Matrade Holds Month-Long Maiden Art Showcase In Shanghai

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is organising a month-long maiden art showcase in Shanghai, China, beginning Nov 1. Chief Executive Officer Dzulkifli Mahmud said the exhibition, in collaboration with The Gallery, a Malaysia-owned art gallery in Shanghai, aims to provide a platform for local artists, established and new, to present their Malaysian artworks to the Chinese art community. "This will ultimately help them make inroads into one of the fastest growing contemporary art markets in the world," he said in a statement on Thursday. Dzulkifli said the initiative also embodies the government's hope of boosting exports for the Malaysian creative industry. He said there is still huge room for Malaysian arts to grow globally, adding this could be done through continuous exposure and promotion in the international art scene. The 'Discovering Malaysia Contemporary Art Exhibition' is mainly targeted at local people and foreigners who live and work in Shanghai, which has a population of over 24 million, Dzulkifli added. The exhibition showcases 35 pieces of artwork from 13 local artists including Tajuddin Ismail and Prof. Awang Damit. In 2015, the fine art auction market in China was valued at US$4.92 billion (RM20.58 billion), representing 30.2 per cent of the global fine art auction market of US$16.17 billion (RM67.62 billion), with the Shanghai art market alone valued at US$442.61 million (RM1.85 billion). Malaysia registered US$3.08 million (RM12.9 million) in arts exports from 2012 to 2015. Dzulkifli said the exhibition is also one component of a country branding programme called 'Choose Malaysia' taking place in Shanghai on Nov 9-12. MATRADE is the national trade promotion agency. --BERNAMA