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Of Great Historical, Artistic and Religious Importance – a Unique Byzantine Gold Medallion to be Auctioned by Roma Numismatics Ltd of Mayfair, London

ART, ENT, Fashion, General

LONDON, Aug. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ —

Ancient artefact expected to bring GBP800,000+ in Roma Numismatics’ Sept. 28 auction; on display at 20 Hanover Square, Sept. 1-27. 

A unique and highly important Byzantine gold medallion is expected to fetch GBP800,000+ when it is offered at auction in September by London-based auctioneer Roma Numismatics Ltd. It is among 1,200 superb ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins that are being sold in the firm’s autumn auction. The medallion was struck as part of the grand imperial wedding celebrations for the princess Charito, daughter of the emperor Tiberius II Constantine, to Germanus, the supreme commander of the Byzantine armies, on or around Christmas Day in 583 AD. It weighs over 100 grams, and is one of the very largest gold medallions known to have survived antiquity.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140828/703399)

This grand imperial medallion depicts a remarkable series of illustrations from the story of the life of Christ as related by early Christian texts, of which some have no peer or parallel in surviving Byzantine precious metal art. The front features a highly detailed portrayal of the Annunciation, in which the Angel Gabriel delivers his message to Mary that she shall conceive the son of God. It also shows two smaller scenes of the Visitation and the Nativity. The whole of the reverse is dedicated to an image of Christ’s Ascension to Heaven as his disciples look on. It is believed that this medallion preserves the earliest surviving images of the Annunciation and Ascension in gold.

The medallion is comparable only to the famous specimen in the Dumbarton Oaks Museum (Washington D.C., USA) with which it shares a great many similarities, and a lesser example currently residing in the Christian Schmidt Collection (Munich, Germany). All three appear to have been the work of the same imperial artisan and were produced within a very short time-span.

Richard Beale, director of auctioneer Roma Numismatics, said: “This incredible piece is tremendously significant, not only from a historical perspective, but also because of the rich religious symbolism woven into its design. The scenes as portrayed here became the standard model for all subsequent Byzantine and Orthodox depictions of these key moments from the life of Christ. It is thus of immense importance within the fields of both Byzantine and early Christian art.”

Richard Beale, info@romanumismatics.com, +44-(0)20-3178-2874

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Golden Teardrop by Arin Rungjang from Thailand Shortlisted as Finalist in Third Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize

ART, ENT, Fashion, General

15 finalists vying for SGD 60,000 Grand Prize revealed today

BANGKOK, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation today announced the 15 finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Now in its third installment, the prize spotlights the most compelling contemporary artworks created by artists in the Asia Pacific region over the last three years.

 

Selected by a panel of five eminent judges from around the region, the finalists’ works were chosen from 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and territories. Innovative and exciting creations from recent years, the contemporary artworks represent the very best of the region and are intentionally not limited by genre. Spanning various mediums from painting to sculpture, photography, video works and performance art, they each address topical issues and collectively shed light not just on our region’s contemporary art landscape but also on the topics and conversations relevant in our society today.

The 15 finalists represent 13 countries and territories including Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, mainland China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, India, Bangladesh and Taiwan. They include:

  • Golden Teardrop (2013) by Arin Rungjang from Thailand
  • Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) (2011) by Choe U-Ram from South Korea
  • Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) (2012) by Farida Batool from Pakistan
  • One places / on “the room” (2013) by Go Watanabe from Japan
  • PYTHAGORAS (2013) by Ho Tzu Nyen from Singapore
  • In Pursuit of Venus (2012) by Lisa Reihana from New Zealand
  • Trace (2011) by Liu Jianhua from mainland China
  • I’m a Ghost in My Own House (2012) by Melati Suryodarmo from Indonesia
  • Rankin Street, 1953 (2013) by Naeem Mohaiemen from Bangladesh
  • Unsubtitled (2013) by Nguyen Trinh Thi from Vietnam
  • Infinite Love (2011) by Owen Leong from Australia
  • Letters From A Distance (2012–2014) by Peng Wei from mainland China
  • House of Opaque Water (2013) by Ranbir Kaleka from India
  • Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan (2010–2013) by Yao Jui-Chung + Lost Society Document (LSD) from Taiwan
  • Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons (2013) by Zhao Renhui from Singapore

(For detailed artist’ statements and biographies, please visit http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html)

Selecting this year’s Finalists is a judging panel comprising Mr. Chris Saines, Director of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Mr. Feng Boyi, eminent independent art curator and critic of Chinese contemporary art; Ms. Luckana Kunavichayanont, Director of Bangkok Art and Culture Center; Ms. Pooja Sood, Director of KHOJ International Artists’ Association; and Dr. Susie Lingham, Director of Singapore Art Museum.

A statement from the jury panel stated, “We’re excited to be presenting the finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Narrowing the choice from over 100 works to the final 15 involved a rigorous selection process and intensive discussions — testament to the high caliber of entries that were refined, rich and diverse. Overall, the 15 works selected offer a glimpse of the future of our region’s rich and constantly evolving contemporary art scene. The finalist works stood out for their strength of concept and execution and despite stemming from such diverse contexts, histories and cultural backgrounds, cleverly explored similar issues of identity, immigration, urban expansion, depletion of natural resources, fading of old values, cultural diversity and more.”

The work by Arin Rungjang, the only Thai artist shortlisted for the prestigious title, is a video installation that debuted at the Venice Biennale as part of the Thai Pavilion in 2014. Golden Teardrop revisits pivotal moments in Thai history and looks at the human movement and the exchange of cultures.

Other finalists works include Melati Suryodarmo’s I’m a Ghost in My Own House, an intense and powerful 12-hour long performance that sees the artist grind and crush hundreds of kilograms of charcoal, a symbol of life’s energy while Australian Owen Leong’s Infinite Love, a visceral and poetic performance, explores the body as a physical site for social, cultural and political forces in relation to his Asian-Australian identity.

Employing the use of meditative visuals, Go Watanabe’s One places / on “the room” presents a technically challenging and deeply absorbing piece that changes the way we look at time and space; Ranbir Kaleka’s House of Opaque Water uses a narrative structure to present the idea of displacement and society’s response to these situations; and New Zealander Lisa Reihana’s work In Pursuit of Venus reflects the beauty of the Pacific Islands while offering a nuanced critique of its colonial legacies.

