CIRCLE YOUR CALENDARS | A Sneak Peek at What Is In Store at #Singapore #Art #Fair 2014 @SAFMENASA

Singapore Art Fair 2014, the first modern and contemporary art fair in Asia focusing on Middle Eastern, North African, South and Southeast Asian (ME.NA.SA) art, has unveiled its exciting programmes for the public. The segments have been designed to connect visitors to the Fair, inspiring them to learn more about art from the region. Highlights include a street art performance, public art showcase, video art performance and educational talks.

Held from 27 to 30 November 2014, Singapore Art Fair will showcase some 60 galleries and artworks of established and emerging artists across the ME.NA.SA regions. The Fair will feature the works of Ahmed Mater, Ali Cherri, Atef Maatallah, Hicham Benohoud, Gwon Osang, Kazuo Shiraga, Roger Moukerzel, Chua Boon Kee, Hong Zhu An, Zhu Wei, Wang Keping, Datuk Ibrahim Hussein, among many others.

Exhibiting galleries include Adler Subhashok Gallery, Thailand, Cape of Good Hope, Singapore, Edouard Malingue Gallery, Hong Kong, Finale Art File, The Philippines, Galerie Dumonteil, China / France / USA, Linda Gallery, Singapore / China / Indonesia, Mizuma Art Gallery, Japan / Singapore, Samer Kozah Gallery, Syria, XVA Gallery, UAE and Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Lebanon.

“Art from the ME.NA.SA region is still fairly new to art collectors and art enthusiasts in Asia. The ME.NA.SA region is diverse - the countries intertwine culturally, politically, historically and socially. Moreover, it is not very often that the artists, especially those from Middle East and North Africa, have a common platform to showcase their works. Being the first and only fair in the region to introduce ME.NA.SA art to Asia, we felt it was important to have a series of public initiatives to deepen visitors’ knowledge and appreciation,” said Sue Ngo, Project Director, Singapore Art Fair.

Key highlights include –

Video Art Performance

To mark the start of the inaugural Singapore Art Fair, world-renowned Lebanese photographer and videographer Roger Moukarzel will present a video art performance, World Premiere of “So Far, So Close”. Through his work, Roger Moukarzel offers his interpretation of the ME.NA.SA landscape and its culture.

Street Art Performance

The inspiration behind bringing ME.NA.SA art to Singapore Art Fair is derived through the common history between Asia and the Middle East, which started since the days of the Silk Road trade. Through the Street Art Performance, the public will have the opportunity to view how the intimate connections between these regions developed over the years through a live graffiti performance put up by artists. The artists are Antz, Darbotz and Yazan Halwani from Singapore, Indonesia and Lebanon respectively.

Public Art Showcase

Singapore Art Fair aims to provide a platform for artists to showcase their monumental sculptures and installations. These works are reflection of the artists’ perspectives towards the world and life. Eleven artists will be presenting their sculptures at the fair. They include Gwong Osang, a rising star of the Asian art scene, and Aung Myint, Myanmar’s most important contemporary artists in the country. Gwon Osang will be producing an artwork based on the inspiration of a tree made up of various various animals and everyday objects. This has been specially created for Singapore Art Fair. Aung Myint will be presenting an art piece made out of eight pieces of painted tin. Titled, “The Human Mind is Changing Every Moment”, the inspiration of the piece came from seeing workers joining the pipes at construction sites.

Educational Talks

There will be a series of talks and discussions offering visitors comprehensive insights into art collection and art appreciation.

This includes a talk moderated by Mr Ramin Salsali, the founder of Salsali Private Museum, where he will be joined by a panel of distinguished collectors to share their experiences and insights into collecting art. There will also be a session hosted by conservator from Q Framing Group on how artworks should be stored, maintained and best conserved.

Dr Khairudin Aljunied, Associate Professor at the Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore, and Dr Ameen Ali Salim Talib is a third-generation Arab Singaporean born in Yemen who grew up between Aden (Yemen), Singapore and Cairo (Egypt). He is Advisor to Singapore Business Federation Middle East Group and member of the board of the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore. Drs Aljunied and Talib will be speaking at the session titled, “Understanding ME.NA.SA. relations through Singapore’s history,” where they explore the intrinsic ties Singapore has had with the ME.NA.SA region. The talk is moderated by Marion Zipfel, journalist (Le Journal des Arts, Europe 1, Enjeux Les Echos).

For a detailed schedule of the programme highlights, please refer to Annex A.

The Singapore Art Fair 2014 is organised by Orchilys Pte Ltd, a joint venture between MP Singapore and CEDRALYS and is held from 27 to 30 November 2014 at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. More information on Singapore Art Fair can be found at www.singapore-art-fair.com.