The War of Art: SIFA art director in a public cat fight with Arts Festival CEO

Brochure brouhaha prompts angry email.

Long before its official launch in August, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) is now uder the spotlight as an email spat erupted between SIFA director Ong Keng Sen and chief executive officer Lee Chor Lin.

In an email, Ong said:

"I don’t think you should be treating the festival director in this way. I am not just your content provider. The direction of the festival was given to the festival director by the National Arts Council. It was not given to the CEO of Arts Festival Ltd, the holding company."

The email was also copied to the Ministry of Culture, Community of Youth, the National Arts Council, and some members of the press.

Ong was referring to the festival brochure slated for distribution next month.

He also added: "I have been providing materials but nothing has come back to me for review. We have consistently asked to see how the artistic information is being presented.”

Ong is the first Singapore artist to have received both the National Arts Council Young Artist Award and the Cultural Medallion. Lee Chor is the former director of the National Museum of Singapore.

The 2014 SIFA edition returns after a one-year hiatus and is themed ‘Legacy and the Expanded Classic.’ It will be held over six weekends from 12 August to 21 September 2014.

The Singapore Business Review is getting in touch with both parties for comments.