Works shortlisted from Singapore include Ho Tzu Nyen’s PYTHAGORAS, a creation that serves as an immersive experience for audiences to explore the concept of the unseen and the concealment of power, sound or the voice; while Zhao Renhui’s seemingly minimalist installation titled Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons, draws on his experience of traveling through the Arctic and being overwhelmed by its starkness. From mainland China the works shortlisted include Liu Jianhua’s Trace, a striking piece inspired by the traditional art forms of calligraphy and porcelain to comment on societal ills and Peng Wei’s Letters from a Distance, which is steeped in traditional practices and utilizes Chinese aesthetic objects like scrolls and leaves melded together with texts from Western philosophers.

And from South Korea, Choe U-Ram’s Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) takes the form of a mesmerizing and highly imaginative sculpture that depicts a mythical creature that is at once from the past yet also from an apocalyptic future.

Exemplifying how art has the power to highlight a social issue for scrutiny and exact real change, Yao Jui-Chung & Lost Society Document (LSD)’s Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan is an investigative political work on Taiwan’s ‘mosquito halls’ while Nguyen Trinh Thi’s Unsubtitled looks at freedom of expression through an installation about Nhan Van-Giai Pham — a suppressed literary movement of the 1950s.

Finally, exploring spaces and places, Pakistan’s Farida Batool’s Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) brings viewers on a walk down a busy city street in Lahore, capturing the side of a city that people may not know of via 21 long lenticular prints while Naeem Mohaiemen of Bangladesh presents Rankin Street, 1953, an intimate work that reveals the artist’s memories of his family using his family home as the subject and uncovering the past through vintage photograph negatives.

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is worth $100,000 with $60,000 awarded to the Grand Prize winner and $15,000 each for two Jurors’ Choice Award winners. A People’s Choice Award of $10,000 will also be offered to the artwork that receives the highest number of public votes via on-site and online submissions (voting opens from 14 November 2014).

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize Exhibition will take place at SAM from 14 November 2014 to 15 March 2015 with the winners announced at an awards ceremony on 22 January 2015. For more information, please visit the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize webpage at http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html.

About the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation

Instituted in June 1994, the APB Foundation seeks to ignite compassion and inspire through our philanthropic efforts. We set resources in motion to help people and organisations improve talents, enhanced educational and research endeavours as well as better living conditions. In turn, we fuel society and enable the communities, where we live and work, to flourish.

Committed to supporting Human Excellence, Creativity Development and Humanitarian Causes, the APB Foundation is involved in a variety of initiatives that range from arts funding and backing talent-building projects for human capital development, to engaging in meaningful partnerships with organisations or individuals who share our common goal to serve the society.

The APB Foundation is a registered charity managed and funded by Heineken Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (HEINEKEN Asia Pacific).

About the Singapore Art Museum

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) focuses on contemporary art practice in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia within the global context. It advocates and makes accessible interdisciplinary contemporary art through research-led and evolving curatorial practice. Opened in January 1996, SAM has built up one of the most important collections of contemporary art from the region. It seeks to seed and nourish a stimulating and creative space in Singapore through exhibitions and public programmes. These encompass cross-disciplinary residencies and exchanges, research and publications, as well as outreach and education. SAM was the organiser of the Singapore Biennale in 2011 and 2013.

SAM was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 13 November 2013 and has moved from the National Heritage Board to the Visual Arts Cluster (VAC) under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). The other institutions under the VAC are the National Art Gallery, Singapore (NAGS), and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).

For more information and images of the artists and judges, please contact:

Kimberly Mah

Lynn Sim

Ogilvy Public Relations

Singapore Art Museum

DID: +65-6213–9940

DID: +65-6697–9762

Email: kimberly.mah@ogilvy.com

Email: lynn.sim@singaporeartmuseum.sg

Janet Neo

Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation

DID: +65-6276–3488

Email: janet.neo@heineken.com

Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-a
Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-b

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In Pursuit of Venus by Lisa Reihana from New Zealand Shortlisted as Finalist in Third Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize

ART, ENT, Fashion, General

15 finalists vying for SGD 60,000 Grand Prize revealed today

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation today announced the 15 finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Now in its third installment, the prize spotlights the most compelling contemporary artworks created by artists in the Asia Pacific region over the last three years.

 

Selected by a panel of five eminent judges from around the region, the finalists’ works were chosen from 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and territories. Innovative and exciting creations from recent years, the contemporary artworks represent the very best of the region and are intentionally not limited by genre. Spanning various mediums from painting to sculpture, photography, video works and performance art, they each address topical issues and collectively shed light not just on our region’s contemporary art landscape but also on the topics and conversations relevant in our society today.

The 15 finalists represent 13 countries and territories including Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, mainland China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, India, Bangladesh and Taiwan. They include:

  • Golden Teardrop (2013) by Arin Rungjang from Thailand
  • Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) (2011) by Choe U-Ram from South Korea
  • Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) (2012) by Farida Batool from Pakistan
  • One places / on “the room” (2013) by Go Watanabe from Japan
  • PYTHAGORAS (2013) by Ho Tzu Nyen from Singapore
  • In Pursuit of Venus (2012) by Lisa Reihana from New Zealand
  • Trace (2011) by Liu Jianhua from mainland China
  • I’m a Ghost in My Own House (2012) by Melati Suryodarmo from Indonesia
  • Rankin Street, 1953 (2013) by Naeem Mohaiemen from Bangladesh
  • Unsubtitled (2013) by Nguyen Trinh Thi from Vietnam
  • Infinite Love (2011) by Owen Leong from Australia
  • Letters From A Distance (2012–2014) by Peng Wei from mainland China
  • House of Opaque Water (2013) by Ranbir Kaleka from India
  • Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan (2010–2013) by Yao Jui-Chung + Lost Society Document (LSD) from Taiwan
  • Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons (2013) by Zhao Renhui from Singapore

(For detailed artist’ statements and biographies, please visit http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html)

Selecting this year’s Finalists is a judging panel comprising Mr. Chris Saines, Director of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Mr. Feng Boyi, eminent independent art curator and critic of Chinese contemporary art; Ms. Luckana Kunavichayanont, Director of Bangkok Art and Culture Center; Ms. Pooja Sood, Director of KHOJ International Artists’ Association; and Dr. Susie Lingham, Director of Singapore Art Museum.

A statement from the jury panel stated, “We’re excited to be presenting the finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Narrowing the choice from over 100 works to the final 15 involved a rigorous selection process and intensive discussions — testament to the high caliber of entries that were refined, rich and diverse. Overall, the 15 works selected offer a glimpse of the future of our region’s rich and constantly evolving contemporary art scene. The finalist works stood out for their strength of concept and execution and despite stemming from such diverse contexts, histories and cultural backgrounds, cleverly explored similar issues of identity, immigration, urban expansion, depletion of natural resources, fading of old values, cultural diversity and more.”

