TPAG FEB 201 2 / I SSUE 28

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Tibetan-thepocket 2012cp 12/27/11 12:13 PM Page 1
Composite
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
Sunjin Galleries (S) Pte Ltd
Village: 43 Jalan Merah Saga, #03-62, Work Loft @ Chip Bee, Singapore 278 115
Shenton Way: 2 Mistri Road, #01-02 Lumiere, Singapore 079 624
Tel: 6738 2317 | www.sunjingalleries.com.sg | blog: www.sunjingalleries.blogspot.com
Wu Qiong, The Hairstylist, 150 x 110 cm, oil on canvas
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Contents
TPAG February 201 2 / I ssue 28
4
EDITORS
LETTER
6
ART WIRE
Gallery updates and events
32
Frontiers
The Contemporary
Dreamtime
38
PERSPECTIVES
Droit de suite
42
SPACE
Setting the stage for Asian Art
47
MAP
Art Galleries in Singapore
52
DIRECTORY
LISTING
60
CLASSIFIED
12
IN ThE FRAME
The Babu, the Nayika and the Cat
20
FEATuRE
Putting the art into
the martial
24
ART LANDS
From revolution to Little Red Dot
30
GLIMPSE
Art HK 12: Senses and the City
04 TPAG | Feb 2012
edi tor s l etter
Dear reaDers,
The February 2012 issue of The Pocket Arts Guide (TPAG)
looks back an interesting month as the burgeoning art scenes
in Singapore and Hong Kong draw global attention. Art
Stage Singapore this year offered convincing proof that
Asias fne artists are making generational leaps; and with
originality showing through, it is possible to feel the conf-
dence in the changing cultural landscape, one that appears to
have blossomed rather than push itself through.
Writing about history while it is happening is no easy
task, but it is easy to fall back on language that has de-
scribed past breakthroughs. However, looking at the creative
variations, the emergence of new mediums and the cultural
context they are in, it seems that an umbrella term like con-
temporary is perhaps no longer enough. The 21st century
has new inspirations. Fine artists are using new materials
and in interconnecting global cultures that blur the lines of
national borders.
TPAG tries to avoid throwing up a load of art jargon. Our
articles attempt to look at the underlying ideas and give voice
to the artists instead of falling back on labels and preconcep-
tions. Our journalistic values emphasise unique perspectives
that guarantee interesting reading, and we havent forgotten
the importance of making the information practical to gallery
owners and readers.
The articles in this issue address some of the ideas above
and give coverage to the events. This months Frontiers is
about the need for new categories in Australian Aboriginal
art. As well as reviewing Art Stage Singapore, we look for-
ward to Art HK and its growing signifcance in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong-based writer and producer Bey Logan also
reminds us of a time when flm posters were painted but still
caught the energy of the moving image. As usual TPAG cov-
ers a wide range of topics in this issue and we wish you an
insightful read that widens your perspective of the art world.
Remo Notarianni
editor-in-Chief
ISSN 2010-4375 / MICA (P) 130/03/2011
Editor-in-Chief
Remo Notarianni
remo@thepocketartsguide.com
Art Director
Melvin Ho
melvinho@thepocketartsguide.com
Contributors
Rudabah Abbass, Irina
Burmistrova, Bey Logan
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06 TPAG | Feb 2012
Pablo Picasso and the
School of Paris
12.01.12 20.03.12
Art Trove
www.art-trove.com
Singapore
Art Trove, a private museum,
started 2012 with a splendid
exhibition, Pablo Picasso and
the School of Paris, on display
from January 12 to February 20.
The School of Paris was a group
of French artists who fourished
in the era between the two world
wars with Pablo Picasso as their
leading light. The show consists
of two categories: art works and
photographs.
The artworks include original
prints, drawings, lithographs,
etchings and sculpture. The
drawings have certifcates of au-
thenticity by the worlds leading
experts on the genre. The prints
are mainly hand-signed and
from Limited Editions. All are
well-researched, in good condi-
tion and catalogued profession-
ally with full academic and his-
torical details.
Picasso is well-represented
in our collection with an original-
signed drawing, a fne colour
linocut, three choice works from
the Vollard Suite of 1933 and
several later etchings. All these
works are hand-signed and
straddle different periods in the
artists career.
Ron Arad and David Mach
03.02.12 19.02.12
Opera Gallery
www.operagallery.com
Singapore
Ron Arad and David Mach are
two esteemed creators. Both are
visionaries, as well as sculptors
and architects and they come
to Opera Gallery this February
as true mavericks in theirs and
others design felds. Arad de-
scribes himself as an industrial
designer, a maker of all things
biomorphic; his sculpted forms,
often chairs or sofas are liquid-
like yet constructed predomi-
nantly from the material of his
preference, steel.
Mach is a daring, incisive and
clearly very methodical in his
work. His sculptures have sur-
faces equal in their dynamism
to Arads but they are construct-
ed solely from matchsticks,
hangers or other found objects.
They are at once fearsome and
beautiful, totally powerful in
the rooms they occupy and yet
somehow fragile. They move in
an alternative realm tours yet
occupy our space.
This is a collaborative experi-
ence unique to the art world and
the frst exhibition of these two
acclaimed creatives in Singa-
pore. Both artists have and will
continue to surpass all expecta-
tion so this February join Opera
Gallery in celebrating their out-
standing infuence and ongoing
achievement.
Asia Pacifc Breweries
Foundation Signature
Art Prize 2011 Finalists
Exhibition
11.11.11 04.03.12
Singapore Art Museum
www.singaporeartmuseum.sg
Singapore
The Asia Pacifc Breweries
(APB) Foundation Signature Art
Prize is an award to recognise
artists whose artworks repre-
sent a signifcant development
in contemporary visual art in
the Asia Pacifc region. Aimed
at recognising the single most
outstanding contemporary visu-
al artwork produced in the pre-
ceding three years, the award is
open, by nomination, to all visual
artworks, regardless of medium,
subject matter and size.
Now in its second instal-
ment, the award reaches out to
24 countries and territories in
the region, including Australia,
China, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Korea, New Zealand, Mongolia,
the Oceania islands, the Phil-
ippines, Singapore, Thailand,
Vietnam and many others. From
the 130 nominated artworks, 15
fnalist artworks were selected
and exhibited in SAM.
The exhibition offers an ex-
cellent opportunity to see and
discover some of the most excit-
ing contemporary art produced
in this dynamic region in the last
three years. An international jury
will then convene to judge the
exhibited fnalist artworks and
select the winning artworks.
art wire
07
Videologue: Exhibition
Opening, Institute of Con-
temporary Arts
20.01.12 19.02.12
www.lasalle.edu.sg
Singapore
Curated by visual artists Urich
Lau (Singapore) and Cheng
Guangfeng (Beijing), this sec-
ond edition of the Videologue
exhibition series features works
by eight participating artists from
Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo.
As a critique of contemporary
urban change and displace-
ment, the exhibition also ex-
plores cultural and geographical
disassociation.
Videologue Video Art Ex-
hibition / Exchange: Beijing
Singapore Tokyo is the next
exhibition in 2012 hosted by the
Institute of Contemporary Arts
Singapore, presenting works
by Urich Lau, Lim Shengen,
Teow Yue Han from Singapore;
Cheng Guangfeng, Han Tao, Li
Ning and Shen Shaomin from
Beijing; and Tetsugo Hyakutake
from Tokyo.
The works of Cheng Guang-
feng and Shen Shaomin refect
the tension between nations,
and from wars to political diver-
gence since the mid-20th cen-
tury. The division caused from
previous generations was so
profound that it almost led to no
resolution till today.
Playthings by Danny Yung
28.01.12 28.02.12
Museum of Art and Design
www.madmad.com.sg
Singapore
Delve into celebrated Hong
Kong artist Danny Yungs quirky
world of Playthings this Janu-
ary a solo exhibition at Sin-
gapores MAD Museum of Art &
Design (MAD) featuring two se-
ries of artworks that will stir your
imagination. Playthings traces
his visual trajectory from caf-
feine drawn creatures to comic
cartoon strips.
Presenting his latest series
of works, Yung draws upon his
attitude and loathing towards
the subject of eating fsh one
that developed since childhood
against what he imagines to
be a reality where they are free.
Each piece, depicting individual
as well as schools of fsh, is
painted in the unusual medium
of coffee on napkins.
Also exhibiting at MAD is
Yungs widely popular conceptual
comic collection, Tian Tian Xiang
Shang . Manipu-
lating comic tradition of the
9-frame, 4-frame and 3-frame
structure, he explores and ques-
tions how direction, position,
space, narrative framework and
communication structure are
perceived.
Merapi: Beyond the
Myths by Heri Dono from
Indonesia
22.02.12 10.03.12
Alliance Francaise de Singa-
pour Generale Private Banking
Gallery
www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg
Singapore
As part of A Week of Indonesian
Culture in Singapore organised
by the Alliance Franaise de Sin-
gapour, SOCIETE GENERALE
Private Banking Gallery is hold-
ing an exhibition. GENERALE
Private Banking Gallery is hold-
ing an exhibition entitled Merapi:
Beyond the Myths by Heri Dono
from Indonesia.
This exhibition showcases
around fve installations made
up of bricks, water tanks and
sand as well as 40 drawings
and 13 paintings revolving on
the subject of the community
and beliefs at the Merapi volca-
nic region. Heri Dono is known
through his installation that re-
sults from his experiments with
the most popular Javanese folk
theater: wayang.
In the wayang performance,
a number of artistic and extra-
artistic elements visual arts,
singing, music, storytelling, my-
thology promotion of a philoso-
phy of life, social criticisms, and
humor - merge into a coherent
unity to make a generic perfor-
mance comprising complex ele-
ments of multimedia.
08 TPAG | Feb 2012
Panu
15.02.11
31.03.11
ReDot
Fine Art
www.redotgal-
lery.com
Singapore
Singapores ReDot Fine Art Gal-
lery will host Paddy JAPALJAR-
RI STEWARTs frst ever Solo
Exhibition, titled Panu (All);
a ftting climax to a career of a
man whose knowledge of the
desert and its mystical laws is
ALL encompassing. We are for-
tunate enough to have the only
exhibit of replicas of the Yuen-
dumu door school project along
with the artist proof version of
the works on paper.
Paddy has painted this entire
series, recounting and re-telling
each of the dreaming depicted
on those iconic doors so many
years ago. The combination of
Paddys stately importance with-
in the Warlpiri community, the
deferral to his ancestral knowl-
edge, his advancing years, com-
bined with the impact and cul-
tural signifcance of the doors,
make this particular exhibition a
once in a lifetime experience.
This is a show that will make
an irreversible impression on
your understanding and appre-
ciation of culture, art and Aborig-
inal civilisation. The show will
offer a chance to visually absorb
Aboriginal styles, and thus open
a door for anyone who wants to
begin to understand a unique ar-
tistic language.
The Sovereign Art Prize
Exhibition
2.02.12 12.02.12
The Sovereign Art Foundation
www.sovereignartfoundation.com
Hong Kong

