation, sponsors will receive dozens of tickets to upcoming show, as well as an invite to a brainstorming session and a dinner with one of the group’s stars. Lower membership tiers come with special cards and benefits to go along with them, such as admission to parties immediately following some of the groups’ shows.

The Singaporean government will continue to match, dollar for dollar, donations sponsors make to most arts projects and institutions, hopefully securing a future of giving for the arts scene.

One way that you can participate in Singapore’s art scene, besides making a donation of your own to your favorite event or institution, is to consider signing up for an art class today. By visiting SGArtClass.com, you can scroll through a list of different art class offerings, from set design to miniature art, and find a genre that you’re most interested in. Develop a whole new appreciation for the arts via one of our expert teachers and learn new skills today.

For more on the donor situation in Singapore’s art scene, go to http://news.asiaone.com/news/lifestyle/courting-art-donors.