Lisa Reihana is the only finalist shortlisted from New Zealand for the prestigious title. Her video installation is a beautiful and spectacular piece titled In Pursuit of Venus which reflects the beauty of the Pacific Islands while offering a nuanced critique of its colonial legacies.

Other finalists works include Melati Suryodarmo’s I’m a Ghost in My Own House, an intense and powerful 12-hour long performance that sees the artist grind and crush hundreds of kilograms of charcoal, a symbol of life’s energy while Australian Owen Leong’s Infinite Love, a visceral and poetic performance, explores the body as a physical site for social, cultural and political forces in relation to his Asian-Australian identity.

Employing the use of meditative visuals, Go Watanabe’s One places / on “the room” presents a technically challenging and deeply absorbing piece that changes the way we look at time and space; Ranbir Kaleka’s House of Opaque Water uses a narrative structure to present the idea of displacement and society’s response to these situations.

Works shortlisted from Singapore include Ho Tzu Nyen’s PYTHAGORAS, a creation that serves as an immersive experience for audiences to explore the concept of the unseen and the concealment of power, sound or the voice; while Zhao Renhui’s seemingly minimalist installation titled Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons, draws on his experience of traveling through the Arctic and being overwhelmed by its starkness.

From mainland China the works shortlisted include Liu Jianhua’s Trace, a striking piece inspired by the traditional art forms of calligraphy and porcelain to comment on societal ills and Peng Wei’s Letters from a Distance, which is steeped in traditional practices and utilizes Chinese aesthetic objects like scrolls and leaves melded together with texts from Western philosophers.

Choe U-Ram’s Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) takes the form of a mesmerizing and highly imaginative sculpture that depicts a mythical creature that is at once from the past yet also from an apocalyptic future and Arin Rungjang’s Golden Teardrop, revisits pivotal moments in Thai history and looks at the human movement and the exchange of cultures.

Exemplifying how art has the power to highlight a social issue for scrutiny and exact real change, Yao Jui-Chung & Lost Society Document (LSD)’s Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan is an investigative political work on Taiwan’s ‘mosquito halls’ while Nguyen Trinh Thi‘s Unsubtitled looks at freedom of expression through an installation about Nhan Van-Giai Pham — a suppressed literary movement of the 1950s.

Finally, exploring spaces and places, Pakistan’s Farida Batool’s Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) brings viewers on a walk down a busy city street in Lahore, capturing the side of a city that people may not know of via 21 long lenticular prints while Naeem Mohaiemen of Bangladesh presents Rankin Street, 1953, an intimate work that reveals the artist’s memories of his family using his family home as the subject and uncovering the past through vintage photograph negatives.

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is worth $100,000 with $60,000 awarded to the Grand Prize winner and $15,000 each for two Jurors’ Choice Award winners. A People’s Choice Award of $10,000 will also be offered to the artwork that receives the highest number of public votes via on-site and online submissions (voting opens from 14 November 2014).

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize Exhibition will take place at SAM from 14 November 2014 to 15 March 2015 with the winners announced at an awards ceremony on 22 January 2015. For more information, please visit the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize webpage at http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html.

About the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation

Instituted in June 1994, the APB Foundation seeks to ignite compassion and inspire through our philanthropic efforts. We set resources in motion to help people and organisations improve talents, enhanced educational and research endeavours as well as better living conditions. In turn, we fuel society and enable the communities, where we live and work, to flourish.

Committed to supporting Human Excellence, Creativity Development and Humanitarian Causes, the APB Foundation is involved in a variety of initiatives that range from arts funding and backing talent-building projects for human capital development, to engaging in meaningful partnerships with organisations or individuals who share our common goal to serve the society.

The APB Foundation is a registered charity managed and funded by Heineken Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (HEINEKEN Asia Pacific).

About the Singapore Art Museum

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) focuses on contemporary art practice in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia within the global context. It advocates and makes accessible interdisciplinary contemporary art through research-led and evolving curatorial practice. Opened in January 1996, SAM has built up one of the most important collections of contemporary art from the region. It seeks to seed and nourish a stimulating and creative space in Singapore through exhibitions and public programmes. These encompass cross-disciplinary residencies and exchanges, research and publications, as well as outreach and education. SAM was the organiser of the Singapore Biennale in 2011 and 2013.

SAM was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 13 November 2013 and has moved from the National Heritage Board to the Visual Arts Cluster (VAC) under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). The other institutions under the VAC are the National Art Gallery, Singapore (NAGS), and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).

For more information and images of the artists and judges, please contact:

Kimberly Mah

Lynn Sim

Ogilvy Public Relations

Singapore Art Museum

DID: +65-6213–9940

DID: +65-6697–9762

Email: kimberly.mah@ogilvy.com

Email: lynn.sim@singaporeartmuseum.sg

Janet Neo

Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation

DID: +65-6276–3488

Email: janet.neo@heineken.com

Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-a
Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-b

 

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Infinite Love by Owen Leong from Australia Shortlisted as Finalist in Third Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize

ART, ENT, Fashion, General

15 finalists vying for SGD 60,000 Grand Prize revealed today

SYDNEY, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation today announced the 15 finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Now in its third installment, the prize spotlights the most compelling contemporary artworks created by artists in the Asia Pacific region over the last three years.

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) Logo

Selected by a panel of five eminent judges from around the region, the finalists’ works were chosen from 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and territories. Innovative and exciting creations from recent years, the contemporary artworks represent the very best of the region and are intentionally not limited by genre. Spanning various mediums from painting to sculpture, photography, video works and performance art, they each address topical issues and collectively shed light not just on our region’s contemporary art landscape but also on the topics and conversations relevant in our society today.

