The Art Expo Malaysia 2009, which was jointly organised by Art Expo Malaysia Sdn Bhd and the National Art Gallery was held for the third time from 19 until 23 November. Many art enthusiasts claimed the expo to be ‘bigger and better’ this year.

On-site sales topped RM2.2 million with projected after-Expo sales and commissions estimated at RM3.4 million. This was most encouraging in the wake of the US financial turmoil and the H1N1 scare. Last year, the sales turnover was RM5.3 million.

The attendance was estimated to be nearly the same as last year's with some 9,000 visitors. What is fascinating about this year's Art Expo Malaysia was the cross-over promotion of artists and cross-over collecting, not only of South-East Asian art but also those from outside the region.

Some 44 galleries from 15 countries took part this year. They were from China, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand. The artists involved were also from Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mongolia, Portugal, Canada and France.

With stronger representation of local galleries this year, there was a great generational cross-section of artists from Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, Dato Sharifah Fatimah Zubir, Khoo Sui Hoe, Tew Nai Tong, Raja Azhar Idris, Jaafar Taib, Samjis Mat Jan, the Matahati founder artists, Abdul Multhalib Musa, Chan Kok Hooi, Kow Leong Kiang to young emerging artists such as Haslin Ismail and Raduan Man.

Threehundredsixty presented works by established and emerging artists from Galeri Chandan and Threesixty Art Development Studio respectively. The artists are namely, Norma Abbas, Rafiee Ghani, Abu Bakar Idris, Fauzul Yusri, Raduan Man, Syafiq Ali’am, Edroger Cassidy, Ahmad Latif Padzali, Mior Mohd Nafis and the recent winner of MEA Award – Al-Khuzairie Ali.

The show-stealer during the Art Expo Malaysia undoubtedly was the mega digital dramatisation of Miao Xiao Chun's Microcosm, which was based on Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights.

The other highlights included the exhibition of 19 teaching professors from Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts, the National Art Gallery's exhibition-cum-impending auction called Malaysia Open, the Malaysian Art Idols curated by Ooi Kok Chuen, the HeArt Group charitable art booth, the 1Malaysia styrofoam capsule expressions and the online magazine arteri's quirky sale cum display called Suitcase of Stuff.

Art Expo Malaysia 09 was under the patronage of the Raja Puan Muda of Perlis Tuanku Hajjah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil.