Issue 21 | 21 November 2017
The Avenue for Creative Arts
'Ave News of the World of Art


Would you pay US$450 million for a Leonardo Da Vinci? The price was more than twice the old record for any work of art, set by Picasso's 'Les Femmes D'Alger,' which sold for £136 million in May 2015. 'Salvator Mundi' was purchased on 16 November 2018 by an unidentified buyer bidding via telephone after a protracted bidding war that stretched to nearly 20 minutes at the New York auction house. The restored portrait, an ethereal depiction of Jesus Christ, which dates to about 1500, is one of fewer than 20 paintings by the Renaissance artist known to still exist. More from BBC.
Writers of the World Unite - A call for writers everywhere to spread the word. Preferably in print, but accept that digital publishing and e-books are a necessary evil! We saw a wonderful collection of writers at the Singapore Writers Festival - seemingly from everywhere - who are internationalising the written word, to advance literature, education, arts, culture, communication or just for the pure enjoyment of reading. We also attended Storydrive Asia, a publishing symposium with a strong emphasis on intellectual property protection and the promotion of collaborative book publishing in ASEAN.
Affordable Art for Everyone While the world was open-mouthed when a Leonardo Da Vinci sold for more than US$450 million, we enjoyed, and were very tempted by, a wonderful array of art from around the world at prices that were in the range of every collector, novice or veteran. The Affordable Art Fair in Singapore ran from 16 to 19 November. Next one in the World Series is in Milan 26-28 January 2018, then to London at Battersea Springs 7-11 March. Asia has to wait until 18-20 May when the Fair hits Hong Kong. Here's more on Affordable Art Fairs.
Musicals Make their Mark - Singapore is getting more than its share of international musicals and even playing the role of "showcasing" productions to test the Asian market for imports from Broadway or West End. The latest is "The Addams Family" - straight from a United Kingdom touring season - where the American-flavoured production is being sampled by visitors from many other parts of Asia, during its Singapore run at MediaCorp Theatre, Singapore until 3 December.
Films to Die For! - The durability of Agatha Christie's murder series - books, films and plays - continues to amaze us. Now Kenneth Branagh has brought "Murder on the Orient Express" back into vogue on film. Look out for the latest totally new version starring Branagh and a host of memorable names/faces in a cinema near you. But that's not all. Singapore has the International Film Festival to take in (starting 23 November), along with festive film fare from France and India.
Art Scene and Heard in Singapore 
Seeing the Light & Snow in the Tropics - A Century of Light - 60 paintings in the Colours of Impressionism from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris - is now on show at Singapore's National Gallery. Olivia Ho in the Straits Times wrote: "Paintings such as The Magpie (by Claude Monet) would go on to revolutionise art history by ushering in the Impressionist movement, as a new wave of artists in the late 19th century strove to capture the changing light of their rapidly modernising world." No chance of missing this brilliant exhibition, as it runs until 11 March 2018. More from the National Gallery Singapore.

Fans of Japanese Calligraphy - Sunstar introduced a series of Japanese calligraphy art and cultural events in Singapore in October. Hosted by Nihon Shodo Bijutsuin (Japan Calligraphy Art Academy), co-organised by Sunstar and Japan Creative Centre, and supported by The Mainichi Shimbun / Mainichi Shodo Kai, the events promoted cultural exchange between Japan and Singapore; as well as used Japanese calligraphy as a channel to direct local communities’ attention to the importance of holistic healthcare. Calligraphy demonstrations by a number of leading artists were a feature of the exhibition at The Luxe Art Museum in Handy Road. There's more from the Japan Creative Centre.
Specters & Tourists Look Out - ArtScience Museum is co-organising, with the Singapore International Film Festival,  Specters and Tourists  by Japanese filmmaker and artist Daisuke Miyazaki. Presented as a two-part film installation, this new work depicts the all too familiar scene of humdrum urban life, and celebrates when unscripted and unexpected moments challenge our perception of reality. There's also an immersive, exuberant performance of 'All Life is Tour' by independent sound project and art rock band, ARE, as part of his exhibition.  Specters and Tourists at the ArtScience Museum until 17 December.


Birds of a Feather at Miaja Gallery - Yes it's still on. An exhibition not to be missed. "Tales from China". At the exhibition opening, there was one of the artists, Nissa Kauppila, pointing out and talking about her work. Here's an American who's developed a "Chinese-style" without realising it until she visited China. See her work, and that of Kim Xu, showing at the Bukit Timah Road gallery for the next two months (until 1 December). See more at the Miaja Gallery.


