Contemporary art's crème de la crème in Asia Pacific
The Signature Art Prize 2014, deemed one of the most prestigious accolades in contemporary art in the Asia Pacific region, saw the curtains rise to its finalists' exhibition on November 13 at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM). With the support of presenting sponsor, the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation, the third edition of the award that brings forth 15 works from artists of 13 countries of the region this year spanning various genres, in a striking exhibition of the maturing contemporary art landscape in the region in recent years.
The exhibit was inaugurated on the evening of November 13 at the Glass Hall of SAM, with Peter Seah, chairman of the Lasalle College of the Arts present as guest of honour. Also present, among others, were Dr. Susie Lingham, director of the Singapore Art Museum; Ronald Pirmez, chairman of the APB Foundation Advisory Committee and Board of Trustees and Chong Siak Ching, CEO, SAM. Speaking there, Dr. Lingham gave the audience a little background of the selection process, how the exhibition will proceed and the awards, along with the past success of prize and its winners. Ronald Pirmez highlighted APBF's support to the arts, community and education in Singapore, and reiterated commitments of continuing their endeavours. Peter Seah shed light on the practice of contemporary art in the region, and hailed the initiative for its role in nurturing, propagating and popularising such forms.
A total of 105 artworks from 24 countries were nominated by 36 art experts of the region for the prize, from which a jury shortlisted the 15 to be displayed, based on various criteria, including strength of idea, use of media and materials, technique, creativity and originality and imagination. The shortlisted works will be vying for a Grand Prize of S$60,000 and two Jurors' Choice Awards of S$15,000, and the exciting People's Choice Awards worth S$10,000. The exhibition, open from today to public, will run till March 15, 2015 – and the awards will be announced on January 22, 2015. A series of parallel programmes are also scheduled to engage connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike.
The exhibition, presented across 12 galleries across two floors of SAM's main building, brings together artworks from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and in essence is a walk through the immensely rich cultural and traditional diversity across the region.
APB Foundation, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year of philanthropic activities this year, has been involved in a range of initiatives from arts funding to talent building to partnering with organisations that work for the elderly and needy.
SAM, that observed the first anniversary of being a Company Limited on November 13, has been in operation from 1996, and focuses on contemporary art practice in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia in the global context.
Comments