Art Collectors at the "Contemporary Cuban Art in Malaysia" Opening

I had attended quite a few exhibition openings and each and every time I attend, I ask myself - who are the other people at the opening? I was at the above opening last week. Gosh, time really flies. A week had gone by already?!

Anyway, I was in this opening at the invitation of the Cuban Embassy, interestingly, not our national art gallery. Maybe I still do not cause any blips on their radar screen.

Back to my subject. Who are the attendees? I spoke with a few of those, when I was not taking photographs. Yes, will someday upload those taken. They are:

- art lovers (will never buy)
- art collectors (big word, collectors)
- gallery owners (like me)
- artists (very few)
- embassy personnel (in this particular exhibition, not normally in others)
- free fooders (those who want a bite or two, free)
- media (collect some gifts?!)
- fresh collectors - this is one type that I will give my opinion on.

In fact, I saw one of these fresh collectors. He has not collected any, and asked for my input a couple of months ago. Recommended some really good paintings for him. Those that will look very nice at his practise, and will likely appreciate in value over time. This particular artist I represent has works auctioned by Christie's, which normally mean that he is rather good.

Anyway, invitation after invitation, he did not turn up.

At the exhibition, he was all over the place, and actually appeared to want to buy one at RM42,000. Yeah, a whopping RM42,000 from an artist who is not known. No doubt the painting is good, but to pay that price, I don't know.

Dealing with rude customers........ courtesy of Eddie Lim

The following came through the email:

For all Who Work With Rude Customers, shame WE can't actually do this! An award should go to the Virgin Airlines desk attendant in Sydney some months ago for being smart and funny, while making her point, when confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.

A crowded Virgin flight was cancelled after Virgin's 767s had been withdrawn from service. A single attendant was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travellers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, "I HAVE to be on this flight and it HAS to be FIRST CLASS." The attendant replied, "I'm sorry, sir. I'll be happy to try to help you, but I've got to help these people first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out." The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?"

Without hesitating, the attendant smiled and grabbed her public address microphone: "May I have your attention please, may I have your attention please," she began - her voice heard clearly throughout the terminal. "We have a passenger here at Desk 14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to Desk 14." With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at the Virgin attendant, gritted his teeth and said, "F... You!" Without flinching, she smiled and said, (I love this) "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to get in line for that too."

Shut out of the apartment?

Was visiting a friend at Sentral KL when I saw these protruding legs. Upon closer examination, the person was comfortably seated in a sofa placed right outside his front door - SMOKING a cigarette. Guess there is a no-smoking zone behind his door.