The Sovereign Art Foundation
raised over US$500,000 for art-
ists and charities in Asia, Europe
and Africa in 2011 and plan to
extend goodwill in 2012. The
2011 Sovereign Asian Finalists
were exhibited at The Marina
Bay Sands in Singapore from
the 10th 14th January and a
gala dinner celebrating the spe-
cial selection of 20 Singaporean
artists was held on the 14th
January.
The 2011 Sovereign Asian Art
Prize exhibition will be in Hong
Kong from the 2nd 12th Febru-
ary at the Rotunda, Exchange
Square. The fnalists auction will
be at the Four Seasons Hong
Kong on the 17th Feb. For tick-
ets please contact Nick Crabb at
nick@SovereignArtFoundation.
com or Grace Ho at gracehowl@
gmail.com.
Kamen Stoyanov was an-
nounced the 2011 Sovereign
European Art Prize winner and
Anna Boggon the public vote
prize winner. The Sovereign Art
Foundation has been a spring-
board for a great deal of artis-
tic success in Asia and creates
goodwill for the arts and has
been a powerful platform for
change in Asia.
Fukushima Anniversary
Exhibition
01.03.12 14.03.12
The Fringe Club
www.hkfringe.com.hk
Hong Kong
Three hundred and sixty-fve
days after the Fukushima nucle-
ar crisis, as life goes on in Hong
Kong, Japan is still striving to
deal with the aftermath, which
will probably last for the next few
decades.
In recent decades, the dev-
astating effects of nuclear power
have been evident. Nuclear en-
ergy is highly dangerous and
the effect is long-term and far-
reaching. From Chernobyl to
Fukushima, it has been proven
yet again how nuclear energy
can destroy a city and harm our
next generations.
Greenpeace aims to inspire
the public to refect on the pos-
sibility of a truly energy-effcient
future. This exhibition features
photo documentation of Fuku-
shima by award-winning Dutch
photographer Robert Knoth,
and works by local artists Tsang
Tak-ping, Kongkee, Blackpaper,
Wong Wing-fung and Annabella
Li, who use their creativity and
imagination to consider the dis-
tance between us and a nuclear
future.
art wire
09
Revitalising the Glorious
Tradition:The Retrospective
Exhibition of Pan
Tanshous Art
25.11.12 02.05.12
Hong Kong Museum of Art
www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/
Arts
Hong Kong
Acclaimed by critics and art his-
torians as one of the four giants
of traditional painting, Pan Tian-
shou (1897 1971) was a lead-
ing exponent of modern Chi-
nese art history. He developed a
unique style which is character-
ised by expressive brushwork,
vigorous form, forceful composi-
tion and monumental scale.
Pan was an outstanding grad-
uate of the Zhejiang Provincial
First Normal College. He taught
at a succession of art schools
including the Shanghai College
of Fine Arts, the Xinhua Art Col-
lege, and the Hangzhou National
College of Art.
Selected from the Pan Tian-
shou Memorial Museum in Hang-
zhou, the exhibition features 36
works including landscape as
well as fower and bird paintings
and also calligraphy, accompa-
nied by a number of valuable
documents. It is a look at the
timeless and the historical.
Re-opening and celebration
of nine years
15.01.11 30.03.12
Gaffer
www.gaffer.com.hk
Hong Kong
Re-opening and celebrating the
start of nine years in Hong Kong
with an exhibition of new works
by six Melbourne artists Si-
mon Strong, Robert Doble, Ruth
McCallum-Howell, Terri Brooks,
Phil Stokes & Jane Hall. How-
ells large cast glass pieces are
inspired by the organic forma-
tion found within nature.
Brooks abstract oil paintings
are her explorations and obser-
vations of inner-city Melbourne
and its weathered patina, faking
paint, rusted metal, marked &
graffti covered red bricked walls
that line the cobble stoned lanes
ways built in the gold rush days
of 1880s Melbourne CBD.
Hall has been dedicated to-
wards learning the old skills &
tradition of Asian & Japanese
printmaking through extensive
travel and by being an artist in
residence held in Japan, Italy,
Nepal & Thailand. Hall repeats
the process and overlapping
blocks of ink are pressed leaving
shades of built up single color
marking the handmade paper.
Coastline: Zhang Xiao
10.2 10.3.2012
Blindspot Gallery
www.blindspotgallery.com
Hong Kong
Coastline will feature emerging
Chinese photographer Zhang
Xiaos award-winning series
Coastline that focuses on the
continuous 18,000 kilometres
of Chinas coastline. The se-
ries does not merely capture
the seaside landscape of these
coastal areas, but also witness-
es the changes of China caused
by its economic reform in the
past 30 years.
The images serve as sur-
real documents that depict
Chinas social and political his-
tory in terms of the topographical
changes. It also highlights how
geography can mirror social and
political change and how through
its own aesthetic, it has a power-
ful visual language as clear and
as powerful as deliberate ab-
stract and fgurative art forms.
1 0 TPAG | Feb 2012
The Third Eye Project
10.01.12 04.01.12
Amelia Johnson Gallery
www.ajc-art.com
Hong Kong
From 10th January 2012 Ame-
lia Johnson Contemporary is
thrilled to present an exciting
initiative, The Third Eye Project.
Featuring the video, projection
and installation work of three
international artists this series of
installations will take place over
three months and present three
very different artistic responses
to Hong Kong. Opening the proj-
ect will be Barry Jacquess video
projection work.
Shot over a period of one year
this work attempts to capture and
relay some of the frenzied activ-
ity that takes place daily on the
highways, waterways and high
rise urban housing complexes
of Hong Kong. By using various
technical simplicities such as
mirror imagery and the speeding
up of the flm Jacques abstracts
these mundane activities into
poetic and broodingly beautiful
arcs of light and movement.
David Smiths powerful and
haunting music adds weight
and gravitas to Barry Jacques
dramatic visuals combining to
create an unprecedented com-
position. It also highlights the
combination sound and image.
Wu Xing: Five Elements,
05.01.12-05.02.12
Sundaram Tagore
www.sundaramtagore.com
Hong Kong
Wu Xing: Five Elements, Jyoti
Duwadis frst exhibition in Hong
Kong, is a site-specifc multime-
dia installation where nature and
culture merge. It interweaves
drawings and paintings using
earth pigments, turmeric and
gum Arabic with sculptures
made from beeswax. This in-
stallation offers a multi-sensory
experience of smell, sound, and
touch using natural materials.
Wu Xing: Five Elements inter-
prets the traditional Chinese ele-
mentsearth, water, fre, metal,
and woodwhich represent the
fundamental forms of energy.
The variety of techniques and
media in this installation refects
ideas of balance and transfor-
mation embodied in this ancient
concept.
Jyoti Duwadi, born into a fam-
ily of poets and writers, was
exposed to art and literature
while growing up in Darjeeling,
Varanasi, and Kathmandu. He
moved to the United States in
1971 to study political science,
earning a PhD from Claremont
Graduate University, California.
Vicken Parsons: Paintings
24.02.12 24.03.12
Alan Cristea Gallery
www.alancristea.com
London
In early 2012, the Alan Cris-
tea Gallery will present the
frst solo show in London for
over 12 years of the British
born artist, Vicken Parsons.
The show will consist of around
20 new works and will be ac-
companied by a fully illustrated
catalogue with an introduction
by leading psychoanalyst and
writer Darian Leader.
Parsons makes small, inti-
mate paintings of landscapes
and architectural spaces which
move from fguration to ab-
straction with quiet ease. Made
with thin layers of oil paint on
thick plywood panel, the works
have a three-dimensional, ob-
ject-like quality.
Often grey or monochrome, the
paintings are sometimes hit with
a fash of colour, of cornfower
blue, bright white or electric yel-
low which almost seems to fuo-
resce. At times they retreat into
deep dark corners.
art wire
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TPAG.pdf 1 15/12/2011 10:50 AM
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12 TPAG | Feb 2012
In The Frame
hei nr i ch Wol ffl i nn
The Babu,
Nothing is more natural to art
history than to draw parallels
between periods of culture
and periods of style.

