The first Art13 Festival took place this past week in London, showing a high number of Asian and Middle Eastern Galleries and Artists competing for the attention of interested buyers.  With about half of the showing artists of non-western origin, the show provided buyers with opportunities to purchase major works by Eastern Contemporary Art figureheads like the Indonesian painter Nyoman Masriadi, whose work Godlike has already commanded impressive attention and an equally impressive price tag of $350,000.  “Fairs like Frieze and Art Basel tend to be a bit Western- centric,” Jasdeep Sandhu, of Singapore’s Gajah Gallery, said. “This presentation has a more global focus. It’s what the future of the art market might be.” (more…)

The international art fair calendar will see a new addition to the lineup of Art Basel events this year, with the announcement today of Art Basel Hong Kong, running from May 23th-26th.  The festival mirrors the expanding prominence of the Asian art market, and will include a variety of exhibitions, public works, panel discussions and large-scale installations.  “There’s no question today’s serious international collector is looking at Asia,” Art Basel Director Marc Spiegler says. “The notion of collecting by continent is outmoded, and Asian collectors are looking beyond borders, too.” (more…)