Lee Wen Wins Second Joseph Balestier Award for the Freedom of Art

BLOUIN | ARTINFO
ByBY Darryl Wee

Lee Wen, Dream Boat (detail), from Werkleitz Biennale, Tornitz & Werkleitz, Germany, 1998 (Courtesy the artist)

Singaporean artist Lee Wen has been announced as the winner of the second annual Joseph Balestier Award for the Freedom of Art. Named after Joseph Balestier, the first American diplomat to Singapore who was appointed US Consul to the country in 1836, the Award “honors artists who stand up for the fundamental right of freedom of speech in a difficult environment, and who blaze a path, not just for the next generation of artists, but for the broader society in Southeast Asia," according to U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar. [link]