BABU WITH HUKKA,

180 X 65 X 100CM
Perceived as a foppish male dandy,
the Bengali Babu was the most
popular subject of Kalighat painting.
He represented the man who,
having recently climbed the ladder
of success, became a permanent
fxture of a seemingly hallow circle.
13
and
the Cat
Text: Suman Aggarwal
the Nayika
NAYIKA
128 X 94 X 51CM
BLACK CAT
WITH A PRAWN
92 X 118 X 40CM
14 TPAG | Feb 2012
In The Frame The Babu, the nayika and the Cat
SINGAPORES INdIGO BluE ARt wIll RAISE thE cuRtAIN ON AN ExcItING
NEw SERIES Of SculPtuRES By EmINENt ARtISt tAPAS SARkAR At thE
INdIA ARt fAIR 2012. thE INdIAN ARtIStS mAStERPIEcES ARE thREE-
dImENSIONAl EmBOdImENtS Of cultuRE thAt REvItAlISE A 200-yEAR-
Old tRAdItION. SAtIRIcAl ANd mEtAPhORIcAl, thESE vOlumEtRIc
SculPtuRES Of thE BABu, thE NAyIkA ANd thE cAt, SAtuRAtEd IN
jEwEl-lIkE tONES Of cOlOuR ANd RIddlEd wIth AllEGORIES, ARE
SImPly ARREStING, SENSuOuS ANd ENchANtING.
Woman and Peacock, 141 X 92 X 66CM
The woman in this image represents a Nayika or heroine gently caressing a
peacock and pining for her lover to arrive - a theme much celebrated in medieval
Indian love poetry and miniature paintings of the 17th and 18th century.
1 5
T
he idea of creating three dimen-
sional sculptures of Kalighat
pats, one of Indias most iconic
genres of painting, was conceived
and developed by Tapas Sarkar in
Calcutta, the hometown of Sarkar
and ironically, the birthplace of Ka-
lighat. To him the process seemed
only natural as the swelling lines
of these intriguing images had
been bursting for an opportunity
to present themselves beyond a
two-dimensional surface into a
three-dimensional form for almost
200 years.
In a collection of contemporary
sculptures unveiled by Indigo Blue
Art, the situations are modern but
the style remains true to that of Ka-
lighat painting. This makes the new
three-dimensional works, replete
with modern day emblems, delight-
fully odd yet as equally enchanting
as earlier paper Kalighat paintings.
The art of Kalighat has its roots
in the cultural upheavals of early
nineteenth century colonial Bengal.
The paintings are a legacy, which
help us understand the mode of life
at the time of their creation, and im-
mortalise events which would oth-
erwise be lost to future generations.
The art was expressed through a
non-static changing visual language
which refected the Kalighat paint-
ers inherited traditions as well as
the changes in their immediate so-
cial environment.
Unlike conventional art which
enjoyed royal patronage, the bazaar
provided patronage of this unique
art as well as an essential platform
upon which the client/artist rela-
tionship was created and cultivated.
At the same time, it was the bazaar
that provided fodder for the art-
CAT WITH HER KITTEN
114 X 120 X 40CM
Sarkars sculptures are
based on traditional
Kaligat paintings
16 TPAG | Feb 2012
work, for it was here that the people
who visited the bazaar, suddenly
became the subject of the very art
they bought.
Prior to the development of
Kalighat painting, the art of colo-
nial Bengal was quintessentially
folk in favour. Until the early 19th
century, Calcutta boasted a strong
folk culture derived from street
performances featuring theatre,
pantomimes, folk dances, poetry
and devotional singing often ac-
companied by instruments. Potters,
Scroll painters and woodcarvers re-
sponded to the strong folk culture
by creating works which refected
it. The art was non-commercial and
used for story-telling as the creators
moved from village to village sing-
ing at community gatherings and
festivals.
With the introduction of the
Indian railway system in the early
19th century, came improved trans-
port and communications across the
country. The effects were especially
felt in Calcutta, the capital of British
India, which, from 1830 onwards,
became a fast growing metropolis.
Scroll painting until now had
not been created for commercial
purposes and the works of potters
and wood carvers were too bulky,
fragile and labour intensive to meet
the new demand. As a result, a new
type of art emerged which was to
continue for the next 100 years.
The painting was a result of the
combined skills of patuas (scroll
painters), carpenters (Sutradhar),
stoneworkers (Bhaskara) and (Ku-
mor) potters. Each departed from
his earlier art practice, and arrived
at a new contemporary idiom which
refected the immediate social en-
vironment and equally important,
a style which could be achieved
with a speed of execution to meet
the high demand from this new
breed of patrons. With the various
backgrounds of its creators, the
idiom varied and there were many
types, however, clubbed together
by scholars, they became known as
Kalighat.
The choice of medium for the
Kalighat painter was mill-made pa-
per and watercolours, both newly
introduced industrial products for
sale in early 19th century colonial
Calcutta. Cheap and available in
abundance, this helped to sustain
a low cost of production. The style
of the painting was characterized
by speedily executed broad sweep-
ing brush lines, bold colours, and
simplifcation of forms suitable for
their mass production.
Initially, each focussed on reli-
gious iconography but gradually,
over time, the Kalighat painters
expanded into a world of contem-
porary social events. Their observa-
tions were from the bazaar - they
watched the red-lipped vendors of
In The Frame The Babu, the nayika and the Cat
The choice of medium for the Kalighat
painter was mill-made paper and
watercolours, both newly introduced
industrial products for sale in early
19th century colonial Calcutta.
1 7
BLUE SEdUCTIoN
108 X 153 X 122CM
18 TPAG | Feb 2012
In The Frame The Babu, the nayika and the Cat
HYPoCRITE
101 X 61 X 51CM
1 9
paan, the pot-bellied vendors of
sweetmeat, the gait of the foppish
dandy, the conspicuous habits of
the nouveau riche and the manner-
isms of the courtesan and the Bibi.
Postures, gestures, hair, make-up,
dress and hobbies were observed
and articulated into vigorous bold
lines to depict dynamic secular
characters and secular themes, such
as caricatures of Babus/dandies,
themes of male/female ascendancy,
conjugal love/quarrels, portraits of
dancers/musicians, historical fgure
and social events such as the fa-
mous Tarakeshwar affair.
Devoid of a background, each
image of a Kalighat painting was
presented in isolation like a cut-out
tableau. The effect was similar to
a still from the theatre. Character-
ised by prominent, sharply drawn
fgures, each image was presented
to be brief, cryptic and highly em-
blematic, yet accessible by the ba-
zaar from which it was created and
to whom it was sold. The insertion
of new and vital alterations breathed
new life into the works whilst si-
multaneously documenting the
changing social landscape within its
narrative. Heavy drapes either in the
clothing of the subject or a raised
curtain, mimicked the drapes of the-
atre or a photo studio, an important
element in Victorian Calcutta.
The Kalighat painter created his
own rules for the treatment of the
human fgure. The choice of water-
colours over the earlier available
opaque paint, allowed him to create
varying hues of shade and light. He
built up a play of luminosity and ac-
cent highlights especially for drap-
ery folds and bulging limbs of fg-
ures. By reconfguring impressions
of light and shade, and form and
volume, the Kalighat painter cre-
ated a brand new representation and
interpretation where, unlike nature,
light appeared from several sources
with shading and highlights on con-
ficting surfaces.
The demand for the genre of Ka-
lighat painting which began in the
1830s continued until the frst half
of the 20th century. Kalighat paint-
ers met this demand until the 1930s
following which they lost their
market share to cheaply produced
lithographs of Kalighat, a result of
advanced printing technology in
Calcutta. Approximately 100 years
after the birth of Kalighat, the last
traces of this genre disappeared
completely. Despite its limited life
span, its demise has not been in vain
as its characteristic bold calligraph-
ic brushstrokes, use of block colour
and focus on folk/popular culture
themes have infuenced and inspired
Indian artists including Jamini Roy
and George Keyt, and even Europe-
an artists including Pablo Picasso.
Characterised by prominent, sharply drawn
fgures, each image was presented to be
brief, cryptic and highly emblematic.
20 TPAG | Feb 2012
Feature
PUTTING THE ART
INTO THE MARTIAL:
By Bey Logan
The unsung brush strokes of kung fu cinema
The Big Boss: 1971
21
W
hen screen legend Bruce Lee
left Hong Kong for the United
States, he was best-known as Lee
Siu Loong, the cocky child star of
a dozen or so black and white Can-
tonese dramas. When he returned as
a high kicking martial arts master,
his image was frst defned for local
audiences in the form of a brightly
painted movie poster that blazed
from the marquees of Hong Kong
theatres. Local audiences saw the
dragon redefned in art before they
watched the martial artist on screen.
The men, who worked for hire to
provide this uniquely stylised poster
artwork, are some of the true unsung
heroes of 70s action cinema. Their
bold interpretations of that eras ac-
tion icons (Lee, Jimmy Wang Yu,
Angela Mao Ying) are now highly
prized collectors items. These mas-
terworks were created out of techni-
cal necessity rather than from artistic
vision. At that time, Hong Kong pro-
duction companies lacked the tech-
nology necessary to blow up a photo
slide to the size of movie theatre
one-sheet. They hired artists, usually
youngsters trained in graphic design,
to generate artwork that would cre-
ate a visual impact matching that of
the flms themselves.
One of the surviving artists,
Wong Chi keung, remembers the
process. We would meet someone
from the publicity department of
the company concerned, he recalls.
We seldom met producers and di-
The Skyhawk: 1974
Fist of Fury: 1972
22 TPAG | Feb 2012
rectors, and never the actors. They
would give us slides and stills from
the flm, and we would be asked to
present ideas for a poster design
