Over 30 countries to vie for Asian art prize

TWO years ago, when art lover Serenella Ciclitira was in Indonesia, she asked a group of Indonesian artists: "Do you have a museum of modern art that I could visit?"

They replied: "Yes, we do. It's in Singapore; it's called the Singapore Art Museum."

To her, their dry reply underlines the inadequate art infrastructure that hinders the development of many Asian art scenes, particularly in parts of South-east Asia and Central Asia. With a weak gallery system and few or no museums to showcase their country's art, many good Asian artists are not getting the recognition that they deserve.