The 15 finalists represent 13 countries and territories including Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, mainland China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, India, Bangladesh and Taiwan. They include:

  • Golden Teardrop (2013) by Arin Rungjang from Thailand
  • Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) (2011) by Choe U-Ram from South Korea
  • Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) (2012) by Farida Batool from Pakistan
  • One places / on “the room” (2013) by Go Watanabe from Japan
  • PYTHAGORAS (2013) by Ho Tzu Nyen from Singapore
  • In Pursuit of Venus (2012) by Lisa Reihana from New Zealand
  • Trace (2011) by Liu Jianhua from mainland China
  • I’m a Ghost in My Own House (2012) by Melati Suryodarmo from Indonesia
  • Rankin Street, 1953 (2013) by Naeem Mohaiemen from Bangladesh
  • Unsubtitled (2013) by Nguyen Trinh Thi from Vietnam
  • Infinite Love (2011) by Owen Leong from Australia
  • Letters From A Distance (2012–2014) by Peng Wei from mainland China
  • House of Opaque Water (2013) by Ranbir Kaleka from India
  • Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan (2010–2013) by Yao Jui-Chung + Lost Society Document (LSD) from Taiwan
  • Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons (2013) by Zhao Renhui from Singapore

(For detailed artist’ statements and biographies, please visit http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html)

Selecting this year’s Finalists is a judging panel comprising Mr. Chris Saines, Director of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Mr. Feng Boyi, eminent independent art curator and critic of Chinese contemporary art; Ms. Luckana Kunavichayanont, Director of Bangkok Art and Culture Center; Ms. Pooja Sood, Director of KHOJ International Artists’ Association; and Dr. Susie Lingham, Director of Singapore Art Museum.

A statement from the jury panel stated, “We’re excited to be presenting the finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Narrowing the choice from over 100 works to the final 15 involved a rigorous selection process and intensive discussions — testament to the high caliber of entries that were refined, rich and diverse. Overall, the 15 works selected offer a glimpse of the future of our region’s rich and constantly evolving contemporary art scene. The finalist works stood out for their strength of concept and execution and despite stemming from such diverse contexts, histories and cultural backgrounds, cleverly explored similar issues of identity, immigration, urban expansion, depletion of natural resources, fading of old values, cultural diversity and more.”

Owen Leong’s Infinite Love, a subtle video that is cleanly positioned yet extremely violent, is the only Australian artist shortlisted for the prestigious title. Infinite Love is a visceral and poetic performance that explores the body as a physical site for social, cultural and political forces in relation to his Asian-Australian identity.

Other finalists works include Melati Suryodarmo’s I’m a Ghost in My Own House, an intense and powerful 12-hour long performance that sees the artist grind and crush hundreds of kilograms of charcoal, a symbol of life’s energy. Choe U-Ram’s Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) takes the form of a mesmerizing and highly imaginative sculpture that depicts a mythical creature that is at once from the past yet also from an apocalyptic future and Arin Rungjang’s Golden Teardrop, revisits pivotal moments in Thai history and looks at the human movement and the exchange of cultures.

Employing the use of meditative visuals, Go Watanabe’s One places / on “the room” presents a technically challenging and deeply absorbing piece that changes the way we look at time and space; Ranbir Kaleka’s House of Opaque Water uses a narrative structure to present the idea of displacement and society’s response to these situations; and New Zealander Lisa Reihana’s work In Pursuit of Venus reflects the beauty of the Pacific Islands while offering a nuanced critique of its colonial legacies.

Works shortlisted from Singapore include Ho Tzu Nyen’s PYTHAGORAS, a creation that serves as an immersive experience for audiences to explore the concept of the unseen and the concealment of power, sound or the voice; while Zhao Renhui’s seemingly minimalist installation titled Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons, draws on his experience of traveling through the Arctic and being overwhelmed by its starkness.

From mainland China the works shortlisted include Liu Jianhua’s Trace, a striking piece inspired by the traditional art forms of calligraphy and porcelain to comment on societal ills and Peng Wei’s Letters from a Distance, which is steeped in traditional practices and utilizes Chinese aesthetic objects like scrolls and leaves melded together with texts from Western philosophers.

Exemplifying how art has the power to highlight a social issue for scrutiny and exact real change, Yao Jui-Chung & Lost Society Document (LSD)’s Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan is an investigative political work on Taiwan’s “mosquito halls“ while Nguyen Trinh Thi‘s Unsubtitled looks at freedom of expression through an installation about Nhan Van-Giai Pham — a suppressed literary movement of the 1950s.

Finally, exploring spaces and places, Pakistan’s Farida Batool’s Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) brings viewers on a walk down a busy city street in Lahore, capturing the side of a city that people may not know of via 21 long lenticular prints while Naeem Mohaiemen of Bangladesh presents Rankin Street, 1953, an intimate work that reveals the artist’s memories of his family using his family home as the subject and uncovering the past through vintage photograph negatives.

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is worth $100,000 with $60,000 awarded to the Grand Prize winner and $15,000 each for two Jurors’ Choice Award winners. A People’s Choice Award of $10,000 will also be offered to the artwork that receives the highest number of public votes via on-site and online submissions (voting opens from 14 November 2014).

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize Exhibition will take place at SAM from 14 November 2014 to 15 March 2015 with the winners announced at an awards ceremony on 22 January 2015. For more information, please visit the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize webpage at http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html.

About the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation

Instituted in June 1994, the APB Foundation seeks to ignite compassion and inspire through our philanthropic efforts. We set resources in motion to help people and organisations improve talents, enhanced educational and research endeavours as well as better living conditions. In turn, we fuel society and enable the communities, where we live and work, to flourish.

Committed to supporting Human Excellence, Creativity Development and Humanitarian Causes, the APB Foundation is involved in a variety of initiatives that range from arts funding and backing talent-building projects for human capital development, to engaging in meaningful partnerships with organisations or individuals who share our common goal to serve the society.

The APB Foundation is a registered charity managed and funded by Heineken Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (HEINEKEN Asia Pacific).

About the Singapore Art Museum

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) focuses on contemporary art practice in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia within the global context. It advocates and makes accessible interdisciplinary contemporary art through research-led and evolving curatorial practice. Opened in January 1996, SAM has built up one of the most important collections of contemporary art from the region. It seeks to seed and nourish a stimulating and creative space in Singapore through exhibitions and public programmes. These encompass cross-disciplinary residencies and exchanges, research and publications, as well as outreach and education. SAM was the organiser of the Singapore Biennale in 2011 and 2013.

SAM was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 13 November 2013 and has moved from the National Heritage Board to the Visual Arts Cluster (VAC) under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). The other institutions under the VAC are the National Art Gallery, Singapore (NAGS), and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).