based on these elements. Sometimes
the reference materials themselves
werent great quality, so we really
had to use our imaginations to come
up with something striking!
The biggest challenge was how
to convey the sheer visceral energy
of a Hong Kong kung fu movie on
a two-dimensional static surface.
Borrowing stylistic elements from
Japanese manga comic books, the
poster artists sought to show motion
with broad energy strokes of the
brush, giving the impression that
the fgures concerned were cap-
tured for a split second as they leapt
across the canvas.
A good example of early 70s
poster art is that created for Bruce
Lees Fist of Fury. Compared to
the other actors depicted, Lee him-
self is, facially, barely recognizable.
What matters is that hes caught in
fight, his kick extended, against a
backdrop the colour of Hong Kong
movie studio blood. At the time, ac-
tresses were perceived to be a big-
ger drawer than male stars, and so
its the visage of leading lady Nora
Miao that dominates the bottom
of the frame. The villainous Japa-
nese are represented in a triptych
of stylized sword-wielding samu-
rai fgures that in no way resemble
the flms actual bad guy budoka.
These were taken from the artwork
of a Japanese chanbara movie and
adapted to the design of the Fist of
Fury poster.
The Fist of Fury poster is a
good example of the frm line ap-
Feature Putting the art into the Martial
The biggest challenge was how to
convey the sheer visceral energy of a
Hong Kong kung fu movie on a two-
dimensional static surface.
The Magnifcent Butcher: 1979 New Fist of Fury: 1976
23
proach, with its images conforming
to the more established principles of
graphic art as it tended to be applied
in the advertising industry of the 60s
and 70s. 1974s The Skyhawk of-
fers a more stylized approach, with
its central character, kung fu legend
Wong Fei-hung (as played by the
venerable Kwan Tak-hing), depict-
ed with a soft, watercolour effect
as he wields his pole. Its almost an
impressionistic approach: the image
gives us the impression of the old
warrior in motion, while only show-
ing a specifcally cropped area of his
full body.
Though developments in en-
largement technique meant that
more photo posters were used, the
Hong Kong action cinema of the 80s
also kept various artists employed.
Where the earlier efforts had been
a matter of necessity, now, in the
era of kung fu comedy, companies
chose to create an artwork poster
to depict the often Looney Tunes-
esque aspect of their flms, with one
of the best examples of this being
the one sheet from Golden Har-
vests Warriors Two. Where they
were once dismissed as fashy ads
for disposable flms, these posters
are now rightly regarded as a key
element of Hong Kongs collective
cultural heritage.
A display of classic Hong Kong
movie posters will be held in Hong
Kong at Michael Leungs A Gallery
in Mee Lun Street on the evening
of Thursday, February 9. Posters,
lobby cards and other classic Hong
Kong movie memorabilia items are
available from www.reeleast.com.
The Prodigal Son: 1981 Warriors Two: 1978
P
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24 TPAG | Feb 2012
Art LAnds
R U SS I A
From revolution to Little Red Dot
25
From revolution to Little Red Dot
Text by Irina Burmistrova
Disambiguation, 2009
Almagul Menlibayeva
28 x 42 in. (71 x 107 cm)
Courtesy of Priska C. Juschka
Fine Art
26 TPAG | Feb 2012
B
efore the political breathing
spaces of perestroika in the
1980s, artistic practice in Russia
could be categorized as either off-
cial or unoffcial. The years that
followed gave way to an artistic
freedom previously unseen in the
nation and a break from Soviet
Socialist Realism.
Russias artists have had a pro-
found infuence on art movements
and philosophies. The pre-revo-
lutionary art of Isaac Levitan, Ilya
Repin, Ivan Aivazovskii, and Vasilii
Surikov and the early twentieth cen-
tury avant-garde art of Alexander
Rodchenko, Kazimir Malevithch
,Vasilii Kandinsky are globally re-
vered. The extent of the impact of
Russias contemporary art scene
remains to be seen and understood,
but its evolution is based on the rich
legacy of the nations past and the
Soviet-era cultural paradigm shift.
Whether free or not, Russian
authorities claim its artists will
never be forsaken. Recently, Rus-
sias Minister of Culture Alexander
Avdeev was quoted as saying: It is
a good sign that for all the turmoil
which is happening in politics and
in the economy, Russias govern-
ment doesnt forget about sponsor-
ing culture.
New contemporary Russian art
practitioners draw on sources rang-
ing from traditional icon painting
to Suprematism and conceptualism,
as they engage in critical dialogues
with artists throughout the world.
Art LAnds From revolution to Little red dot
With Russias political tRansfoRmations oveR the
past foRty yeaRs, most notably the bReak-up of the
soviet union, its aRt has Reflected a changing
social and cultuRal landscape. its contempoRaRy
aRtists aRe bReaking neW gRound and singapoRe
has been offeRed a glimpse.
Almagul Menlibayeva
The Breakfast for the Beast 3, 2011
49 x 74 in. (125 x 187.5 cm)
Courtesy of Priska C. Juschka Fine Art
Homeland Guard, 2011
Almagul Menlibayeva
74 x 49 in. (187.5 x 125 cm)
Courtesy of Priska C. Juschka Fine Art
27
Sadko in the Underwater Kingdom, 1876, Ilya Repin.
28 TPAG | Feb 2012
Art LAnds From revolution to Little red dot
Alongside well-established names
such as Ilya and Emilia Kaba-
kov, Eric Bulatov, Boris Mihailov
and AES+F, there are many new-
comers like Blue Noses, Alexei
Kallima, Kerim Ragimov and Olga
Chernysheva.
The Russian establishment and
its nouveau riche have had a hand
in the presence of contemporary
art in everyday life. Since 2008
there were dramatic new develop-
ments when the high profle Garage
Centre for Contemporary Culture
opened in Moscow. The Garage was
founded by Dasha Zhukova, partner
of the oil billionaire Roman Abram-
ovich. The Moscow Biennales have
featured an extraordinary roll call of
the worlds top curators like Hans
Ulrich Orbist, Daniel Birnbaum,
and Jean-Ubert Martin.
For the past three years, St. Pe-
tersburg and Moscow have aimed
to establish themselves as key
stops on the global cultural map,
opening galleries and performance
spaces. Another centre for cutting-
edge culture in Russia is now based
in Permm, a city once known for
the production of nuclear ballis-
tic missiles. The rebranded and
renovated Stalinist building of
Permms museum of Contemporary
Art features avant-garde works by
artists like Valery Koshlyakov and
Misha Most.
The handful of galleries in Sin-
gapore that represent contemporary
artists from Russia and the former
Soviet Union may be making a dif-
ference. The Red Sea Gallery repre-
sents Anna Berezovskaya, a young
artist from the Russian provincial
town Yakhroma. Berezovskayas
art which is based on her dreams
may seem highly decorative but its
portrayals of people in 16th century
costumes are metaphorical. This art-
ist has achieved commercial success
but even as her work is more con-
cerned with the past than the future,
she has been billed as a Russian art-
ist with an international appeal.
Despite her young age, the
gallery states in its promotion,
Anna has achieved national and
international recognition and has
been hailed by critics as one of
For the past three years, St. Peters-
burg and Moscow have aimed to
establish themselves as key stops on
the global cultural map.
Mower, 1930, Kazimir Malevithch
29
Russias most promising upcoming
stars. Gallery Nawei, which rep-
resents Azerbaijani artist Tatyana
Alieva, is very active on the local
art scene and it recently organized
an exhibition of artists from Russia
and the former Soviet Union at The
Fullerton Hotel.
The Institute of Contemporary
Arts Singapore, LASALLE Col-
lege of Arts, recently staged an
exhibition, curated by Dr Charles
Merewether and titled East is West.
It featured, among others, the video
work of Almagul Menlibayeva, a
Kazakhstan-born artist who lives
and works in Kazakhstan and Ber-
lin. Menlibayeva is an established
video artist. She participated in the
4th Moscow Biennale, the 53rd
Venice Biennale and will be part
of the 18th Biennale of Sydney in
2012. Menlibayeva creates a poetic
blend of video and performance art
which she describes as a Roman-
tic Punk Shamanism. Her prac-
tice stems from the Soviet Russian
avant-garde which she mixes with
the nomadic aesthetics of Kazakh-
stan. The work of this artist epito-
mizes the level of contemporary art
from the former USSR that is criti-
cally refective of its past.
In recent years, I have been
exploring a nomadic aesthetic of
post-Soviet, contemporary Ka-
zakhstan, and combining it with
my educational background in the
Soviet Russian avant-garde school
of Futurism, said Menlibayeva.
However, my work cannot by la-
belled Russian nor Soviet art. I only
use these elements to emphasize the
heterogeneous history of the region
as well as the social and political
impact of 80 years of Soviet domi-
nation and their cultural genocide
on the Kazakh people. For me, these
references mark only the beginning
of a much more general dialogue
between people from different cul-
tural backgrounds and a shared uni-
versal experience. And, in fact, in
Singapore, the audience responded
to this in many positive ways.
Most of the artists from the re-
gion showcased in Singapore have
been from the former Soviet Union,
and so far there have been few from
the new Russia. However, with
more of a similar calibre arriving in
the city, the Singapore public could
get a privileged look at the achieve-
ments of contemporary art in Rus-
sia since the demise of its totalitar-
ian regime.
On White II, 1923, Wassily Kandinsky
30 TPAG | Feb 2012
Glimpse
Text by Remo Notarianni
Art HK 12:
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TPAG2.pdf 1 18/01/12 12:08 AM
Senses and the City
31
A
rt HK has established itself
as one of Asias premier art
fairs, and since its establishment
in 2008, it has been a witness to
art history in the region, includ-
ing the sale of Damien Hirsts
The Inescapable Truth in 2010,
