Opening - ARTSingapore @ Suntec

Singapore art scene is gearing itself for ARTSingapore 2010, which will start with a private viewing for collectors on Oct 7 and will then open to the general public Oct 8-11. This year, the fair is going boutique (ie there are only 50 galleries instead of the usual 100+), which may not be a bad thing as it had lacked focus in recent years having embraced a sometime too-inclusive approach. There will be various activities including a gala dinner and charity art auction, art “conversations” with curators (the highlight will be Yang Shaobin sharing his artistic journey in a Mandarin session). Visitors can also look forward to A Rough Guide To (The Meaning Of A Life 3.0) by Tan Kai Syng, a multi media installation, which will allow them to interact with Kaidie, the artist’s online alter-ego in London via web-chat. Last year’s ARTSingapore 2009 attracted close to 10,000 visitors, with over $5 million worth of sales. This year, the fair has an added bonus in my view, a strong showing of Korean art, which has been really under-appreciated vis a vis Chinese.