For more information and images of the artists and judges, please contact:

Kimberly Mah

Lynn Sim

Ogilvy Public Relations

Singapore Art Museum

DID: +65-6213–9940

DID: +65-6697–9762

Email: kimberly.mah@ogilvy.com

Email: lynn.sim@singaporeartmuseum.sg

Janet Neo

Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation

DID: +65-6276–3488

Email: janet.neo@heineken.com

Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-a
Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-b

Read More

I’m a Ghost in My Own House by Melati Suryodarmo from Indonesia Shortlisted as Finalist in Third Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize

ART, ENT, Fashion, General

15 finalists vying for SGD 60,000 Grand Prize revealed today

SURAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation today announced the 15 finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Now in its third installment, the prize spotlights the most compelling contemporary artworks created by artists in the Asia Pacific region over the last three years.

 

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) Logo

Selected by a panel of five eminent judges from around the region, the finalists’ works were chosen from 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and territories. Innovative and exciting creations from recent years, the contemporary artworks represent the very best of the region and are intentionally not limited by genre. Spanning various mediums from painting to sculpture, photography, video works and performance art, they each address topical issues and collectively shed light not just on our region’s contemporary art landscape but also on the topics and conversations relevant in our society today.

The 15 finalists represent 13 countries and territories including Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, mainland China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, India, Bangladesh and Taiwan. They include:

  • Golden Teardrop (2013) by Arin Rungjang from Thailand
  • Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) (2011) by Choe U-Ram from South Korea
  • Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) (2012) by Farida Batool from Pakistan
  • One places / on “the room” (2013) by Go Watanabe from Japan
  • PYTHAGORAS (2013) by Ho Tzu Nyen from Singapore
  • In Pursuit of Venus (2012) by Lisa Reihana from New Zealand
  • Trace (2011) by Liu Jianhua from mainland China
  • I’m a Ghost in My Own House (2012) by Melati Suryodarmo from Indonesia
  • Rankin Street, 1953 (2013) by Naeem Mohaiemen from Bangladesh
  • Unsubtitled (2013) by Nguyen Trinh Thi from Vietnam
  • Infinite Love (2011) by Owen Leong from Australia
  • Letters From A Distance (2012-2014) by Peng Wei from mainland China
  • House of Opaque Water (2013) by Ranbir Kaleka from India
  • Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan (2010-2013) by Yao Jui-Chung + Lost Society Document (LSD) from Taiwan
  • Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons (2013) by Zhao Renhui from Singapore

(For detailed artist’ statements and biographies, please visit http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html)

Selecting this year’s Finalists is a judging panel comprising Mr. Chris Saines, Director of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Mr. Feng Boyi, eminent independent art curator and critic of Chinese contemporary art; Ms. Luckana Kunavichayanont, Director of Bangkok Art and Culture Center; Ms. Pooja Sood, Director of KHOJ International Artists’ Association; and Dr. Susie Lingham, Director of Singapore Art Museum.

A statement from the jury panel stated, “We’re excited to be presenting the finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Narrowing the choice from over 100 works to the final 15 involved a rigorous selection process and intensive discussions — testament to the high caliber of entries that were refined, rich and diverse. Overall, the 15 works selected offer a glimpse of the future of our region’s rich and constantly evolving contemporary art scene. The finalist works stood out for their strength of concept and execution and despite stemming from such diverse contexts, histories and cultural backgrounds, cleverly explored similar issues of identity, immigration, urban expansion, depletion of natural resources, fading of old values, cultural diversity and more.”

I’m a Ghost in My Own House by Melati Suryodarmo, the only Indonesian finalist shortlisted for the prestigious title, is an intense and powerful 12-hour long performance that sees the artist grind and crush hundreds of kilograms of charcoal, a symbol of life’s energy.

Other finalists works include Australian Owen Leong’s Infinite Love, a visceral and poetic performance, explores the body as a physical site for social, cultural and political forces in relation to his Asian-Australian identity.

Employing the use of meditative visuals, Go Watanabe’s One places / on “the room” presents a technically challenging and deeply absorbing piece that changes the way we look at time and space; Ranbir Kaleka’s House of Opaque Water uses a narrative structure to present the idea of displacement and society’s response to these situations; and New Zealander Lisa Reihana’s work In Pursuit of Venus reflects the beauty of the Pacific Islands while offering a nuanced critique of its colonial legacies.

From mainland China the works shortlisted include Liu Jianhua’s Trace, a striking piece inspired by the traditional art forms of calligraphy and porcelain to comment on societal ills and Peng Wei’s Letters from a Distance, which is steeped in traditional practices and utilizes Chinese aesthetic objects like scrolls and leaves melded together with texts from Western philosophers.

Choe U-Ram’s Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) takes the form of a mesmerizing and highly imaginative sculpture that depicts a mythical creature that is at once from the past yet also from an apocalyptic future and Arin Rungjang’s Golden Teardrop, revisits pivotal moments in Thai history and looks at the human movement and the exchange of cultures.

Works shortlisted from Singapore include Ho Tzu Nyen’s PYTHAGORAS, a creation that serves as an immersive experience for audiences to explore the concept of the unseen and the concealment of power, sound or the voice; while Zhao Renhui’s seemingly minimalist installation titled Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons, draws on his experience of traveling through the Arctic and being overwhelmed by its starkness.

Exemplifying how art has the power to highlight a social issue for scrutiny and exact real change, Yao Jui-Chung & Lost Society Document (LSD)’s Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan is an investigative political work on Taiwan’s ‘mosquito halls’ while Nguyen Trinh Thi Unsubtitled looks at freedom of expression through an installation about Nhan Van-Giai Pham — a suppressed literary movement of the 1950s.

Finally, exploring spaces and places, Pakistan’s Farida Batool’s Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) brings viewers on a walk down a busy city street in Lahore, capturing the side of a city that people may not know of via 21 long lenticular prints while Naeem Mohaiemen of Bangladesh presents Rankin Street, 1953, an intimate work that reveals the artist’s memories of his family using his family home as the subject and uncovering the past through vintage photograph negatives.

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is worth $100,000 with $60,000 awarded to the Grand Prize winner and $15,000 each for two Jurors’ Choice Award winners. A People’s Choice Award of $10,000 will also be offered to the artwork that receives the highest number of public votes via on-site and online submissions (voting opens from 14 November 2014).

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize Exhibition will take place at SAM from 14 November 2014 to 15 March 2015 with the winners announced at an awards ceremony on 22 January 2015. For more information, please visit the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize webpage at http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html.

About the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation

Instituted in June 1994, the APB Foundation seeks to ignite compassion and inspire through our philanthropic efforts. We set resources in motion to help people and organisations improve talents, enhanced educational and research endeavours as well as better living conditions. In turn, we fuel society and enable the communities, where we live and work, to flourish.

