The Southeast Asian Art World, in a New York minute

 

“Singapore lacks a critical mass,” said a local friend of mine. Though this might be favorable for a financial industry, it stunts the art world. After visiting a handful of galleries and meeting with the Director of the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, it came to my attention that most of the collectors do not permanently reside in Singapore, most of the artists shown at local galleries are not Singaporean, and there is no major auction house in Singapore. This leads art professionals to turn to Indonesia and China for artists and art buyers, relegating Singapore to the role of middleman and making it a safe, neutral location to do business, the Switzerland of Asia.


It seems suspicious then that works sold in Singaporean galleries are exorbitantly priced. When I asked about this, a source told me they do things a little differently in Asia than they do in the West. While prices in New York and London are based on merit, reputation, provenance, and a decent amount of luck, prices in Singapore are determined based solely on auction history. Though this is certainly one way prices are decided, it becomes problematic when the winning buyers are the very galleries selling the works. This certainly happens at auctions in the West but perhaps not as blatantly and as often, which may not make it better but at least more tolerable.


Wu Gaozhong, Clay Pistol (2006)40 x 26 x 10cm, Wood and Bristle Ed. 1/6USD 8,000 at Linda Gallery


Art pricing aside, If you’re into what we’re into, delving deep into the source of the art world to meet artists and see what drives them, then go to Jogja, Indonesia. Located in Java, Indonesia’s most populated island and home to its capital, Jakarta, Jogja is where you’ll find the likes of Nyoman Masriadi - Indonesia’s most commercially popular artist - among many other talented painters (the Indonsians are amazing technicians, if you’re interested in photo-realism). Then head out to Bali where Astari Rasjid, considered the country’s best contemporary painter and also showing at Linda Gallery, the sculptor Pintor Sirait and Ashley Bickerton all reside. Ashley’s mixed-media works are bold and colorful and on occasion carry a direct critical message but never without some humor and always eye-catching. I didn’t have the opportunity of visiting Astari or Pintor, but did see Astari’s work at two of the four Singaporean galleries I visited. Pintor’s work is curious; his sculptures are at times illustrative in line, similar to Lichtenstein’s and their use of bubble writing and negative make me think of graffiti in 3D.


Nyoman Masriadi at Gajah Gallery  
 

Ashley Bickerton, Red Scooter (2009), Oil and acrylic paint and digital print on archival canvas in carved wood artist frame, inlaid with coconut, mother of pearl and coins
I ended my voyage through the Southeast Asian art world in Jakarta where I visited many galleries found in malls (it’s too hot to be outside) and two galleries worth noting, Edwin and Linda. Edwin Gallery was nice but the one work I was interested in wasn’t for sale. Also, there were three permanent installations, which makes for great promotional material but no one to talk to me about how to go about having my roof look like it was tied together by a shoelace. Linda Gallery, whose Singapore location I also visited (with mind boggling prices) was in disarray. A sales director wasn’t present. Instead, art handlers were busy wrapping works. They told me they were preparing for an upcoming auction at 33 Auction in Singapore. Go figure.

by Simmy Swinder