Yeo Chee Kiong, “The Sarcophagus of a Dreamer” (2007), fibreglass, 140×120x100cm

Amidst aftermarket hours wining, whining and dining, have you ever stopped to “Take a Moment” and observe the steel clad businessman, little bronze nonya or giant wooden daybed, lurking around your favourite Fullerton hangout?

In a bid to bring art to the forefront of urban dwellers’ consciousness,  The Fullerton Heritage and Andrewshire Art Services have come together to co-present their inaugural exhibition Art in the City. The objective of this ongoing initiative:

“  … to make art more accessible to the public, right in the heart of the city and in an area that is also rich in culture and heritage.  “

Featuring

Soak up the 4D experience – see, touch, hear and even smell, of the 25 sculptural works and performance art sessions of Choi Ki-Seog, Chung Kuk Taek,  Kim Hwang-Rok, Lee Jae Hyo, Lee Soo Hong, Lim Leong Seng, Sohn Jinah and Yeo Chee Kiong.

For artists’ profiles, visit the official website.

Chung Kuk Taek, “Businessman”, Stainless steel, 180×140x70cm

Lim Leong Seng, “Nonya” (2009), bronze, 58×16x11cm

Lee Jae-Hyo, “0121-1110=1090915″ (2009), wood – big cone pine, 138×255x100cm

Location

The Fullerton Heritage Precinct comprising: The Fullerton Hotel, Waterboat House, One Fullerton, Clifford Pier and the soon-to-be-built Fullerton Bay and Customs House.

Price

Free admission

Guided Tours

Do register at The Fullerton Hotel’s Concierge Desk (+65 6877 8080)

• For “Take a Moment” tour – 6 & 20 Feb, 6 & 20 March, 3-4pm.
• For Yeo Chee Kiong’s performance art “the rain of Singapore is mischievous, a Sun meets a Black Cloud in a Monsoon Season” – 21 Feb, 11am.

Once upon a time, Hugh Grant’s reputation may have been tarnished by a certain not-so-Divine Ms. Brown. What he needed, was a red herring to shift the spotlight away from this peculiar saga. Thanks to a fling with Elizabeth Taylor while soaked up in drunken stupor one evening, he got his wish.

I’m referring to the Andy Warhol painting of Ms. Taylor that Grant sold after a 6 year embrace. No more the foolish cad with very unconventional taste, say hello to the £11million richer art connoisseur!

Investing in or collecting Art, is as much of an art as the Art itself.

Luck, timing, perception, strategy are elements of a game to which we sometimes have little control over. Quoi de neuf. Unless you had every one of your tentacles dipped in every social directory of every industry.

That said, to start off with, there are two things we, as budding collectors can do, to mitigate any unintended consequences of our ignorance:

1. Tree of Knowledge

Research, read, remember. As with most investments in our neo-liberal capitalist world, you can never acquire too much knowledge about the commodity you wish to invest in.

Remember: The search is NEVER over.

2. Fall in Love

Ditch ye olde Wall Street adage. Unlike stocks, bonds and most other non-aesthetic financial products currently in existence, you SHOULD fall in love with your art investments.

I know of collectors whose art investment holding periods lasted longer than their marriages. Patience is surely a virtue, as art is a long-term investment.

But that does not mean that you need to deprive your eyes of aesthetics, your soul of metaphysical experience, nor your mind of thought-provoking intelligence.

In the upcoming weeks, I shall dedicate a segment of this blog to Art Investments 101. I am no certified connoisseur but the objective of this is as much to structure my thoughts and to chart my progress as a collector, as to share whatever knowledge I have with prospective collectors.

As always, I welcome intellectual abuses. Stay tuned.

A Duad in Play
When : 3 Feb (Opening) – 11 Mar 2010
Where : Lasalle’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Gallery

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To commemorate 40 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore and the Philippines, the Artesan Gallery+Studio and the ICA Singapore, will be jointly presenting A Duad in Play – featuring leading Southeast Asian artists Ronald Ventura (Philippines) and Francis Ng (Singapore).

Expressing themselves using paintings, sculptures, videos and installations, the duo will tackle issues of humanity and challenge the social boundaries of modern civilisation.

About the Artists:

Ronald Ventura

Born in 1973, Ronald Ventura studied painting in the Philippines College of Architecture and Fine Arts, University of Santo Tomas , Manila , where he also taught. Ronald Ventura was conferred with the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award and in 2005, and was one of the 3 winners of the Ateneo Art Awards, a contemporary art prize bestowed on young Filipino visual artists. He was also the inaugural recipient of the Ateneo Art Gallery Sydney Studio Residency Grant, exhibiting at the Cross Art Projects, Sydney, Australia in November 2005. Ventura ’s reputation is said to have since sky-rocketed after his much talked about Mapping The Corporeal exhibition at the NUS Museum, which was a parallel event to the Singapore Biennale in 2008, and exemplified Ventura¹s artistic virtuosity. His works have since appeared in the Prague Biennale 2009, and later appearing in a book entitled Post Tsunami Art by Primo Marella, in Milan , in 2009.