Committed to supporting Human Excellence, Creativity Development and Humanitarian Causes, the APB Foundation is involved in a variety of initiatives that range from arts funding and backing talent-building projects for human capital development, to engaging in meaningful partnerships with organisations or individuals who share our common goal to serve the society.

The APB Foundation is a registered charity managed and funded by Heineken Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (HEINEKEN Asia Pacific).

About the Singapore Art Museum

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) focuses on contemporary art practice in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia within the global context. It advocates and makes accessible interdisciplinary contemporary art through research-led and evolving curatorial practice. Opened in January 1996, SAM has built up one of the most important collections of contemporary art from the region. It seeks to seed and nourish a stimulating and creative space in Singapore through exhibitions and public programmes. These encompass cross-disciplinary residencies and exchanges, research and publications, as well as outreach and education. SAM was the organiser of the Singapore Biennale in 2011 and 2013.

SAM was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 13 November 2013 and has moved from the National Heritage Board to the Visual Arts Cluster (VAC) under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). The other institutions under the VAC are the National Art Gallery, Singapore (NAGS), and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).

For more information and images of the artists and judges, please contact:

Kimberly Mah

Lynn Sim

Ogilvy Public Relations

Singapore Art Museum

DID: +65-6213-9940

DID: +65-6697-9762

Email: kimberly.mah@ogilvy.com

Email: lynn.sim@singaporeartmuseum.sg

Janet Neo

Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation

DID: +65-6276-3488

Email: janet.neo@heineken.com

Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-a
Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-b

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Unsubtitled by Nguyen Trinh Thi from Vietnam Shortlisted as Finalist in Third Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize

ART, ENT, Fashion, General

15 finalists vying for SGD 60,000 Grand Prize revealed today

HANOI, Vietnam, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation today announced the 15 finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Now in its third installment, the prize spotlights the most compelling contemporary artworks created by artists in the Asia Pacific region over the last three years.

Selected by a panel of five eminent judges from around the region, the finalists’ works were chosen from 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and territories. Innovative and exciting creations from recent years, the contemporary artworks represent the very best of the region and are intentionally not limited by genre. Spanning various mediums from painting to sculpture, photography, video works and performance art, they each address topical issues and collectively shed light not just on our region’s contemporary art landscape but also on the topics and conversations relevant in our society today.

The 15 finalists represent 13 countries and territories including Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, mainland China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, India, Bangladesh and Taiwan. They include:

  • Golden Teardrop (2013) by Arin Rungjang from Thailand
  • Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) (2011) by Choe U-Ram from South Korea
  • Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) (2012) by Farida Batool from Pakistan
  • One places / on “the room” (2013) by Go Watanabe from Japan
  • PYTHAGORAS (2013) by Ho Tzu Nyen from Singapore
  • In Pursuit of Venus (2012) by Lisa Reihana from New Zealand
  • Trace (2011) by Liu Jianhua from China
  • I’m a Ghost in My Own House (2012) by Melati Suryodarmo from Indonesia
  • Rankin Street, 1953 (2013) by Naeem Mohaiemen from Bangladesh
  • Unsubtitled (2013) by Nguyen Trinh Thi from Vietnam
  • Infinite Love (2011) by Owen Leong from Australia
  • Letters From A Distance (2012–2014) by Peng Wei from mainland China
  • House of Opaque Water (2013) by Ranbir Kaleka from India
  • Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan (2010–2013) by Yao Jui-Chung + Lost Society Document (LSD) from Taiwan
  • Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons (2013) by Zhao Renhui from Singapore

(For detailed artist’ statements and biographies, please visit http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html)

Selecting this year’s Finalists is a judging panel comprising Mr. Chris Saines, Director of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Mr. Feng Boyi, eminent independent art curator and critic of Chinese contemporary art; Ms. Luckana Kunavichayanont, Director of Bangkok Art and Culture Center; Ms. Pooja Sood, Director of KHOJ International Artists’ Association; and Dr. Susie Lingham, Director of Singapore Art Museum.

A statement from the jury panel stated, “We’re excited to be presenting the finalists of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014. Narrowing the choice from over 100 works to the final 15 involved a rigorous selection process and intensive discussions — testament to the high caliber of entries that were refined, rich and diverse. Overall, the 15 works selected offer a glimpse of the future of our region’s rich and constantly evolving contemporary art scene. The finalist works stood out for their strength of concept and execution and despite stemming from such diverse contexts, histories and cultural backgrounds, cleverly explored similar issues of identity, immigration, urban expansion, depletion of natural resources, fading of old values, cultural diversity and more.”

Unsubtitled by Nguyen Trihn Thi is the only Vietnamese work shortlisted for the prestigious title. Her work is a hauntingly thought-provoking video installation that looks at freedom of expression through an installation about Nhan Van-Giai Pham — a suppressed literary movement of the 1950s.

Other finalists works include Melati Suryodarmo’s I’m a Ghost in My Own House, an intense and powerful 12-hour long performance that sees the artist grind and crush hundreds of kilograms of charcoal, a symbol of life’s energy while Australian Owen Leong’s Infinite Love, a visceral and poetic performance, explores the body as a physical site for social, cultural and political forces in relation to his Asian-Australian identity.

Employing the use of meditative visuals, Go Watanabe’s One places / on “the room” presents a technically challenging and deeply absorbing piece that changes the way we look at time and space; Ranbir Kaleka’s House of Opaque Water uses a narrative structure to present the idea of displacement and society’s response to these situations; and New Zealander Lisa Reihana’s work In Pursuit of Venus reflects the beauty of the Pacific Islands while offering a nuanced critique of its colonial legacies.

From mainland China the works shortlisted include Liu Jianhua’s Trace, a striking piece inspired by the traditional art forms of calligraphy and porcelain to comment on societal ills and Peng Wei’s Letters from a Distance, which is steeped in traditional practices and utilizes Chinese aesthetic objects like scrolls and leaves melded together with texts from Western philosophers.

Works shortlisted from Singapore include Ho Tzu Nyen’s PYTHAGORAS, a creation that serves as an immersive experience for audiences to explore the concept of the unseen and the concealment of power, sound or the voice; while Zhao Renhui’s seemingly minimalist installation titled Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons, draws on his experience of traveling through the Arctic and being overwhelmed by its starkness. Choe U-Ram’s Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole) takes the form of a mesmerizing and highly imaginative sculpture that depicts a mythical creature that is at once from the past yet also from an apocalyptic future and Arin Rungjang’s Golden Teardrop, revisits pivotal moments in Thai history and looks at the human movement and the exchange of cultures.

