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‘Under S$1,000 Wall’ at Affordable Art Fair S’pore 2013

Now that’s what I call pampering.

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Now that’s what I call pampering.

This year, Affordable Art Fair Singapore, which runs from Nov 21 to 24 at the same F1 Pit Building, is not just going to make it cheap for you, they’re going to make it super easy, too. If you’re on a tight budget and simply have no time to sift through all those galleries one by one by one by one (which is actually fun, you know), you can just head straight for the Under S$1,000 Wall, which is pretty self-explanatory.

Not sure how big the wall will be, but the organisers have opened up more space and only 10-ish new galleries have been added to the count (from 86 galleries and 4,000 sq m last year to 95 galleries and 5,000 sq m this year). Which will mean a bit more space for participating galleries to play around with — “You’ll see much more curated-type shows,” said fair director Camilla Hewitson.

Another new bit is that DBS has come on board as the regional sponsor. Regional because that’s also counting the fair’s first Hong Kong edition, which was launched last March.

Will the HK fair affect the Singapore one in terms of international, and even local, galleries having one other Affordable option? Not really, assures Hewitson, who underscored the fact that each one is really catered towards its specific audiences. “It’s a local fair for a local audience.”

Finally, you’ve also got a teaser show of sorts in the lead up to November.

Over at ION Art Gallery is the Young Talent Programme winners exhibition, featuring Alecia Neo, Lavender Chang and Vellachi Ganesan. The three were selected from the entries at the fair’s inaugural YTP last year.

Neo’s presenting a video work titled Lessons With Mao. Shot during her recent artist residency in Milan, it’s a quirky piece (from the little bits I saw) about an Italy-based Chinese guy named Mao — but also some references to the other Mao, she said.

Those who went to Open House: Tiong Bahru last year will recognise Chang’s photographs and installations, Unconsciousness: Consciousness. Haunting blurry photos of naked people sleeping.

Finally, Ganesan’s room installation titled Centre sort of takes you into an imagined kind “eye of the storm”, noises and bright lights giving way to this cloud-like mirrored room.

It’s all a bit to whet your appetite for this year’s YTP at the fair. Other than that, expect the usual sections for kids and talks from art experts. Seventy-five per cent of the works will be priced under $7,500 (going down to as low as $100). They’ve namedropped artists like Ong Kim Seng, Boo Sze Yang, Marc Quinn and Anish Kapoor.

Erm, but don’t get your hopes up about seeing a Kapoor over at the $1k wall.

Affordable Art Fair Singapore runs from Nov 21 to 24 at the F1 Pit Gallery Building, 1 Republic Boulevard. General admission tickets at S$12 (Sistic) or S$15 (at the door). For the rest of the packages and other events, visit http://affordableartfair.com/singapore/.

The Young Talent Programme 2012/13 Winners’ Solo Exhibitions runs until Sept 24 at ION Art Gallery, ION Orchard. Free admission.

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