Makeover for Art Stage

A RECENT PARTY thrown by Art Stage Singapore had tongues wagging when COO Marcus Teo stood on the staircase landing of the Warehouse Hotel to introduce the art fair's theme for 2019: "I am art." Lorenzo Rudolf, the controversial Swiss founder of the eight-year-old fair, was present but stood in the crowd, not once taking the microphone. Observers interpret this as a sign that Mr Rudolf was letting the young Singaporean COO front the fair, amid talk that the fair was facing dwindling sales and flagging support from galleries and collectors.

Mr Teo, who is all of 28, has been working in various capacities in Art Stage since 2012; first as a front-of-house manager, then later as its show manager. He was named COO in February 2017, a role that hitherto didn't exist in the organisation. Mr Rudolf is now said to be spending less time at the Art Stage's office in Singapore and more time in his home country of Switzerland.

Earlier this year at Art Stage Singapore 2018, Mr Rudolf told the press that the Singapore market was "stagnant" compared to that of its neighbours. He blamed local collectors for buying art outside of Singapore instead of at Art Stage, a statement that ruffled quite a few feathers. The fair this year was its smallest ever: 84 exhibitors compared to 131 in 2017 and 170 in 2016. Its sister fair Art Stage Jakarta also did not take place this year.