Exemplifying how art has the power to highlight a social issue for scrutiny and exact real change, Yao Jui-Chung & Lost Society Document (LSD)’s Mirage — Disused Public Property in Taiwan is an investigative political work on Taiwan’s “mosquito halls“.

Finally, exploring spaces and places, Pakistan’s Farida Batool’s Kahani Eik Shehr Ki (story of a city) brings viewers on a walk down a busy city street in Lahore, capturing the side of a city that people may not know of via 21 long lenticular prints while Naeem Mohaiemen of Bangladesh presents Rankin Street, 1953, an intimate work that reveals the artist’s memories of his family using his family home as the subject and uncovering the past through vintage photograph negatives.

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is worth $100,000 with $60,000 awarded to the Grand Prize winner and $15,000 each for two Jurors’ Choice Award winners. A People’s Choice Award of $10,000 will also be offered to the artwork that receives the highest number of public votes via on-site and online submissions (voting opens from 14 November 2014).

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize Exhibition will take place at SAM from 14 November 2014 to 15 March 2015 with the winners announced at an awards ceremony on 22 January 2015. For more information, please visit the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize webpage at http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html.

About the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation

Instituted in June 1994, the APB Foundation seeks to ignite compassion and inspire through our philanthropic efforts. We set resources in motion to help people and organisations improve talents, enhanced educational and research endeavours as well as better living conditions. In turn, we fuel society and enable the communities, where we live and work, to flourish.

Committed to supporting Human Excellence, Creativity Development and Humanitarian Causes, the APB Foundation is involved in a variety of initiatives that range from arts funding and backing talent-building projects for human capital development, to engaging in meaningful partnerships with organisations or individuals who share our common goal to serve the society.

The APB Foundation is a registered charity managed and funded by Heineken Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (HEINEKEN Asia Pacific).

About the Singapore Art Museum

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) focuses on contemporary art practice in Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia within the global context. It advocates and makes accessible interdisciplinary contemporary art through research-led and evolving curatorial practice. Opened in January 1996, SAM has built up one of the most important collections of contemporary art from the region. It seeks to seed and nourish a stimulating and creative space in Singapore through exhibitions and public programmes. These encompass cross-disciplinary residencies and exchanges, research and publications, as well as outreach and education. SAM was the organiser of the Singapore Biennale in 2011 and 2013.

SAM was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 13 November 2013 and has moved from the National Heritage Board to the Visual Arts Cluster (VAC) under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). The other institutions under the VAC are the National Art Gallery, Singapore (NAGS), and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI).

For more information and images of artists and judges, please contact:

Kimberly Mah

Lynn Sim

Ogilvy Public Relations

Singapore Art Museum

DID: +65-6213–9940

DID: +65-6697–9762

Email: kimberly.mah@ogilvy.com

Email: lynn.sim@singaporeartmuseum.sg

Janet Neo

Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation

DID: +65-6276–3488

Email: janet.neo@heineken.com

Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-a
Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/8521404797LOGO-b

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Toyota Holds Eighth Dream Car Art Contest Awards Ceremony

ART, AUT, Fashion, General, TRN

TOKYO, Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Toyota Motor Corporation held an awards ceremony for the eighth Toyota Dream Car Art Contest at Mega Web, Toyota’s vehicle experience facility in Tokyo’s Koto Ward on August 27.

A total of 662,898 art works from 75 countries and regions were submitted to the contest. In each of three age categories (seven and under, eight to 11, and 12 to 15), one Gold, two Silver, three Bronze, and four Best Finalist awards were presented. In addition, one entry was selected for the special President Toyoda Award. The award ceremony was attended by the 31 award winners and their parents and guardians, representing 22 countries and regions.

The Gold award winners were Thanh Mai Bui (age 6) of Vietnam for “Super Crab Car”, Jirawat Yodsing (age 10) of Thailand for “Wat Pho Massage Car”, and Iasmina-Maria Raceanu (age 16; 15 at the time of submission) of Romania for “STORYOTA”. Mealaksey Pha (age 5) of Cambodia won the President Toyoda award for “Smart Fish Car”.

The award-winning entries and photo of ceremony of August 27 can be viewed and downloaded from the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest press site at http://www.image.net/dream_car_art_contest_2014.

Please note that images from the event will be posted at around 2:00 p.m. on August 27 (Tokyo time).

About the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest

Conducted as part of Toyota’s social contribution activities, the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest is open to children 15 years of age and below worldwide. The contest, first conducted in 2004, gives children throughout the world the opportunity to develop an interest in cars and helps them feel the joy and importance of having a dream.

Local contests were held from October 2013 through March 2014, with 670 outstanding entries selected to progress to the world contest held in Japan. TMC President Akio Toyoda led a jury consisting of outside experts in art and automotive science in selecting the winners.

Contact:

Midori Kobayashi, Masako Kitamura
Toyota Motor Sales & Marketing Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9460
e-mail: toyotadreamcar@tmsm.co.jp

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The Forefront of Japan’s Subculture — the Ever Evolving “Akihabara”

ART, ENT, Fashion, General, LEI, TRA, TRN

TOKYO, Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — “Akihabara“is well known to those not only in Japan but also overseas as “the City/Mecca of Electronics & Home Appliances”. You will still see a lot of major home electronics retailers lined up side by side, and many people from the country and all over the world have made visits to the city looking for Japan’s electronic appliances for decades. However, the city has now evolved brilliantly throughout the changes of a new era. Nowadays, “Akihabara” not only represents a name of a city, but also became an iconic figure that embodies Japan’s own subculture. Japan’s unique subculture scene largely represented by this city attracts travelers from all over the world. Akihabara, which is continuously evolving its appearance every minute, also owns its very unique in-station facility that fittingly serves as an entrance to the city. Here we will introduce you to some of the newest faces in Akihabara you will likely encounter in the station or somewhere under an elevated structure:

Why don't you get Japanese souvenirs and the hot items in Akihabara?

Why don’t you get Japanese souvenirs and the hot items in Akihabara?

An art-turned train! Even a non-hardcore fan should stop by — “TRAINIART“

“Atre Akihabara 1” is connected directly to JR East Railway Akihabara station’s Electric Town exit (or “Denki-gai” exit). On the 2nd floor you will find “TRAINIART“, a  boutique shop selling railroad/train merchandises. Here you will find a vast variety of railroad/train designed goods, from stationaries to accessories, all focused on both [design] and [functionality]. You will notice most of these goods are well-suited for its own brand name “-ART”, all richly designed, stylishly finished that one would definitely be tempted to pick them up in their hands, and are very popular among the females. You can also find a pair of train-designed T-shirts tailored for parent-child； you would definitely find a train-designed merchandise of your own that you would probably want to bring home.