Urban Portraiture Explored - Visit the RedSea Gallery to see the latest by Nathalie VanOort: The Singapore Heritage Series. The exhibition opens on 25 November and runs until 10 December. Nathalie's work is an exploration of urban portraiture, focusing on the transformation of the built environments in which we live. To grow and meet the needs of its citizens, many cities face the challenge of striking a balance between redevelopment and conserving its history. Van Oort is fascinated by this occurrence and the resulting contrasts.  Go to RedSea Gallery at Dempsey Hill for more.
Art in Play: All the World's a Stage

Billed as a LECTURE at LaSalle College of the Arts



Presenting was none other than Murray Lachlan Young and if all lectures were as entertaining and funny as this, we'd still be studying hard! Here's the “Million Pound Poet”, stand-up performer, BBC broadcaster, children’s author and more — he's all of these. Young is one of the most distinctive wordsmiths of our time. Equally at home on air, onstage or in the printed page, his unique way with words caught the attention of music powerhouse EMI in 1997, when he became the first poet to sign a £1m record deal. More events at LaSalle coming up.
Pangdemonium is back. Offering a season of shows in 2018 after a successful 2017. Starting off with "The Father", a poignant and devastating exploration of a 70-year-old man’s deteriorating mind as he sinks under the frightening weight of dementia, and loses his grip on the sanctuary of his home and security of his loved ones. Go to Pangdemonium for more.
The Addams Family takes the stage by storm
What a joy to behold!. Nasty and nice! Unexpectedly excellent. We're in love with musicals but this one crept up on us. Unheralded.
We didn't think it would be in the same class as the tried and true classics from Cameron Macintosh or Andrew Lloyd Webber. But this is as good as it gets.
It's on at the MES Theatre by MediaCorp - not the easiest place to find but an excellent theatre never-the-less - until 3 December. Direct from the UK, this production showcases a brand new orchestration and set presentation.
Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the creators of multi award-winning Jersey Boys, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa.
Outstanding performances in the all British cast, most notably from Cameron Blakely, as Gomez Addams - who we saw a year ago in Les Miserables in Singapore - as well as from Rebecca Thornhill, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Cory English and Charlotte Page. Don't miss it.
This is its only showing in Asia and people are coming from everywhere to see it.

Great to see the performance by Ian Stark in Tea with the Old Queen  in Singapore. A great comedian and actor, he first did this show at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The British Theatre Playhouse is to be congratulated for once again bringing us "the best of British". We enjoyed meeting and talking with Ian, a real trouper, who through his long and celebrated career, has been honoured with a wide range of awards, such as five Swan Awards for Best Actor. What's coming up at the British Theatre Playhouse?
This was a wonderful performance. The Stage Club - Singapore's oldest theatre company - at its best. Still one of the best places to go to get excellent British comedies. Maybe because this drama group evolved out of the British Army! We love Alan Ayckbourn's plays. Give us more please. Here's what The Stage Club has coming up.
Do we hear a Sound of Music?
The world's best-loved musical, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, comes to the Mastercard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands in November, until 3 December. The original 1959 Broadway production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was Rodgers and Hammerstein's biggest success. The 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews as Maria won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and remains one of the most popular movies of all time. Go to SISTIC to book.
Writers of the World Unite - For Good!
Literally Yours: People of the Book
Festival Writers on 'The Good Life"
Shamini Flint (pictured at left), was just one of hundreds of writers at the Festival, who continues to make a big impression on fellow writers and readers. Contributing Editor Alexandra Touchaud gives us her insight into the 2017 Singapore Writers Festival and the event theme "ARAM":
"A word that invites us to contemplate what it means to be good: to explore the universal meaning behind doing good, living ethically, exploring ideas on what constitutes a good life, and how we go about building a good society. It was a powerful theme and led to a huge array of related panels and debates between the 340 creatives on the programme." Alexandra also explores, in some detail, two of the sessions: One on Origins and Identities - moderated by Shamini - and the other on Sons and Daughters of Singapore. Read more

Books, Blogs, Libraries and Other Stories
If you missed the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), or didn't manage to get enough of it and you want more, why not go to Asian Books Blog , where Rosie Milne, and her intrepid correspondents, gives us a regular dose of books, writers and literary events. In all, Elaine Chiew posted five blogs detailing different events on different days at the SWF, including opening and closing events, as well as a selection of other writers and books. There's also an interview with Victor Fernando Ocampo, author of The Infinite Library and Other Stories. Why not get a regular email subscription to Asian Books Blog anyway. Lots more to enjoy and we cannot possibly satisfy all readers wishes all by ourselves.

Not so simple, this Simon
One of our favourite authors this year was Simon Armitage, who not only kept us enthralled during his one man show on the first Saturday afternoon with "Getting Poetry out of the Box" - ably moderated by Philip Jeyaretnam - but we also enjoyed a conversation in the queue for a wine on opening night! So taken were we by the man, his performance and his writing, that we couldn't resist buying one of his books - "Walking Home" - which we promptly devoured over the next few days. It turns out his talents go way beyond poetry - even though he's the current Oxford Professor of Poetry - and we put him in the same class as "journeymen" Bill Bryson and Paul Theroux. The Sunday Times describes him as "an agreeably droll travel writer." Find out more about Simon Armitage and his books here.

Small Country, Great Literature
The Irish have always been great storytellers - as well as winners of more international literary prizes than anywhere else (on a population basis). As Ireland was the Festival's featured country this year, there was a feast in store, including one panel involving two Irish writers, Gerald Dawe and Eilis Ni Dhuibhne, matched with two of Singapore's prolific authors Meira Chand and Philip Jeyaretnam, and ably chaired by Neil Murphy. "What can Singapore Learn from Ireland?" A lot. As was learned from this session alone and from the individual writers who willingly shared their work and their ideas. Also go to Culture Ireland to see what they get up to, as well as Ireland Literature.