the frst formaldehyde art piece
to be sold in China. Its popular-
ity has grown, and in 2011 ART
HK welcomed 260 of the worlds
leading galleries from 38 coun-
tries and, at 63,000, its attendance
was up 38% from 2010. This stel-
lar growth has coincided with im-
mense changes as the art world taps
into a region with more billionaires
than anywhere else in the world.
The Fair has become about more
than fgures, both fnancial and ar-
tistic. Collectors, curators, artists
and galleries from across Asia and
the rest of the world converge on
Hong Kong each year, to experi-
ence and discover frsthand, a qual-
ity and geographical diversity of art
not presented anywhere else. The
Fair has made itself into a sympo-
sium of cultural ideas and quality
networking for experts in the feld.
It includes a VIP programme and
extensive lectures with a world
class line-up of speakers organized
by the esteemed Asia Art Archive.
Art HKs success is proof that
Hong Kong is no longer a cultural
backwater. The city has become the
worlds third largest auction market
after New York and London and the
Fair is in the midst of an electrify-
ing cultural emergence. The drawn
out debates surrounding the devel-
opment of the US$2.1 billion West
Kowloon Cultural District could
soon fzzle out into gaping awe at
a structure that could change the
cultural landscape with its contem-
porary museum component, the
M+ (frst phase scheduled to open
in 2016).
From the renovation of the Cen-
tral Police Station heritage site into
an exhibition venue (scheduled to
open in 2014) to the opening of
the Asia Societys new premises in
Hong Kong in early 2012, culture is
changing the face of the city.
With the work of organiza-
tions such as Para/Site Art Space,
Asia Art Archive and Fotan Open
Studios helping to cultivate a non-
commercial cultural scene in Hong
Kong, and the arrival of major in-
ternational galleries that have at-
tended the Fair, including Gagosian
Gallery and White Cube, Art HK
12 looks set to be part of another
monumental year for the art world.
P
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32 TPAG | Feb 2012
Frontiers
Text: Remo Notarianni
AustrAliAs indigenous Art hAs hAd An emblemAtic plAce in its
museums And tourist spots. but, with its growing presence in
gAlleries, the Art world needs to understAnd it more deeply
to give it the recognition it deserves.
The Contemporary Dreamtime
Drincking beer along the lacke, Ian ABDULLA
33
T
o some, indigenous art of-
fers a break from the bustle of
contemporary aesthetics with im-
ages that endearingly connect with
ancient heritage and the land.
Australian Aboriginal art has contin-
ued to enjoy serious study and ap-
preciation, and it has a worldwide
appeal that mysteriously resonates
across cultures.
The fascination with this art
comes from the fact that it is prob-
ably still the rawest and un-spoilt art
form on the planet which has gained
a signifcant level of international
acclaim, says Giorgio Pilla, owner
of Singapore-based ReDot Fine Art
gallery. One has to always remem-
ber that Aboriginal art on the whole
is an art movement of a people that
speak almost no English, and have
almost no contact, even to this
Untitled, Shane PICKETT
34 TPAG | Feb 2012
Frontiers the Contemporary Dreamtime
day, with Western culture and are
almost without exception untrained
as artists.
Pilla points out that most Ab-
original artists will not have attend-
ed art classes, and have no formal
training, so whatever is produced
is a pure expression from within,
without pre-conceived notions of
what should or should not or what
will or will not be accepted, liked
or appreciated. It is perhaps its
unconditioned expressiveness that
makes the art form at once fasci-
nating and unfathomable. On one
level, aboriginal art contrasts with
the contemporary through its ties
to ancient culture and on another
it is characteristically untraditional
with its emphasis on unschooled
craftsmanship that remains devoted
to cultural tradition and the retelling
of ancient stories.
There is a growing understand-
ing of Aboriginal art within the Aus-
tralian market which is concerned
with not only what the art is about,
but also the production and the
artists themselves, says Luke Sc-
holes, who worked formerly for the
Papunya Tula as deputy manager.
Markets beyond Australia are de-
veloping their knowledge but there
is a way to go. Primarily people out-
side Australia need to understand
that whilst the art of Aboriginal Aus-
tralia is based on a cultural tradi-
tion, it can and should be admired
as contemporary art.
The modern emergence of Ab-
original art can be traced back to
the pioneering Papunya Tula art
movement in the early 1970s a
collective of Aboriginal artists who
rediscovered body and sand cer-
emonial art in Papunya, 240 kilo-
metres northwest of Alice Springs.
They are widely acknowledged
to have given birth to the Modern
Aboriginal Art Movement. With
policies of reconciliation during
the 1970s and 1980s towards the
Stolen Generation, the art became
part of cultural bridge building with
political associations that may have
kept it frmly within the category of
indigenous art.
It is true that Aboriginal art
has its roots in anthropology, his-
tory and the culture, explains Pilla.
It requires a deep desire of read-
ing and exploration to truly get to
understand what lies behind this
ancient culture and how the paint-
A Ranger and myself, Ian ABDULLA
35
Pilla points out that most Aboriginal artists will
not have attended art classes, and have no formal
training, so whatever is produced is a pure expres-
sion from within, without pre-conceived notions of
what should or should not or what will or will not be
accepted, liked or appreciated.
Marlak-Ngat (The bush nearby), Lindsay HARRIS
36 TPAG | Feb 2012
Frontiers the Contemporary Dreamtime
To make a leap of understanding,
gallerists are faced with the task of
taking consumers beyond a decora-
tive appreciation of Aboriginal art.
Untitled, Shane PICKETT
37
ings we exhibit act as a piece of
the jigsaw puzzle to assist Aborigi-
nal people in keeping their culture
alive and active despite the radical
changes to their nomadic mode of
living which was prevalent until the
early 1960-70s. To make a leap of
understanding, gallerists are faced
with the task of taking consumers
beyond a decorative apprecia-
tion of Aboriginal art and according
to Pilla, this teaching process is a
step by step phenomena, requir-
ing more press, more shows, and
better curated exhibitions that will
assist slowly but surely in making
sure that consumers better versed
in the art form and what it means
beyond just being a piece of, hope-
fully, pretty art.
Words such as indigenous
conjure up preservation more than
transformation in the context of
modern Australia, and with the ur-
gency to keep heritage intact and
protect an entire culture, political as-
sociations are likely to have shaped
perceptions about Aboriginal art.
For the past 40 years, most of the
production has focused on desert
art and art coming from the interior
of the country or from other com-
munities which were largely isolated
from the rest of Australian culture.
But whether they remain boxed by
categories or not, Aboriginal artists
are not only producing new inter-
pretations of their cultural tradition
but also refecting the world they in-
teract with and a new kind of urban
art is being created.
Artists like Tracy Moffatt, Ian Ab-
dulla, Shane Pickett, and Lindsay
Harris have opened up a new genre
of Aboriginal art, which blends old
with new, past with present. But
whereas the visual material may
be there, the challenge is for the
art world to create new categories
for contemporary talent in an indig-
enous tradition. Nevertheless, the
stories will continue to be told.
It is all about perception,
says Scholes. Artists from differ-
ent cultures all over the world base
their practice on traditions that oc-
casionally arent even their own.
Artists borrow from art traditions,
religions and cultures as it suits
them and attempt to forge a con-
temporary aesthetic that is diffcult
to categorise any further than sim-
ply being contemporary. Aboriginal
artists are increasingly experiment-
ing with new styles and techniques
to depict ancient stories. As many
Aboriginal artists have said, its not
about the look. Its the story that is
important.
Ngaarngk-Daaberting (Sun setting over Coaring
Rock), Lindsay HARRIS
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PersPectives
Text: Rudabah Abbass
Droit de suite
Drawing the line on artistic legacies
The second sale of artworks such as prints of Picassos Tete de Femme (1948) could be subject to droit de suite.
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O
ver time, many artists have
come and gone leaving behind
a panoply of works that continue
to inspire. Many spent a lifetime
striving for recognition of their la-
bours of love and some died before
being truly appreciated for their
body of work.
This begs the question: Who
should ultimately beneft from the
legacy of an artist? Is it the inves-
tor who sees the value of the art ap-
preciate, or the heirs and individuals
who shaped the tapestry of the art-
ists life? In some instances the rela-
tionships the artists have with those
around them, be they partners, rela-
tives or lovers, play a pivotal role in
their lifes work either as sources
of inspiration or as subjects.
So why should they not also be
credited for their part in the artists
growth? Today most creative artists
in the performing arts including mu-
sicians, flm-makers, broadcasters
and authors earn a living from royal-
ties. Contrastingly, in most countries
visual fne artists have never beneft-
ed from any such arrangement. Not
at least until 1858, when the land-
mark re-sale of a painting by Jean-
Franois Millet in France, fetching
800,000 gold francs, changed the
course of art dealing in the nation.
In post- World War One France,
the acquisition of Anglus bestowed
the owner of the painting with an
extortionate proft, while Millets
surviving relatives lived in poverty