“CHABARA”“NOMONO” – For those looking for tasting/bringing home Japan’s regional local gourmet foods

In Japan, you will encounter distinctive local gourmet foods in each region throughout the country. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could enjoy all sorts of gourmet foods from all regions in Japan even if you could only stay in Tokyo?

That’s when we highly recommend“CHABARA“, located under an elevated bridge connecting JR Akihabara Station and Okachimachi Station. You will find a rich variety of specialty goods, seafoods, and soil foods delivered directly from local producers throughout the country. Perhaps, it’s a good idea to make gifts to your friends with soy-sauce, miso, tonkotsu (or pork bone soup) or other unique ramen noodles delivered from local producers, or for anybody, whose dad loves Japanese Sake, why not make a gift for him with a Japanese Sake processed with pure water and high quality grain of rice!

On the other hand, “NOMONO“, located inside Akihabara Station, is “A shop introducing the allure of Japanese food” that is always crowded with visitors as, albeit its somewhat limited space, it is conveniently located inside the station. At “NOMONO Kitchen” located on 2nd floor, you will enjoy the aspects of traditional local culture and all sorts of menu filled with highly selective and seasonal ingredients from the east regional Japan.   

In Akihabara, the city that constantly provides us with the latest cultural ingredients, its nearest station is equally unique as well. As the forefront of Japan’s cultural movement, we highly encourage you to visit there.

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Sydney Festival 2015 Headline Act Announced in Southern Hemisphere Exclusive

ART, ENT, Fashion, General, LEI, MUS, PDT, TRA

James Thierree brings Tabac Rouge to Sydney

Travel packages announced

SYDNEY, Aug. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Destination New South Wales (DNSW), the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, and Sydney Festival have announced the headline act for 2015 — the renowned James Thierree will return to Sydney Festival with Tabac Rouge, his largest and most extravagant work to date, in a Sydney and Southern Hemisphere exclusive.

James Thierree's spectacular theatrics are coming to Sydney Festival 2015 with Tabac Rouge

James Thierree’s spectacular theatrics are coming to Sydney Festival 2015 with Tabac Rouge

Acrobat, musician, dancer, actor, mime, choreographer — Thierree is returning to Sydney Festival for the fourth time after sell-out seasons of Junebug Symphony (2003), Bright Abyss (2006) and Au Revoir Parapluie (2008). In Tabac Rouge, Thierree pushes the boundaries of dance, circus and theatre in the roles of director, choreographer and set designer to deliver a performance that Thierree describes as being about “desire, power, systems and mechanisms of society, and of how people organise themselves”.

Tabac Rouge, which will run from 7-23 January at Sydney Theatre, features a highly skilled cast of acrobats and dancers who weave a physically daring production filled with spectacular theatrics under Thierree’s unique direction. The choreography is complemented by Victoria Thierree’s costume design and a dynamic score that ranges from Matthieu Chedid to Vivaldi.  Tabac Rouge contains no spoken word, making the performance ideal for international visitors to enjoy without language barriers.

Sydney Festival 2015 will feature hundreds of world class events and attract visitors from all over the globe. The full 2015 program will be announced on 23 October 2014, however visitors are encouraged to book now to take advantage of great value travel packages and avoid disappointment.

Three packages are on offer:  

The Star*

  • One night’s accommodation at luxury hotel, The Darling
  • $50 Food and Beverage credit to enjoy at The Star’s bars, signature restaurants (Balla, Black by Ezard & Sokyo) and Fat Noodle
  • Premium or A Reserve ticket to Tabac Rouge 
  • Quote promo code SYDFEST15 (case sensitive) when booking online only. Or call Guest Services 1800 800 830

Visit star.com.au/sydneyfestival.

Accor Packages

Harbour Rocks Hotel –– from $224 per person*

  • Overnight accommodation in a Heritage Queen room in Sydney’s historic Rocks area
  • Full Breakfast for served in Scarlett Restaurant  
  • A Reserve ticket to Tabac Rouge

Visit www.accorhotels.com/sydneyfestival.

Quay West Suites Sydney — from $270 per person*

  • Overnight accommodation in a 1 bedroom city view suite overlooking beautiful Sydney harbour
  • Breakfast for 2 in Harrington Restaurant
  • Premium ticket to Tabac Rouge

Visit www.accorhotels.com/sydneyfestival.

Tickets for Tabac Rouge are on sale now at www.sydneyfestival.org.au/tabac.

*Travel Package Conditions: Subject to availability. Credit Card details required to secure booking. Package prices are per person and are based on 2 guests per package, in queen bedding (Twin bedding available on request directly with the hotel). Packages are pre-paid and non-refundable.  Valid for bookings from 23 August – 12 October 2014 for stays between 09 – 22 January 2015, inclusive. Tabac Rouge tickets valid for performance on the day for which the accommodation is booked only.   

About Destination NSW:

Destination NSW is the lead Government agency for the New South Wales (NSW) tourism and major events sectors. Our role is to market Sydney and NSW as one of the world’s premier tourism and major events destinations; to secure major sporting and cultural events; to work in partnership with Business Events Sydney to win major international conventions and incentive travel reward programs; to develop and deliver initiatives that will drive visitor growth throughout the State; to achieve the NSW Government’s goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure within the State by the year 2020.

From food and wine festivals to surf competitions, world class sporting events to celebrations of arts and culture, New South Wales has an Annual Calendar of Events that celebrates the diverse facets of Australian contemporary life. Sydney is unrivalled in Australia in its capacity to stage exclusive events that have the whole world tuning in. Destination NSW has been at the forefront in creating and winning world-class events that put Sydney on the global front page.

Media contacts:

Corrine Cowlishaw, +61–2–9931–1462, corinne.cowlishaw@dnsw.com.au
Melissa Wilson, +61-2–9931–1156, melissa.wilson@dnsw.com.au  

Tabac Rouge is perfect for international visitors to Sydney to enjoy
Tabac Rouge is perfect for international visitors to Sydney to enjoy

 

Tabac Rouge will show at Sydney Festival in a Southern Hemisphere exclusive

Tabac Rouge will show at Sydney Festival in a Southern Hemisphere exclusive

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140821/8521404695-a
Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140821/8521404695-b
Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140821/8521404695-c

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