SINGAPORE — The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation have announced the 15 finalists for this year’s Signature Art Prize and it includes the works of two Singapore artists: Ho Tzu Nyen and Zhao Renhui.

Ho’s video installation Pythagoras, last shown at Michael Janssen Gallery, and Zhao’s installation Eskimo Wolf Trap Often Quoted In Sermons, which was previousy exhibited at Gillman Barracks, will be vying with the works of 13 other artists for the grand prize of S$60,000 for the contest’s third instalment.

The other artist-finalists include Arin Rungjang (Thailand), Melati Suryodarmo (Indonesia), Choe U-Ram (South Korea), Farida Batool (Pakistan), Go Watanabe (Japan), Lisa Reihana (New Zealand), Liu Jianhua (China), Peng Wei (China), Naeem Mohaiemen (Bangladesh), Nguyen Trinh Thi (Vietnam), Owen Leong (Australia), Ranbir Kaleka (India), and Yao Jui-Chung + Lost Society Document (LSD) (Taiwan).

They were selected from 105 nominated works from 24 countries and territories. This year’s judges include Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery Of Modern Art director Chris Saines, curator/critic Feng Boyi, Bangkok Art And Culture Center director Luckana Kunavichayanont, KHOJ International Artists’ Association director Pooja Sood and SAM director Susie Lingham.

“The finalists’ works stood out for their strength of concept and execution and despite stemming from such diverse contexts, histories and cultural backgrounds, cleverly explored similar issues of identity, immigration, urban expansion, depletion of natural resources, fading of old values, cultural diversity and more,” said the jury panel in a collective statement.

Aside from the Grand Prize, there were also two Jurors’ Choice Awards worth S$15,000 each. A People’s Choice Award worth S$10,000 will also be given (voting opens Nov 14).

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014 exhibition will take place at SAM from Nov 14 to March 15, 2015. The winners will be announced on Jan 22. For more information on the finalists and the exhibition, visit http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/apbfSAP2014.html