struggling to make ends meet dur-
ing the economic hardship of the
time. Thus a new levy droit de suite
was created to enable the surviving
relatives of the artist to a percentage
from sales of the deceased relatives.
Many artists, and their families, had
The Angelus (185759) by French artist Jean-Franois Millet
40 TPAG | Feb 2012
PersPectives Droit de suite
suffered from the war and this new
taxation was a means to facilitate
their lives with an income.
One hundred and thirty years on,
the eurozone has started to impose
this legislation on all nations under
its umbrella. Eleven of the ffteen
Member States currently have this
right, and the number continues to
increase, with the UK being the lat-
est addition. The incentive behind
droit de suite or resale royalties
is for living visual artists and the
benefciaries of deceased artists to
receive a percentage of the revenue
from the resale of their compositions
in the art market.
London currently maintains its
place as the worlds second largest
art market valued at 7.7bn. Claim-
ing 58 per cent of Europes trade,
the English capital is also the main
modern and contemporary fne
art capital of the continent. Since
1st January 2012 the heirs of art-
ists who have deceased within 70
years of the date of sale (provided
the artist was of qualifying national-
ity at the date of their death) receive
up to 4 percent of the sale price of
each work they sell for more than
1,000 (840). Under the legislation
both artists and their benefciaries
now receive royalties every time
their work is re-sold - irrespective of
whether it makes a proft or loss.
Thus it came as no surprise that
the levy was met with indignation
from gallerists and auction houses
alike. The main objection being that
London is put at a disproportionate
disadvantage in the global art mar-
ket against cities like Hong Kong
and New York - where no such levy
exists.
Alan Cristea is the owner of one
of the leading commercial contem-
porary galleries in Europe. The Alan
Cristea Gallery was established in
London nearly 17 years ago and the
gallery is the largest publisher and
distributor of prints in Europe. While
agreeing with the ethical position of
droit de suite, he is quick to appro-
priate: in principle its fne, but in the
end, like everything else, it lines the
pockets of the richest, and the poor
ones lose out.
He tells me the levy has not been
thoroughly thought through and its
failings are obvious, particularly in
instances where gallerists protect
their artist interests by procuring
their artwork at auction houses to
maintain and build the brand name
of the artist. Most of the droit de
suite I have paid until now has been
on artists that I already represent.
The incentive behind droit de suite or
resale royalties is for living visual artists
and the benefciaries of deceased artists
to receive a percentage of the revenue
from the resale of their compositions in
the art market.
41
Ill sell works by those artists on the
primary market. Then their work ap-
pears at auction....When I then re-
sell that work, obviously I pay droit
de suite on the artist I am represent-
ing in the frst place. The droit de
suite is most likely to be detrimen-
tal to the careers of up and coming
unknown artists. Their work could
become even less valuable, as deal-
ers may hesitate to take on an un-
known artist if the process of each
transaction costs them more money.
Cristea says the legislation is Fine
in principle, but deft in practice.
He adds: 15 percent of the pro-
ceeds (from droit de suite) go to the
collecting agency. If I was adminis-
tering it I wouldnt charge at all...be-
cause I have to send them a cheque
at the end of the month in any case.
Anna Hunter, founder of the Belgra-
via Gallery, which has been estab-
lished since 1986, calls the droit de
suite tax: pernicious and unfair.
Her gallery, which has recently also
opened a branch in Hong Kong,
houses a wide range of artists rang-
ing from HRH The Prince of Wales,
Picasso, Rembrandt and Chagall, to
sculptors such as Bettina Seitz and
Keith Calder.
There is no similar tax for vintage
cars, historic houses or other invest-
ment pieces. It is a peculiarly French
construct and has been imposed
on the UK. It could mean that we
see more sales routed through say
Switzerland. Hunter also accuses
the UK government of caving in to
the pressure of their Euro zone part-
ners: It had no visible advantage
for the government to fght for but
just as there has been a stand taken
against a tax on fnancial transac-
tions, so a stand should have been
taken against this essentially French
arrangement.
While it may seem that the copy-
right issue in this directive stems
from a moral and ethical point of
view, Millets legacy was born in a
different socio-economic era when
there was no state system to sup-
port a nation. While there is no doubt
that the droit de suite may rattle
Londons position in the art market,
only time will tell whether its impact
will be detrimental in the long term.
It might just add to the lure of the
emerging art scene in Asia where
such no such levy exists.
Anna Hunter (left), who co-owns the Belgravia Gallery with daughter Laura
Walford (right), considers the droit de suite unfair.
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42 TPAG | Feb 2012
SPACE
By Remo Notarianni
Setting the stage for Asian art
43
W
ith its regional line up, Sin-
gapores Art Stage could be
seen as relatively provincial but the
result is a dizzying array rather than
a blinding spectacle. In its own way,
the fair has highlighted the need for
more events that put a spotlight on
artistic talent where so-called inter-
national extravaganzas have not.
I think we are absolutely right
with our strategy; it is right to do
this fair in Asia, and in Singapore,
Lorenzo Rudolf, founder and co-
owner of Art Stage Singapore was
quoted as saying. I think Asian art,
like any other contemporary art, is a
global language.
With the tagline We Are Asia,
Art Stage hosted 133 galleries this
year. In keeping with its pledge to
champion new Asian artists, 43
of the galleries were at the Project
Stage platforman area dedicated
to emerging talent. With the work of
over 600 artists and galleries from
`19 countries, a veritable cross-
section converged on the three halls
of Basement 2 at the Marina Bay
Sands Convention and Exhibition
Centre in January.
This fair offers more representa-
tion for Asian galleries than others
I have attended, said Eun Sook
Lee, President of Koreas Gallery
SP which presented Korean artist
Mioons installation work entitled
Menschenstroma three metre
high sculpture in the shape of a
head and neck with around 30 video
monitors refecting scenes of every-
day life, but creating an aesthetic
whole. And there also appears to
be more direct contact with Asian
collectors and people with knowl-
With its predominantly asian billing, art stage may seem like an
exclusive affair that marginalizes Western galleries. but does it
help contemporary asian artists find a voice in the global arena?
44 TPAG | Feb 2012
SPACE
A visitor admires an installation by Beijing artist Yu Bogong at Magician Space in the Project Stage.
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edge and appreciation of the feld.
Even if the world-renowned did
not get to upstage the upcoming
and culturally distinct, well-known
masters sold well. Berlins Michael
Schultz Gallery sold an Abstraktes
Bild (Abstract Painting) by Gerhard
Richter for US$1.52 million (S$2
million) and New Yorks Lehmann
Maupin sold a neon lit sculpture
by Tracey Emin for US$70,000
(S$109,000). For the galleries from
Europe and America, Art Stage was
also an opportunity to learn more
about Asia-centric buyers, as col-
lectors, curators and afcionados
exchanged ideas.
Art fairs dont always provide
the appropriate mix for all the gal-
leries attending because they might
be pitched at one type of collector,
said Michael Kaufmann, head of ar-
tistic and collector relations at Aus-
trias Hilger Modern Contemporary,
whose booth included the works of
Sara Rahbar. Art Stage has more to
offer than say a fair aimed specif-
cally at the Chinese collector which
can have a predictable gathering
and mostly well-known artists.
Perhaps those unfamiliar with
the Asian galleries or artists had
the opportunity to be absorbed in
the works beyond the mystique of
reputation or conditioned art ap-
preciation. Londons White Cube,
replete with works by Emin, Hirst
and Gilbert and George, presented
sculptures by Antony Gormley in
the public art works area. But origi-
nality spoke clearly from the white
Buddha installation of Yu Bogong at
the Magician Space (Beijing) booth
to Ma Juns porcelain television at
Berlins Galerie Michael Schultz.
Kazakhstani photographer and
flmmaker Almagul Menlibayeva
(represented by New Yorks Priska
C. Juschka Fine Art) presented im-
ages of the nations nomadic culture
emerging from its Soviet past. The
images cultural context offer docu-
mentary insights but they are also a
testament of how Asias artists are
not only refecting their new societ-
ies but also transforming the way
we see them.
A great contemporary artist is
an individual, Lorenzo Rudolf is
quoted as saying, and its less im-
portant if hes Chinese, American,
Singaporean, Indian or Swiss. I
want to show the strengths of Asian
creativity and how interesting Asian
artists are.
Art fairs dont always provide the
appropriate mix for all the galleries
attending because they might be
pitched at one type of collector.
Kaufmann
Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1972) photograph by Brassai (Gyula Halasz).
Brassai holding his camera, s.7610 (Gyula Halasz), 1899 - 1984.
PICASSO & THE SCHOOL OF PARIS
Drawings, Lithographs, Etchings & Photographs of Artists
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Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown & Raffles Place Singapore Art Museum Area
Esplanade &
Marina Bay Sands
1 iPreciation,
The Fullerton Hotel
2 Utterly Art
3 Galerie Sogan & Art
4 Indigo Blue Art
5 Cham Hampe Galleries @

