Greendonkey Project
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Monday, May 02, 2005
Guggenheim Museum in Singapore
In its proposal submission for the Singapore Integrated Resorts and Casino Gaming Project, Las Vegas Sand's Venetian Resort is partnering Guggenheim Museum to bring the world-famous Guggenheim museum to Singapore to fill the missing Asian presence in its global franchise. Guggenheim's chief curator Thomas Krens presented his vision to the Singapore Tourism Board, and he remarked that Hong Kong and Singapore were the two Asian cities that Guggenheim was considering. It was perceived by some administrators that Thomas Krens might have inadvertently sparked off a bidding war between the two highly-competitive Asian cities for the project.
Thomas Krens, 58, is seen by some in the art world as a motorcycle enthusiast (showing "The Art of the Motorcycle" in 1998 to the contemptuous ridicule of some art curators), and a globe-trotting visionary viewed by some administrators to be unconcerned about costs when it comes to implementing his vision.
There are financial advantages to operating Guggenheims globally. Cities building a Guggenheim museum must be prepared to spend $150 million to $200 million, including land and construction. The proposed Singapore project would have cost $250 to 300 million in US dollars. The abandoned Taiwan Bilbao project designed by Zaha Hadid, may yet make its presence in Singapore. Singapore would also be expected to allocate funds annually to acquire art; Bilbao, for example, spends US $10 million a year on acquisitions, subsidizes operating deficits and pays a licensing fee for the brand name of Guggenheim. The Guggenheim Foundation also works with commerical partners in buying and commissioning art from artists in its collection.
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