Art Stage Singapore Cancelled Days Before Launch, Citing Competition and Market Challenges

Art Stage Singapore, scheduled for January 24-27, 2019 at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, was abruptly cancelled by its organizers. Fair director Lorenzo Rudolf cited an unequal competitive landscape and difficult market conditions in Singapore as primary reasons. The cancellation occurred just one week before opening, leaving participating galleries with significant financial losses. Galleries like Marc Straus Gallery had invested five-figure sums for booths, shipping artwork from New York, and travel expenses for artists and curators. Rudolf specifically pointed to competition from SEA Focus, a new art fair running concurrently at Gillman Barracks, as creating unsustainable conditions. He noted that while Art Stage Singapore had brought over 500 galleries to Singapore since its 2011 founding, more than 450 never returned due to poor local sales. The fair had seen declining participation, dropping from 170 galleries in 2016 to just 84 in 2018. Despite backing from Singapore's Economic Development Board, Tourism Board, National Heritage Board, and National Arts Council, Rudolf described the situation as a 'Pyrrhic victory' for Singapore's art scene.