What is The Ryan Foundation? Why is it trying to stop the Kaws: Holiday exhibition? What is the lawsuit about? Read on to find out the answers to these questions and more
Earlier today, a bombshell dropped when we first broke the news that the Kaws: Holiday exhibition had been ordered by the Singapore court to stop. The reason? The Ryan Foundation, a non-profit arts organisation, filed an interim injunction citing various reasons such as intellectual property rights infringement and misuse of confidential information.
The organisers of the Kaws: Holiday exhibition have since announced that the artwork venue—The Float at Marina Bay—will be temporarily closed, as a result of the court order.
The interim injunction was filed at 4.30pm, with a spokesperson from the foundation saying, “It is disappointing that various parties had known that confidential information and intellectual property rights, among other things, were at risk of being misused and still continue to be involved in a project that exploits home-grown stakeholders in the Singapore arts landscape. The injunction could have been averted if questions were raised and stakeholders consulted.”
In case you missed it: Kaws:Holiday Exhibition Ordered to Stop in Singapore
In response to the injunction, organiser AllRightsReserved Limited told SCMP in a statement, “This is now being handled by lawyers. We reserve the right to seek remedies available by law.”
It’s a convoluted situation with many players involved, so we’re breaking it down so you can follow along more easily.
Here we go:
What is The Ryan Foundation?
According to its press release, The Ryan Foundation (TRF) is a “non-profit organisation promoting arts awareness and developing art projects to build communities in Singapore and internationally.” It was founded by lawyer and art collector Ryan Su in 2012, and has held exhibitions across Asia showcasing the works of renowned artists like Andy Warhol and Ryder Ripps. According to his LinkedIn bio, Su specialises in intellectual property and art law, having advised various artists, galleries and museums in legal matters, as well as a smattering of entertainment, media, technology and commercial matters.
TRF is named the plaintiff in the interim injunction ordering the stop of the Kaws: Holiday exhibition, as per the court document seen by Tatler Singapore.