Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2011
www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/signatureartprize
The Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Signature Art Prize, returns this year with 130 artworks from 24 countries and territories vying for the Grand Prize of SGD 45,000. Organised by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) with presenting sponsor APB Foundation, this premier juried prize identifies and recognises artists for outstanding work, profiles significant recent creations coming from the region’s contemporary art landscape, and encourages the development of contemporary art in Asia Pacific.
This second edition of the triennial APB Foundation Signature Art Prize has been expanded to include nominations from the whole Asia Pacific region. The 130 works, nominated for being ground-breaking or noteworthy works created between 2008 and 2010, were selected by 31 independent art professionals and curators. A hallmark of distinction and excellence for artists in the region, the expanded Prize amounts to a total of SGD 85,000 in cash awards, comprising one Grand Prize (SGD 45,000), three Jurors’ Prizes (SGD 10,000 each) and one People’s Choice Award (SGD 10,000).
The nominated artworks cover a wide range of media such as painting, mixed media, installation, video art, photography and prints, sculpture as well as performance art, with a significant increase in entries for video and moving-image works as well as monumental-sized installations. Established practitioners and emerging talents nominated this year include Daniel Crooks (Australia), Vandy Rattana (Cambodia), Qiu Anxiong (China), Eko Nugroho (Indonesia), Makoto Aida (Japan), Fauzan bin Omar (Malaysia), Htein Lin (Myanmar), Stéphanie Wamytan (New Caledonia), Imran Qureshi (Pakistan), Louie Cordero (Philippines), Jane Lee (Singapore), Sook-Jin Jo (South Korea) and Chen Chieh-jen (Taiwan).
Contemporary art from Asia has emerged as one of the world’s most innovative and exciting areas of practice. Given the success of the inaugural prize in 2008, the APB Foundation increased its funding to offer artists from the whole Asia Pacific region the opportunity to be selected for this prestigious prize. Nominations for this 2011 edition now extend beyond the original 12 participating countries and territories to include, amongst others, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan, and other Oceania and Pacific islands. In all, APB Foundation has doubled its Prize funding from 2.25 million USD for five editions to 4.45 million USD. Consequently, the 2011 edition received close to four times more nominated artworks, compared to 34 artworks in the inaugural edition. It will also have 15 finalists shortlisted for the Grand Prize compared to 10 finalists in 2008. The expanded reach of this year’s Prize validates and raises the profile of more artists and their practice in Asia Pacific, in line with both SAM and APB Foundation’s shared commitment to nurture a vibrant contemporary art scene in the region.
Five judges, all eminent art experts and opinion makers will shortlist the 15 finalist artworks. The jury panel comprises: Mr. Fumio Nanjo, Director, Mori Art Museum; Mr. Gregor Muir, Executive Director, Institute of Contemporary Art London; Mr. Hendro Wijanto, leading Southeast Asian writer, critic and curator; Mr. Ranjit Hoskote, Curator of the India Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2011 and leading South Asian poet-writer, curator and critic, and Mr. Tan Boon Hui, Director, Singapore Art Museum.
The 15 shortlisted finalists will be announced by 1 October 2011, when the public can also begin to vote online and nominate their favourite finalist work for the People’s Choice Award—awarded to the artwork that garners the most public votes. An exhibition of the finalist artworks will open at SAM on 11 November 2011 and votes for the People’s Choice Award can also be cast in person at the exhibition. The Grand Prize, Jurors’ Prize and People’s Choice Award winners will be announced at the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize Awards Dinner on 18 November 2011.
Prize and 130 nominations details: www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/signatureartprize.
