[artinfo] call for applications/ artistic director/ Biennale

[Andreas Broeckmann]

Appointment of Artistic Director, Singapore Biennale 2006

The National Arts Council and National Heritage Board of Singapore are
organising Singapore's first visual arts biennale in Sep - Nov 2006.  The
Singapore Biennale is envisaged to be a global, Asian and national forum on
contemporary culture and visual arts, whose scope and context are being
continually redefined. The Biennale will engage cultural discussions among
communities and audiences and address contemporary expressions in relation
to identity, history and regionality. The eventual thematic framework of
the Biennale will be jointly developed with the appointed Artistic Director.

We invite interested candidates in cultural fields to be considered for the
appointment of Artistic Director. He/She will have the support of a team of
curators.  The success of the Biennale will be measured by its capacity in
engaging artists to realise works of significance and quality, its
contribution to discussions on contemporary art and culture, and audience
participation through public programmes and forums.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a response to the biennale
concept in the form of a conceptual, curatorial and/or programming
framework. The response (not more than two pages), should be accompanied by
a resume detailing the candidate’Äôs experiences in cultural project planning
and management, as well as in research and publication.

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FACT SHEET FOR CALL FOR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR - SINGAPORE BIENNALE 2006

Organisation of the Singapore Biennale 2006
The Singapore Biennale 2006 is co-organised by the National Arts Council
(NAC) and the National Heritage Board (NHB).

National Arts Council (NAC)

NAC was set up as a Statutory Board in 1991 to spearhead the development of
the arts in Singapore. Its mission is to develop Singapore as a distinctive
global city for the arts and to nurture the arts and make it an integral
part of people’Äôs lives in Singapore. It adopts strategies to nurture
artistic talent and promote the practice and appreciation of the arts among
Singaporeans. As a key strategy in developing artistic talent, the Council
identifies, develops and provides total support for artists through
bursaries, scholarships, grants, arts housing subsidies, arts education
programmes, commissioning of works, and overseas touring and promotion. The
Council also organises national and international events including
Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore Writers Festival, etc.
For more information, visit: http://www.nac.gov.sg

National Heritage Board (NHB)

NHB spearheads the appreciation and development of Singapore's cultural,
artistic and national heritage. First formed as a Statutory Board in 1993,
NHB aims to make heritage enriching, relevant and exciting for all. It
operates 8 leading heritage institutions. They include the national
museums, namely Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Art Museum and
Singapore History Museum. The Heritage Conservation Centre and National
Archives of Singapore are also under NHB's charge. NHB also manages the
Singapore Philatelic Museum and Reflections at Bukit Chandu, a World War
Two Interpretative Centre.  The Singapore Art Museum is Singapore's
national modern and contemporary art museum and has spearheaded Singapore's
participation in international biennales, including Singapore's first
participation in Johannesburg Biennale (1995), Sao Paulo Bienal (1996) and
Venice Biennale (2001).  The museum organises many contemporary art
programmes including the President's Young Talent series which is a leading
platform to showcase young contemporary art talents in Singapore.
For more information, visit: http://www.nhb.gov.sg


History of Singapore's Participation at Key International Visual Arts Events

Singapore visual artists have participated in key 
biennales in Venice, Sao Paulo, Gwangju, Havana, 
Sydney and Busan. Other important events also 
include Documenta, Fukuoka Triennale, Triennale 
’Äì India and Ars Electronica.

Arts and Culture

Singapore has a vibrant arts and cultural scene. 
The government, particularly the Ministry of 
Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) 
spearheads the development of the arts and 
culture in Singapore. The National Arts Council 
(NAC) and National Heritage Board (NHB) are key 
agencies under its purview. In October 2002, the 
Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore's 
largest Performing Arts Centre opened for the 
first time.  New arts venues in the pipeline 
include a new Drama Centre in 2005 and a new 
Singapore History Museum (to be renamed as the 
National Museum of Singapore) in 2006.

		Facts of Singapore at a Glance

Geography

Area: 697 sq km
Terrain: Lowland
Climate: Tropical
Capital City: Singapore (the country is a city state)

People

Singapore's population is 4.2 million including 
permanent residents and foreign workers. 
Singapore has a varied linguistic, cultural and 
religious heritage. Chinese comprise 76% of the 
population, Malays 14%, Indians 8%
and other ethnic groups 2% . The religious 
background in Singapore is diverse.  The main 
religions include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, 
Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism.

Language

There are four official languages in Singapore: 
English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. English is 
the official administration language, widely used 
for business and in schools, while the other 
three languages and other dialects
are also commonly spoken by the people of Singapore.

Government

Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary 
system of government based on the Westminster 
model. The organs of state comprise:

The Executive: Head of State and Cabinet

-     Head of State: President S R Nathan, 
elected on 1 Sep 1999 (The President is elected 
for a fixed term of 6 years.)
-     Cabinet: Led by the Prime Minister, Mr Lee 
Hsien Loong (since 12 Aug 2004)

Parliament

Parliament is elected by general election every 
five years. The current Parliament, elected on 3 
Nov 2001 has 82 People's Action Party (PAP) 
Members of Parliament (MPs), 2 Opposition MPs and 
1 Non-Constituency MP. In addition there are 7 
nominated MPs.

Judiciary

The Judiciary administers the law independently 
of the Executive and this independence is 
safeguarded by the Constitution.

Economy

In 2003, Singapore's GDP at current market prices 
was $159,135m. Per capita GDP was $38,023. Annual 
growth rate in 2003 was 1.1%.


Selection Process for Artistic Director of Singapore Biennale 2006

1)    Submission of conceptual framework for 
Singapore Biennale (SB) 2006 will be consolidated 
for the first stage of selection ’Äì a shortlist 
of up to 5 proposals.
2)    Shortlisted candidates will be invited to 
come to Singapore to discuss with the organisers 
and further develop their proposals. Presentation 
of the developed proposals may be requested. An 
honorarium will be provided for each shortlisted 
candidate.
3)    Selection and appointment of the successful 
candidate as Artistic Director of SB2006 will be 
made by end March 2005.