Arts' pandemic recovery picks up pace

THE signal cannot be clearer: auction house Christie's, sensing a near-full art market recovery from Covid-19, is putting up Andy Warhol's painting Shot Sage Blue Marilyn for auction at an astonishing estimate of US$200 million. Should this figure be met or surpassed, Warhol's painting would be the most expensive 20th-century artwork ever to sell at an auction.

Beyond the borders of auction houses, however, other signs also confirm that the global art industry is recovering strongly from its worst downturn in over a decade, as arts consumers return in droves to museums, theatres, opera houses, dance venues and concert halls.

In Singapore, Mar 29 marked the official end of the 2-year dearth of live arts performances. The latest set of Safe Management Measures dropped restrictions on the number of unmasked performers on stage, allowing producers to once again dream up big shows with casts and crews totalling hundreds.