AMSTERDAM.- Art Amsterdam, previously known as KunstRAI, will reflect developments in the international art world more than ever. Some 125 galleries from the Netherlands and abroad will display the latest developments in contemporary, international art. The number of foreign galleries has risen to 30, mainly from Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland, Poland, Korea and the United States. A striking feature of the show will a surprising range of Asian art: Willem Baars will exhibit works from India, Willem Kerseboom Fine Art will have art from China, Canvas International Art will display work by Japanese artists and Skape Gallery from Seoul will feature Korean artists.

The Dutch National Academy of Visual Arts is organising the central exposition entitled ‘Berlin-Amsterdam’, featuring works of former members of the National Academy who are currently living in Berlin. It is being compiled and designed by Erika Hoffman, a top German collector.

Another special event at the exhibition will be the presentation of the new work of Jeroen Henneman by PARC-Editions to mark his 65th birthday. This is being laid out by Rudi Fuchs. The young artist judged by the expert jury to be the most promising at the exhibition will receive the prestigious Thieme Art Award from an expert jury chaired by Ann Demeester, director of De Appel. There will also be 20 solo presentations, daily talk shows and three daily tours of the exhibition plus a day for beginner collectors.

Art Amsterdam 2007 will form the beating heart of the Amsterdam Temporary Museum from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 May. During this contemporary art week in Amsterdam, all visitors to Art Amsterdam will receive a passe-partout entitling them to free admission in the week of the exhibition to eleven leading contemporary art institutes which are taking part in the temporary museum, such as the Stedelijk Museum, Foam photo museum, De Appel and Huis Marseille. Each of these institutes is also organising a supporting programme and will have a temporary installation or performance made by an artist who is also represented at Art Amsterdam. Discussions of current developments in the art market will be held daily in De Balie.

Contemporary art week in Amsterdam - Anneke Oele, director of Art Amsterdam, says, ‘’To strengthen the position of Art Amsterdam in relation to its other international exhibitions, we are aiming to attract young and promising galleries from neighbouring countries. In addition to international galleries that have exhibited here in the past, such as Gallery N. von Bartha from London and Gallery Michael Cosar and Gallery Schübbe Projekt from Düsseldorf there will be newcomers such as Carl Berg Gallery from Los Angeles, Galerie Jean-Luc & Takako Richard from Paris, Dagmar de Pooter Gallery from Antwerp, Galerie Conrads from Germany and Annex14 from the Swiss city of Bern.

It is important for both the Dutch and the foreign galleries taking part in the exhibition to meet foreign art collectors. We are therefore laying on a visit to Art Amsterdam and the city of Amsterdam for some 60 foreign collectors. And we are also organising a programme at and around the exhibition especially for foreign curators. In this way we are establishing closer ties between the exhibition and Amsterdam as a city of culture, and Art Amsterdam will be the beating heart of a contemporary art week in Amsterdam. This also explains the closer connection with Amsterdam’s contemporary art institutes in the Amsterdam Temporary Museum. This offers value- added for both Dutch and foreign visitors.'

Thieme Art Award - The most promising young artist will receive the Thieme Art Award from the chair of the jury, on this occasion Ann Demeester, director of De Appel in Amsterdam. This prestigious prize, which is being sponsored for the fifth time by the Thieme Grafimedia Group, consists of the production of a full-colour catalogue and a presentation of the artist’s work at the next Art Amsterdam. Last year’s winner, Martina Sautèr of Kunstraum Marion Scharmann in Cologne, will present her work at a solo stand at this year’s exhibition. The other member of this year’s jury, besides Ann Demeester, is Gerrit Willemsen of CBK from Dordrecht.

Twenty solos - The organisers try to arrange solo presentations each year as they give a good impression of the work of the artist concerned and also serve as oases of calm in the exhibition hall. Some twenty galleries are staging a solo presentation this year. They include PARC-Editions with Jeroen Henneman, Van Zoetendaal Gallery with Gabor Ösz, Galerie Maria Chailloux with Gijs Frieling, Jaski with Rob Scholte and RAM with Roos Theuws

Beginner Collectors in the spotlight - Beginner collectors will once again be in the spotlight this year. Some one hundred beginner collectors have been invited to spend a day at Art Amsterdam on Friday 11 May, the successful Day of the Beginner Collector. They will be escorted by renowned art collectors whom they can ask for advice on the subject of collecting and everything it involves.