Francis Ng

Ng Teck Yong Francis is a multi-disciplinary artist born in 1975 in Singapore . Since completing his Bachelor of Arts degree with Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) Australia in 2001 and Master of Fine Art degree in 2004, Francis made headlines when he became the first Singaporean to win the grand prize at the Philip Morris Group of Companies Asean Art Awards in 2002. He has also won the 2002/2003 JCCI (Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Singapore) Arts Award, the 2003 President¹s Young Talent Award, the Photography category of the UOB Painting of the Year competition 2004 and, the 2004/2005 IDC-Design Excellence(Service Industry) Distinction Award. In 2003, Francis was chosen to represent Singapore at the prestigious 50th Venice Biennale (Biennale di Venezia). He has also represented the country in the 5th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea.

French-Blast spotted this photographer, Magnus Muhr, who exercised a really cool sense of humour in his photographic treatment of dead houseflies.

Adore or abhor, you really have to check these out:

C.K Prahalad, stand one side. These guys certainly know the meaning of “Bottom of the Pyramid”

(images via muhr’s online gallery)

So now you know what goes on behind the great game of Who’s the Greater Fool!

Classic Contemporary: Contemporary Southeast Asian Art from the Singapore Art Museum Collection

Featuring: Agus Sugawe, Suzann Victor, Matthew Ngui, Simryn Gill, Redza Piyadasa, Jim Supangkat, Nindityo Adipurnomo, Agnes Arellano, Natee Utarit and Montien Boonma.

Where: Singapore Art Museum at 8Q

When: 29 January 22010 to 2 May 2010

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With a clever oxymoron as the title of this exhibition, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM)’s playful intention is to provoke the question “what makes a work of art classic or contemporary“, by drawing from its collection of iconic contemporary artworks.

Billed as an “accessible and quirky exhibition, (it) aims to introduce new audiences to the ideas and art forms of contemporary art.”

“  A stellar cast of painting, sculpture, video, photography, performance art from across Southeast Asia are brought together and given the red-carpet treatment, and the whole of the SAM 8Q building is transformed into a dramatic stage for these stars and icons. Yet beneath the glamour, many of the artworks also probe and prod serious issues – often asking critical and challenging questions about society, nation and the history of art itself  “

New and veteran lovers of the Contemporary Art scene can look forward to a great program lined with curatorial lectures, artist presentations, movie screenings and performances.

More info here.

“Boobs for Booze” @ Overeasy

Early last week, a widely circulated email hit my Bloomberg Inbox with the resounding thud of a pair of D-cups.

One Fullerton being one of the favourite hangouts for us traders, we instinctively perked up at the hint of a “free booze” offer at OverEasy.

Inspired by DJ DCUP from down under, the “Boobs for Booze” promotion created quite the commotion, taking a few precious minutes worth of  attention away from the stable of stocks we were monitoring. 

The promotion: 1 female and 1 male judge from OverEasy will gauge the approximate size of the fully clothed contestant’s cup size. An A-cup = 1 drink, B-cup = 2 drinks, C-cup = 3 drinks… you get the drift. 

Half-baked or Overdone?

This promotional news scored high on the amusement scale - an opinion that was not exclusive to only the male traders; my more well-endowed female colleagues too were raving like rabbids, estimating the value of their assets.

Sure, there were a couple of my species who gave a mildly disapproving opinion, but they too acknowledged the ”smartness” of the tongue-in-cheek promo. 

Quite unlike the extreme dissent some of my media-world friends saw.

Everyone rightfully exercising their freedom of speech, the office became a verbal battleground: Closet Feminists emerged, Veteran Feminists launched their best weapons, attacking the mild-tempered and more objective Neutral Feminists for NOT finding the promo downright derogatory.

Singapouriennes are a strong, hard headed lot. Sometimes too hard. But who can blame us? We are expected to be dutiful bearers of, and doting mothers to, our nation’s progeniteurs, domestic helpers to The mothers-in-law and the second (often bigger) leg to our typical dual-income-family model.

The Right to Rights

“  All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.  “

- Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

While I do empathize with Feminists and Female Chauvanists, I nonetheless believe that nothing comes “free” in this world.

If I demand equal rights, then I may reasonably have to accept that while my male counterparts are expected to go through involuntary enlisting to the army at age 18, I should perhaps, not accuse infrequent and subtle nudges of pro-family planning rhetoric, of attacking my rights as a woman.

Also, the corollary to equal rights, is freedom of choice.

