Celebrating our artistic talents in Singapore and the region

Ms Jane Ittogi, Chair, Singapore Art Museum

Mr Roland Pirmez, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Advisory Committee and Board of Trustees, and President of Heineken Asia Pacific

Excellencies and Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

1. I am very happy to join you tonight at the Singapore Art Museum for APB Foundation Signature Art Prize award ceremony. Let me start by congratulating all the artists and award recipients. I think they all deserve a round of applause. Well done, everyone!

2. I was here about a year ago to launch your first exhibition after SAM's corporatisation, and it's good to be back here. SAM is our champion for contemporary art and emerging artists in Singapore in Southeast Asia. We have a whole week of art and I'm not sure if you all have been following the events, because this year's Art Week is the biggest ever we had in Singapore. We've more than a hundred events, which is easily more than 10 events a day. We're just midway through and there are many more events to come. But what's good is that we have certain key highlights in the week and I'm very glad that SAM plays a prominent role in shaping our Art Week and in hosting one of the key events here with this particular award ceremony.

3. I'm also grateful for the continued support of the APB Foundation for this Signature Art Prize. This is one of the largest art prizes in the Asia Pacific region. It has made contemporary art more accessible for all to enjoy. It has also been a stepping stone for our local and regional artists.

4. For example, Filippino artist Rodel Tapaya, who won the 2011 edition, went on to win a National Art Award in his home country of the Philippines. The inaugural winner from 2008, Singaporean artist Yeo Chee Kiong, has been selected to showcase his work at the Prudential Singapore Eye exhibition which opened last week at the ArtScience Museum. Many artists have benefited from the APB Signature Art Prize, and all this is possible because the APB Foundation has been very supportive of contemporary art.

5. In fact, the APB Foundation has more doubled the value of its support for the Prize since it started supporting this prize in 2008. So thank you very much APB Foundation for your strong support of contemporary art in Singapore and throughout the region.

6. The arts is important to all of us because it speaks to a fundamental need for self-expression. Through the arts, we express ourselves creatively and imaginatively. This is particularly so in contemporary art where there is a broad canvass for visual expression, cutting across traditional boundaries, and involving different mediums and techniques.

7. Contemporary art is especially important for us as a society, because it is a means through which we express our identity, values and beliefs. It allows to reflect on who are – to ask deeper questions and to engage in conversations on critical issues about what we want our society to be, and where we would like to go forward in the future.

8. So I'm glad that the contemporary art scene in Singapore is steadily developing and growing.

9. We have many talented Singaporean artists who are making a name for themselves both locally and abroad. Last Saturday, we launched a series of new artworks by Suzann Victor at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. It is a beautiful installation, one of the best I've seen in STPI. Earlier this week, we saw several Singaporean artists being recognised at the Prudential Eye Awards for Contemporary Asian Art. Donna Ong won in the installation category; June Yap curated the “No Country” exhibition which won the Best Exhibition award, and Sherman Ong won in the photography category (technically, he's Malaysian, but we claim him as one of our own, since he studied here and spends most of his time here! Maybe both sides can have credit.)

10. For this Signature Art Prize, I also want to congratulate our two Singapore artists: Ho Tzu Nyen and Zhao Renhui, who have made it this far in the competition. Well done!

11. So there is tremendous artistic talent in Singapore, and we're proud of all our artists and curators. Through them, we can continue to make great art that is relevant and appealing to Singaporeans. We can make quality arts more accessible to our people, and build up Singapore as a cultural city that embraces the arts.

12. This is particularly relevant to us as we celebrate our 50th anniversary of independence this year. For SG50, we already have a vibrant calendar of arts and culture lined up this year, including the revamp of our museums. By August, we will re-open our National Museum and the Asian Civilizations Museum with new permanent exhibitions. We are also gearing up for the opening of the National Gallery, which will be the largest historical and modern art venue for the whole of Southeast Asia.

13. I know the board and management of SAM are also looking at big plans for SG50. They are looking at a special exhibition this year, and beyond that, they are also looking at longer-term plans to refurbish and revamp the museum. These are discussions they are having with the Ministry, we are supportive of what they are doing, so stay tuned for more details to be announced in the coming months.

14. There's a lot going for contemporary visual art in Singapore. We have great artists, a first-class wonderful museum here in SAM, and many supporters and patrons, like the APB Foundation and many of you who are here today. So let's continue to work together to achieve even more for the future of the arts in Singapore. Thank you very much.