Art Singapore 2010
The last couple of months over at Artitute, we have seen the sudden surge of art exhibitions and events in Singapore. Since Artitute started in July 2010, we have been getting invites and press releases for at least 2 exhibitions a week in Singapore. And mind you, that’s just about 1/4 of the event invites and notifications that we received. They are mainly from the Singapore Art Museum and 8Q, our major art institutions and private art galleries scattered across the island.
We know that the Singapore government have been trying to grow the art scene in Singapore and appreciates it’s effort for ramping up in 2010. It has opened our doors to foreign talents and supported independent art shows into Singapore. And with the launch of The School of The Arts (SOTA), Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands. We can see that visual art industry is starting to gain ground and no longer a closed door exclusive event for the well heeled. Now everyday people are able to get up close and personal to visual arts on the streets and public spaces.
Giant Marc Queen’s sculpture at Singapore’s Orchard Road
2010 closed with a bang with two of Singapore’s biggest art events, Art Singapore and The Affordable Art Fair. They have prep us for the launch of the inaugural Art Stage Singapore which will be happening next week from the 13th to the 16th January at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Art Museum and Artspace at Helutran. It promised to be an extraordinary event showcasing never been seen private art collections kindly loaned by the private collectors. But will it be too close for comfort as we are still buzzing from last year’s visual feast. I question if we are getting an overdosed of visual art events.
Printmaking demo by Marisa Keller at The Affordable Art Fair Singapore 2010
I personally feel that a major art events shouldn’t be held too close to one other. And NAC should watch out for an over saturation of art events held annually. Take the Singapore Biennale for example, which I look forward to in anticipation every 2 years (3 years delay for 2011’s event). If it happens every year, it will not be as special as the 2 months art event is scattered at various location. However, each Singapore Biennale have been carefully crafted that it becomes an art treasure hunt. I hope I will not be disappointed by the upcoming Biennale.
I am not complaining about the rise in the number of art exhibitions in Singapore as it truly show that Singapore is becoming a world class arts hub in Asia and these events serve as platforms for our local artists to showcase their works to the world. I am just concerned that we might start to get jaded by such an overdose of art events which it will no longer be a visual treat hence questioning it’s value.
Block your calender for these events:
M1 Singapore Art Fringe 2011 – 5th – 16th Jan
Open House (OH!) – 8th, 9th and 15th, 16th Jan
Art Stage Singapore – 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th Jan
Singapore Biennale 2011 Open House – 13 March – 15th May