For every equivalent of OverEasy’s cheeky promotion, there are different “target audiences”. All have the freedom to choose to participate. Or not. Honestly, who’s forcing you to bear your breasts or flash your chest at an apathetic crowd?

Another example: ultra-mini skirts. Wear them if you must, if you want. But if you do, you will attract attention - mostly unwanted. With this time-tested, statistically proven knowledge, you should know your risk-reward ratio and the consequences of your decision. Should you choose to go ahead, hope that nothing untoward but not unexpected, will happen (touch wood!) to you.

We cry out and clamour for Singapore to be an “advanced society” that is based on liberty and freedom. But until we accept the accompanying responsibility, this freedom of rights that is in my humble opinion, already upon us, will always remain shrouded in the elusive veil that some of us choose to hide behind.

I expect headon collision with hardline Feminists to come my way soon. Meanwhile, I’m gonna continue chilling out at OverEasy anyway.

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OverEasy’s “Bear Essentials” Promotion:

Follow me on Twitter for end-of-market-day alerts on where the Straits Times Index (STI) ended.

On the day the STI ends DOWN, head over to OverEasy for their yummulicious mini burgers, all for just $1. 

I like to joke with my girlfriends during sporadic sex-in-the-city-style meetups, that if I were a guy, I would most probably be a “Modeliser”.

Actors just won’t quite cut it for me. Unless of course, if they did a Tilda Swinton - sashaying down the famous Viktor & Rolf runway or acting out her roles in all its Indie glory.

Fashion shows epitomize entertainment – a confluence of art, theatre, costumes, make-up, drama, and by the most unconventional definition possible, beautiful people.

Radical designer, Jean Paul Gaultier held a boxing-inspired Fall-Winter 2010-2011 Menswear Collection fashion show, complete with a real boxing ring, in Paris today, 21 January.

If we were to put JPG and my favourite designer, the infamous John Galliano, in the boxing ring, I wonder who will get the “KO”. 

(images via fresnobee)

Remember Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker? That’s what springs to my mind everytime I read about the hostile tussle between Cadbury and Kraft. 

Just as I once stood in gaping disillusionment, at the sight of my favourite (then) WWF heroes playing “Family Guy” and worse, getting all chummy with each other backstage, I get a sense of impending loss as I watch yet another childhood icon being “robbed” from memories of my past.

That said, the Kraft-Cad (KC) tussle is unlike zero sum games that seemingly hostile wrestling matches are. In fact, loud whispers of a Win-Win KC deal are dominating talks across financial markets.

Here’s what you need to know about the sweet deal that’s currently lacing The Streets: 

• Kraft upped its offer from 769 (below yesterday’s closing price of 834) to 850 pence a share. 
• This includes 500 pence of cash, the rest in stock.
• Cadbury shareholders will also potentially receive a dividend of 12 pence per share.

Why is this possibly a palatable deal?

• Cadbury has a double-digit compound earnings growth ahead. With a forward earnings multiple of 15.5 times, it is estimated to be worth 682 pence on its own.The offer of 850p slaps a 25% premium for Cadbury shareholders. And the fact that it’s worth that much on its own bodes well for Kraft’s expansion mandate. In fact Kraft may even see bumper cost savings of 7.5% of Cadbury’s annual £6 billion sales revenue. 
• The recent market rally in Cadbury’s share price during the course of the dramatic battle, priced in about 12% of the premium. Analysts’ estimates and ratings probably provide another 10%, implying an approximate 28% premium. (via ReutersBreakingview)

So all in all, we could see a positive sum game here… God willing.

But, is Kraft’s offer to Cadbury nothing more than an artificial sweetener? What do you think?

Sweet deals aside, I will still surely miss all that Cadbury stands for, especially its eyebrow raising advertisements.

Enjoy two of my favourites here:

1. Wouldn’t it be nice…

this catchy tune will forever be etched onto my cerebral cortex.

2. The Gorilla

Much as I’m an unofficial fan of the Bathing Ape (BAPE), my allegiance deviates slightly everytime I look at Cadbury’s very own furry “mascot”

2. When & Where

20 Jan – 30 Jan 2010, 08.00pm

Sinema, Old School 11B Mount Sophia, #B1-12

2. About the DFF

First of its kind in Asia, this biennial Design Film Festival (DFF), under the curatorial direction of local art director Felix Ng, will feature a broad selection of short films, animations and music videos.

3. Objective

“   Ng aims to use the DFF as a platform to develop content for the creative industry and expose audiences from various design diciplines and even non-design audiences to international works.  “

4. Bonus Material

Before the show begins, a film trailer featuring works from 9 of the world’s most innovative creative thinkers from New York, London, Sheffield, Helsinki, Bangkok and Stockholm - personal favourites of the curatorial team, will be screened.

(via farm.sg)