Tanjong Pagar
6 DreamSpace Art Studio
7 Art Commune Gallery
8 Galerie Belvedere
9 Galerie Steph
10 Ikkan Art International
11 ReDot Fine Art Gallery
12 Valentine Willie Fine Art
13 Richard Koh Fine Art
1 The Substation
2 Art Plural Gallery
3 Art Trove
4 Yavuz Fine Art
5 The Private Museum
6 M Gallery
7 Forest Rain Gallery
8 The Gallery of Gnani Arts
9 Sculpture Square
10 Art Galleries @ NAFA
11 The Luxe Art Museum
12 Yisulang Art Gallery
1 Ode To Art
2 Opera Gallery
3 Art Science Museum
4 The Asian Civilisation

Museum
5 The Arts House
6 Gallery NaWei
7 Ode To Art
8 Chan Hampe Galleries
9 Cape Of Good Hope

Art Gallery
10 Art-2 Gallery
11 S.Bin Art Plus
12 Y2Arts
13 Gajah Gallery
14 Tembusu Art Gallery
15 ArtXchange Gallery
16 Artfolio
GALLERY SPOTTED Legend
Art Trove Gallery
51 Waterloo Street
#02-01/2/3
Singapore 187969
T: +65 6336 0915
F: +65 6336 9975
E: enquiry@art-trove.com
W: www.art-trove.com
Opening Hours
Wed- Sun:
11am to 6.30pm
Call for private viewing
MRT Station
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Regent
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Renaissance
ION Orchard
Mall
Shaw
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Tangs
Plaza
Paragon
Shopping
Centre
Mandarin
Orchard
Singapore
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Tanglin Mall
Regent
Hotel
Palais
Renaissance
ION Orchard
Mall
Shaw
Centre
Tangs
Plaza
Paragon
Shopping
Centre
Mandarin
Orchard
Singapore
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Tanglin Mall
Regent
Hotel
Palais
Renaissance
ION Orchard
Mall
Shaw
Centre
Tangs
Plaza
Paragon
Shopping
Centre
Mandarin
Orchard
Singapore
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Holland Village
Orchard Road
Dempsey Hill Tanglin Road
1 Sunjin Galleries
2 Taksu
1 Linda Gallery
2 Red Sea Gallery
1 The Gallery of Gnani Arts
2 GJ Asian Art
3 Bruno Gallery
4 Boons Pottery
5 HaKaren Art Gallery
6 ZiJuan Art Gallery
7 Mulan Gallery
8 Yang Gallery
1 Pop and Contemporary

Fine Art
2 Gallery Reis
3 Art Space @ Scotts
4 Opera Gallery
5 Heng Artland
6 Sin Hua Gallery
7 M.A.D Museum of

