ARTSingapore expects October event to tap into continuing demand momentum for contemporary Asian work

Three Thai galleries - Carpediem Galleries, La Luna Gallery and Thavibu Gallery - are among the 104 participating galleries from 16 countries in Asia, and they hope Thai artists and galleries alike will make an impact.

With increasing affluence among the wealthy as well as the middle class across most of Asia, art has become more of a business and paintings by Asian artists are now in demand with prices reaching levels never witnessed before.

Chen Shen Po, the director of ARTSingapore, says the annual event that is entering its eighth year offers the largest Asian contemporary art collection for international connoisseurs and buyers. The exhibits cover the visual arts spectrum including paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs and editions, as well as video and digital art by more than 800 artists.

ARTSingapore 2008 creates the opportunity for gallery owners, collectors, artists and aficionados to forge business alliances, acquire new contemporary artworks, share ideas and exchange information all under one roof, she says.

ARTSingapore, which will be held from Oct 10-13 at Suntec, last year generated more than S$10 million worth of transactions, and aims for similar turnover this year despite the gloomier economic environment. The total value of displayed art would be around US$30 million and the largest participation will be from the host country, South Korea, Japan and China.

"ARTSingapore has grown phenomenally over the past eight years with 15,000 visitors expected this year. We are proud to say that this annual event has grown to more than just being an art fair, and it has distinguished itself as the international show attracting renowned artists and collectors from around the globe," said Ms Chen.

"This year's event will highlight a sizeable representation from India, Korea and Japan. Past participants are returning and we are seeing increased participation from certain countries. ARTSingapore 2008 has essentially become the main platform to showcase critical pieces and emerging artists for some of these Asian countries."

Some of the artworks to watch for at this year's event include the huge sculptures from Yu Yu Yang and Ju-Ming of Taiwan; Aboriginal art from Australia's Ballan and Pannan Galleries; and contemporary Indian art from first-time participants including Art Alive Gallery, Art Musings, Arushi Arts, Delhi Art Gallery and Gallery Sanskriti.

This year s event will also feature rising artists including China's Wu Jianjun, Japan s Kengo Nakamura; Thailand s Jirapat tatsanasomboon, Vietnam's Dang Xuan Hoa; Indonesia's Wayan Sujanda; and India's Thota Vaikuntam.

Unique pieces will be shown from regional and international galleries in China, Israel, Japan, the Philippines, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States. First-time participating international galleries include Sundaram Tagore Gallery (USA), Cais (Korea) Hwas Gallery (China), Silverlens (the Philippines) and Bruno Art Group (Israel).

A major highlight will be a solo exhibition by the world-renowned Indian artist, Jogen Chowdhury, titled "Jogen Chowdhury: Enigmatic Visions" from the Glenbarra Art Museum. Curated by Masanori Fukuoka, the Genbarra director, it is open for the first public viewing.

The artworks are all owned by Masanori Fukuoka, who is recognised as the world's top collector of Indian contemporary art with more than 5,000 pieces in his collection.