Expansion plan
Art Stage Singapore announces Jakarta edition in August.
ART Stage Singapore, the leading contemporary art fair in Singapore, is launching a Jakarta edition.
Art Stage Jakarta, featuring up to 50 art galleries mostly from Indonesia, will take place at the Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel from Aug 5 to 7.
Lorenzo Rudolf, founder and president of both fairs, sees the new event as a curated “boutique art fair” that will provide a platform for artists, galleries and collectors in one of the most vibrant art markets in the region.
Calling Indonesia “the heartbeat of Asia”, he says the country is a leading centre for art production, with established art schools, such as the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta and the Bandung Institute of Technology, and a lively art scene, particularly in Jogjakarta.
Together, the two fairs “offer seamless and comprehensive market opportunities”, deepening Art Stage’s connections with collectors in the region and strengthening ties with Indonesian artists, he adds.
Tanya Amador, a Singapore- based arts and communications consultant who has worked with several art fairs, says the news comes as “a complete surprise”.
“I guess it points to the fact that South- east Asia remains a growing market for art. From the market perspective, Indonesia will probably benefit from a fair as established as Art Stage Singapore.
“What kind of impact it will have on the art eco- system in the region remains to be seen,” she says.
Art Stage Jakarta will be managed by Leo Silitonga, who has promised the same “high standards and quality” that the Singapore event stands for.
In 2014 and last year, the 50- year- old former gallerist led Bazaar Art Jakarta as its director. He hopes to build Art Stage Jakarta into a platform for all art lovers.
Just like in Singapore, the programming mix in Jakarta will include discussions and talks on various aspects of contemporary art. While the focus will be on Indonesian art galleries, regional and international galleries are expected to participate too.
Details of participating galleries were not available by press time.
The dates for the seventh edition of Art Stage Singapore have also been announced.
Next year, it will be held from Jan 12 to 15 at the Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Convention Centre, with a by- invite- only vernissage on Jan 11. – The Straits Times, Singapore/ Asia News Network