Art & Design
8 Vue Prive
51, Waterloo Street, #02-01/02/03, Singapore 187969
Operation hours: Wed - Sun: 11am to 6:30pm. All other times by appointment.
Call for private viewing, tel: +65 6336 0915 or fax: +65 6336 9975
email: enquiry@art-trove.com | website: ww.art-trove.com
Henri Matisse
Alberto Giacometti Fernand Leger
Pablo Picasso
art directories
52 Singapore Galleries 53 Art Auctioneers 54 Museums / Art Services 54 Conservation/
Restoration 54/55 Art Schools / Artist Studios 56 Hong Kong Galleries 56 Other
International Galleries 56 Art Fairs 58 TPAG Art Tours HK 60 TPAG Classifeds
Singapore Galleries
Art Trove
51 Waterloo
Street, #02-
01, Singapore
187969
v +65 6336
0915
Y enquiry@art-
trove.com
www.art-trove.com
Wed - Sun: 11am-6.30pm
ARTXCHANGE Gallery
6 Eu Tong Sen
Street, #02-65,
The Central,
Singapore
059817
v +65 9027
3997
Y benny.
oentoro@live.com
www.artxchangegallery.com
Mon - Sat: 11am-9pm
Boons Pottery
91 Tanglin Road,
#01-02A, Tanglin
Place, Singapore
247918
v +65 6836
3978
www.boonspottery.com
Daily: 11am-6pm. Closed on
Public Holidays
Forest Rain Gallery
261 Waterloo Street, #02-43/44,
Singapore 180261
v +65 6336 0926
Y info@forestraingallery.com
www.forestraingallery.com
Tue - Fri: 11am-7pm; Sat - Sun:
11am-5pm.
The Gallery of Gnani Arts
1 Cuscaden Road, #01-05,
The Regent,
Singapore
249715
v +65 6725
3112
Y arts@
gnaniarts.com
www.gnaniarts.com
Tue - Sun: 11am-7pm
Indigo Blue Art
33 Neil Road, Singapore 088820
v +65 6372 1719/38
Y info@indigoblueart.com
www.indigoblueart.com
Mon - Sat: 11am-6pm
Ken Crystals
6 Eu Tong Sen
Street, #03-72,
The Central,
Singapore
059817
v +65 6339
0008
Y kencrystals@yahoo.com.sg
Mon - Sat: 11am-7pm; Sun:
1pm-5pm.
Bruno Gallery
91 Tanglin Road,
#01-03 Tanglin
Place, Singapore
247918
v +65 6733
0283
Y singapore@brunoartgroup.com
www.brunoartgroup.com
Weekdays: Tue - Fri: 10am-7pm
Weekend: Sat & Sun 11am-8pm
Closed on Monday
Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery
140 Hill Street,
#01-06, MICA
Building,
Singapore
179369
v +65 6733
3822
Y capeofgood hope@pacifc.
net.sg
www.capeofgoodhope.com.sg
Daily: 11am-7pm
Chan Hampe Galleries @
Raffes Hotel
328 North Bridge Road,
#01-04, Raffes Hotel Arcade,
Singapore 188719
v +65 6338 1962
www.chanhampegalleries.com
Daily: 11am-7pm. Closed on
Public Holidays
Chan Hampe Galleries @
Tanjong Pagar
27 Kreta Ayer Road,
Singapore 088994
v +65 6222 1667
www.chanhampegalleries.com
Weekdays: 10am-6pm.
Weekends: 11am-4pm. Closed
Wednesday and Public Holidays
52 TPAG | Feb 2012
Muse The Art Gallery
4 Toh Tuck
Links, Unit 01
01 Singapore
596226
v +65 6762
6617
Y enquiries@
musetheartgallery.com
Mon - Fri: 8.30am-5.30pm
OVAS Art Gallery
9 Penang Road, #02-21 Park
Mall, Singapore 238459
v +65 6337
3932
www.ovas-home.
com
Daily: 11.30am-
8.30pm
Richard Koh Fine Art
71 Duxton Road, Singapore
089530
v +65 6221 1209
Y info@rkfneart.com
www.rkfneart.
com
Tues - Fri:
11.30am-7pm,
Sat: 12noon -
6pm
Mon by
appointment only.
Closed on Public Holidays
Galerie Sogan & Art
33B Mosque Street,
Singapore 059511
v +65 6225 7686
Y vera@soganart.com
www.soganart.com
Mon - Sat: 12noon-7.30pm;
Sun: 2pm-5pm
Utterly Art
229A South Bridge Road,
Singapore
058778
v +65 6226
2605
Y utterlyart@
pacifc.net.sg
Mon - Sat:
11.30am-8pm;
Sun: 12noon-5.30pm
Yisulang Art Gallery
6 Handy Road, #01-01,
The Luxe,
Singapore
229234
v +65 6337
6810
Y mktg@
yisulang.com
http://yisulang.com
Tue - Sun: 11am-7pm
Art Auctioneers
Christies Hong Kong Limited
22/F, Alexandra House,
18 Chater Road, Central,
Hong Kong
Sothebys Singapore Pte Ltd
1 Cuscaden Road
Regent Hotel Singapore,
Singapore 249715
Larasati
30 Bideford Road #03-02,
Thong Sia Building,
Singapore 229922
ZiJuan Art Gallery
19 Tanglin Road, #0207 Tanglin
Shopping Centre, Singapore
247909
v +65 6733 0289
HP: +65 8160 0058
Y zijuanart@
hotmail.com
www.zijuanyy.
com
Mon - Sat:
11am-6.30pm
Closed on
Sunday
Sunjin Galleries
Holland Village:
43 Jalan Merah
Saga, #03-62,
Work Loft @ Chip
Bee, Singapore
278115
Shenton Way:
2 Mistri Road, #01-02, Lumiere,
Singapore 079624
v +65 6738 2317
Y sales@sunjingalleries.com.sg
www.sunjingalleries.com.sg
Tue - Fri: 11am-7pm; Sat:
11am-6pm
Established in 2000, Sunjin
has built a strong reputation
representing some of the leading
and most sought after artist in
the region. The Gallery has also
actively identifed and promoted
new talents, introducing new and
exciting names for the art buying
public to invest in. Recently, at
the 11th Beijing International Art
Exhibition in 2008, the gallery was
awarded by the Ministry of Culture
PRC a certifcate recognising the
gallery as one of the Top 10th
most infuential galleries of 2008.
53
Art Auctioneers
The Luxe Art Museum
6 Handy Road, #02-01, The
Luxe, Singapore
229234
v +65 6338
2234
Y enquiry@
thelam.sg
www.thelam.sg
Tues - Sun: 11am-7pm
Singapore Art Museum
71 Bras Basah Road
SAM at 8Q
8 Queen Street
National University of
Singapore Museum (NUS)
University Cultural Centre, 50
Kent Ridge Crescent, National
University of Singapore,
Singapore 119279.
Art Services
Florenz
10 Changi South Street 1,
Singapore 486788
v (65) 65464133
Y enquiry@forenz.com.sg
www.forenz.com.sg
Mon-Thur 8.30am-5.45pm,
Fri 8.30am-5.30pm,
Sat 8.30am-12.30pm
Closed on Sundays
Introduction of Company: Florenz
was frst established in 1986 and
was recently re-launched with
a showcase exhibition featuring
artworks by the current in house
team and also past collaborators.
Florenz specialises in glass art
of all disciplines and processes
ranging from traditional stained
glass, blown work, kiln forming,
sandcarving and engraving.
Artworks may be purchased
or commissioned for commercial
and private settings. Florenz is
also an active participant in the
Singapore art scene, participating
in events such as Art Singapore,
Affordable Arts and FLasia.
PIA Preserve in
Aesthetics
63 HillView Avenue,
#02-06B, Lam Soon
Industrial Building,
Singapore 669569
v +65 6760 2602 /
+65 9118 7478
Y josephine@
thepiastudio.com
www.thepiastudio.com
Specialised in Paper & Book Con-
servation. Art Preservation, Con-
servation and Restoration.
Art Schools
LASALLE
1 McNally Street
Nanyang Academy of
Fine Arts
38/80/151 Bencoolen St
The Singapore Tyler Print
Institute
41 Robertson Quay
art directories
Conservation / Restoration
54 TPAG | Feb 2012
ma ARTS
v +65 8611
5280
Y alfred@
maarts.com.sg
Transportation
& Installation of
Art Works and other Art related
services.
Rays Transport & Services
v +65 9152 2511
Y artswithray@
gmail.com
Artwork
Installation
& Delivery
Services.
Santa Fe Art Solutions
v +65 6398 8518
M: 9758 8294
Y artsolutions@
santafe.com.sg
Specialized
services
exclusive
to the Arts:
Art Collection Management,
Affordable Art Storage, Exhibition
& Project Management and Art
Movement & Installation.
Jennifer Yao Lin
Goodman Arts Centre
90 Goodman Road Block B, #03-
14, Singapore
439053
v +65 9151
3227
Y cice_lin@
yahoo.com
By appointment
only.
Artist Studios
Chieu Sheuy Fook Studio
Studio 102, 91
Lorong J, Telok
Kurau Road,
Singapore
425985
v +65 9669
0589
Y chieusf@gmail.com
Koeh Sia Yong
10 Kampong Eunos, Singapore
417774
v +65 9671
2940
Y koehsy@
singnet.com.sg
www.yessy.com/
koehsiayong
www.koehsiayong.artfederations.
com
Liu Xuanqi Art Studio
Goodman Arts Centre, 90
Goodman Road, Block B #0408,
Singapore
439053
v +65 9168
7785
Y hillad2006@
gmail.com
Opens daily
9am-6pm
Urich Lau Wai-Yuen
Goodman Arts Centre
90 Goodman Road, Block B #04-
07, Singapore
439053
v +65 9682
7214
Y urichlwy@
gmail.com
By appointment
only
55
Hong Kong Galleries
Puerta Roja
Private Latin Art
Space Shop
A,. G/F Wai Yue
Building,
15 17 New
Street, Sheung
Wan, Hong Kong
v +852 2803 0332
Y info@puerta-roja.com
www.puerta-roja.com
By appointment
Belgravia Gallery
12/F Silver Fortune Plaza,
1 Wellington Street, Central,
Hong Kong
Karin Weber Gallery
G/F, 20 Aberdeen Street Central,
Hong Kong (Close to Hollywood
Road)
Koru Contemporary Art
Hing Wai Centre, 7 Tin Wan Praya
Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Art Fairs
Asia Top Gallery Hotel Art Fair
(AHAF HK)
24 26 February 2012
www.hotelartfair.kr
Hong Kong International Art
Fair (ART HK)
17 20 May 2012
www.hongkongartfair.com
Spoon Art Fair HK12
18 20 May 2012
www.spoonartfair.com
China International Gallery
Exposition (CIGE)
April 2012
www.cige-bj.com
Art Revolution Taipei
22 25 March 2012
www.arts.org.tw
Art Dubai
21 24 March 2012
www.artdubai.ae
International
Flo Peters
Gallery
Chilehaus C,
Pumpen 8,
20095 Hamburg,
Germany
v +49 40 3037
4686
Y info@fopetersgallery.com
www.fopetersgallery.com
GALERIE CHRISTIAN LETHERT
Antwerpener Strasse 4
D - 50672 Kln (Cologne)
Germany
Alan Cristea Gallery
31 & 34 Cork Street,
London W1S 3NU
White Cube
48 Hoxton Square,
London N1 6PB
L & M Arts
45 East 78 Street
New York 10075
art directories
56 TPAG | Feb 2012
Get listed with TPAG. Gallery listing Package: SGD700 (per annum) inclusions of one image, address,
contact details & operating hours and gallery description. Standard listing: SGD600 (per annum) inclusions
of address, contact details and operating hours. Email us for sales form at sales@thepocketartsguide.com
58 TPAG | Feb 2012
TPAG Art Tours: Hong Kong

10
12
11
4
5
9
6
8
7
2
will launch TPAG Art Tours. This brings art lovers from around the world
toHong Kongs art scenes, art exhibitions, events and activities. Participating galleries, artists, com-
panies and organisations have a chance to showcase their venue and artists.
59
1
Simone Boons Studio
Unit17, 9/F, block B,
Wah Luen Industrial Centre,
15-21 Wong Chuk Yeung Street,
Fotan, NT.
15-21
B917
www.simoneboon.com
Y info@simoneboon.com
v 852-60120363
2
Belgravia Gallery,
Hong Kong
19th Floor, Silver Fortune Plaza
1 Wellington Street, Central
119
www.belgraviagallery.com
Y cailin@belgraviagallery.com
v 852 -9222 7315
Viewings by appointment only.

3
Hong Kong Heritage Museum

1 Man Lam Road, Shatin, NT

1
www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk
v 852-21808188
4
Hong Kong Museum of Art
10 Salisbury Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui, KLN
10 www.hk.art.
museum v 852-27210116
11
Puerta Roja
Shop A, G/F Wai Yue Build-
ing, 15-17 New Street, Sheung
Wan, Hong Kong 15-17
A
Y info@puerta-roja.com
www.puera-roja.com
v (852) 9729 1773
12
Gaffer Ltd
6-8 17th foor Hing Wai
Centre, 7 Tin Wan Praya Road,
Aberdeen, Hong Kong
7
176-8 www.gaffer.com.hk
jules@gaffer.com.hk
v (852) 2521 1770
5
Hong Kong Cultural Centre

10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,

KLN 10
www.icsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalSer-
vice/HKCC
v 852-27342009
6
Hong Kong Arts Centre
2 Harbour Road,
Wan Chai, HK 2
www.hkac.org.hk
v 852-25820200
7
Fringe Club
2 Lower Albert Road, central,
HK 2
www.hkfringeclub.com
v 852-25217251
8
Flagstaff House Museum of
Tea Ware
10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, HK
10
www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/
v 852-28690690
9
Swire Island East

18 Westlands Road, Island East,

Hong Kong 18

www.swireproperties.com
v 852- 28445095
10
Jockey Club Creative Arts
Centre
30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei,
KLN, HK 30
www.hku.edu.hk/jccac
v 852-23531311
Please join us and email to remo@thepocketartsguide.com to sign up the Hong Kong Art Tours.
Blue City by A. Eugene Kohn, 30.5 x 23 cm
60 TPAG | Feb 2012
TPAG classifieds
Ar t wo r k E x h i b i t i o n s p a c e Ar t l e s s o n s Ar t ma t e r i a l s
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
LotusAdv?0IIB.pdf 8/9/II I8.I9.I?
Our ad space offers an affordable way for artists to showcase their work. It is also a marketplace for any-
thing that can facilitate the art world. For more information, email: sales@thepocketartsguide.com.
This space is
for sale
This space is
for sale
This space is
for sale
This space is
for sale
This space is
for sale
TPAG FEB 201 2 / I SSUE 28
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