Art Stage Singapore is an international contemporary art fair with a specific focus on fostering Southeast Asian artists and galleries. The unique fair is held annually, and features approximately 130 leading galleries comprising a mix of international and Asian names. Art Stage Singapore is Asia’s definitive rendezvous point for collectors, artists, art enthusiasts, academics and museum and gallery professionals.

Lorenzo Rudolf, the former Director of Art Basel, founded Art Stage Singapore in 2010. Mr. Rudolf launched Art Stage Singapore to promote and drive Asia’s art market, giving the region a voice in the art world and a platform to become a competitive player on the global stage. The fair plays a vital role in supporting the Asian art industry, bringing the West to Asia and showcasing the region’s best established, and emerging, artistic talents.

“Our Asian focus provides us with a strong and unique identity within the international art scene,” Mr. Rudolf said. “About 80% of the galleries will be from Asia. If collectors want to see Western art, they can go to any of the international art fairs. They make the trip here to see Asian artists.”

Despite a challenging economic situation, the most recent 2012 fair enabled a number of important sales, including:

▪ Michael Schultz Gallery sold an “Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting)” by Gerhard Richter for US$1.52 million (S$2 million)Haunch of Venison sold a number of Gonkar Gyatso works including the “Dissected Buddha”, 2011, for US$200,000 (S$260,000), as well as an undisclosed piece for US$400,000 (S$518,000)

▪ Gajah Gallery sold one painting by Nyoman Masriadi for US$350,000 (S$453,000)

▪ Linda Gallery sold a work by Srihardi Soedarsono for US$232,000 (S$300,000)

For the upcoming fair in 2013, Art Stage Singapore is proud to announce a number of new initiatives, including the Indonesian Pavilion, country platforms for Singapore and Australia, and a new digital version of the art fair, Art Stage +.