Writers do go on - and on and on!
Big trouble with a ten day event like the Singapore Writers Festival is there's so much to see, do and hear. Books to buy, authors to meet, sessions to attend. Non-stop. So we've done our best - with a little help from our friends - to bring you a sampling. We attended the beginning and the end, and much in between. We delighted in the annual debate - if you can call it a debate, more like a circus! This culmination of the festival was refreshing, fun and even enlightening. Pictured is one of the debating authors Ovidia Yu. The Straits Times' Akshita Nanda - an author in her own write - summed it up well in the country's daily newspaper the next day. "Gone in 60 minutes:Free tickets to debate on kiasuism".
The Festive Season of Art, Film & Fame
Eleven Days & Nights of Film
The Singapore International Film Festival opens its 28th edition with the second feature from independent Chinese director Vivian Qu, "Angels Wear White". Qu’s sophomore effort is a bold and uncompromising drama – focusing on the unheard voices of the underprivileged minority. Across the 11-day Festival, the Special Presentation section brings a gala showcase of some of the most anticipated films from today’s leading and upcoming directors: Indian director Anup Singh’s The Song of Scorpions, headlined by esteemed Indian actor Irrfan Khan; an exciting co-directed feature, The White Girl, from newcomer Jenny Suen and renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle; and New York University Tisch Asia alumni, Atusko Hiranayagi’s touching debut comedy, Oh Lucy!, about cultural clashes, starring Josh Hartnett. Singapore International Film Festival runs from 23 November to 3 December


 To the Bahamas.
Yes, there's the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF). It's celebrating its 14th edition this year, and taking place 10-17 December, with the lineup of films screening in the festival’s competition and sidebar sections. Here's more from Bahamas


Chicago in Christchurch at Court Theatre
Murder. Fame. And All That Jazz. An explosion of scandal, celebrity and murder runs riot throughout the streets of 1920s Chicago. Camera flashes and Roxie Hart looks straight into the lens with a hint of a smile playing on her lips. With a decidedly all-New Zealand cast, this comes to Christchurch at the historic Court Theatre. 25 November until 20 January. A Christmas-New Year treat. If you're holidaying in New Zealand or live anywhere near, make a date. Thanks to our Christchurch correspondent Stephanie K for alerting us to this and other events. More from the Court Theatre here.

The Art of Travel: A Place in Time
A Place in Time: "Gold Rock" by Gaby Rguez. This photo and eleven others are being featured in the Scotiabank 2018 "Exceptional Moments" calendar and the result of a contest in the Bahamas which attracted hundreds of entries. Just another example of the wonderful news and views of art in the Bahamas, which comes to us every week in Smith & Benjamin's Bahamian Art & Culture magazine. Go to this wonderful gallery for more.
EAT Asia Pacific Food Forum
We're convinced there's a place for the Culinary Arts in The Avenue from now on. This awakening came when we attended EAT Asia Pacific Food Forum on 30,31 October at the wonderful Shangri-La Jakarta. An initiative of the EAT Foundation, which originated in Norway, this event was supported by the Ministry of Heath, Indonesia. Of course, there's more to food than art, but as we believe in The Art of Sustainability, we're entirely justified in drawing attention to this event. It addressed the fundamental challenge in sustainably feeding a healthy diet to over nine billion people by 2050. A resilient food system and sustainable diets are pivotal in solving this challenge and achieving both the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. We'll bring you more on this event and its outcomes through our other online magazine, ABC Carbon Express , but meantime here's the link to the EAT Foundation and its work, including its first Asia Pacific Forum .
Postscript: A word or two

Media is the Message
Prompted by a lively discussion on Media and the Arts at the Singapore Writers Festival, we got to talking and thinking about all the opportunities these days for professionals in the arts: literary, performing and visual. Of course, it's not easy money, but it is increasingly possible to make a living - even on the side - by pursuing the artistic expression you love most. Some writers I know have day jobs as journalists, while some artists make enough from teaching or consulting to fund their projects. We're seeing an increasing number of Singaporean writers and artists get recognition internationally. That often involves venturing aboard and testing a much bigger market. Media plays an important role not only to promote the arts, but give due prominence to local and foreign talent. We are seeing many examples of artists drawing attention to themselves through blogs, YouTube, Facebook and all forms of media, social and mainstream. As someone who has been directly involved in, and with, media for half a century, I do my best to promote writers, books, artists and art events. Taking this a step further, I've established a new creative content agency - THE HICKSON TEAM - which will serve as a platform to promote the work of writers and artists, as well as create and produce content needed by all sorts of organisations, as well as media. We will continue to produce online magazines, like The Avenue and will keep our eyes and ears open - and pens at the ready - to do more. - Ken Hickson

Brought to you by THE HICKSON TEAM
in association with 
Sustain Ability Showcase Asia (SASA) and ABC Carbon
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