PUTRAJAYA: Apart from food, local art is slowly gaining ground as a draw factor for tourists. With RM11mil worth artwork sold at last year's Art Expo Malaysia, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has now set her sights on the art industry to attract tourists.
“Now we want to focus on a new lifestyle trend, which is art tourism. These days, tourists come here not only for the food but also for the local art,” she said. “The result of this can mean greater tourist spending,” she said at the launch of the Art Expo Malaysia 2011 catalogue at her ministry here yesterday.
A fast rising multi-million ringgit industry in Malaysia, this year's Henry Butcher Art Auction set a record RM3.17mil in sales with a 94% success rate and its highest bid at RM575,000. Also sold at last year's expo was an RM2mil silkscreen by famous pop artist Andy Warhol.
This year's expo will be held from Oct 28 to Nov 1 at the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur with 65 exhibitors from 23 countries taking part as well as a special showcase on local artists. The expo will display works of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali and Antoni Tapies, together with leading artists in the traditional, modern, contemporary and New Age genres from China. Admission is free.
-thestar online.
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