This New Art Fair Looks to Disrupt the Southeast Asian Art Scene
In Southeast Asia, art fairs like SEA Focus, Taipei Dangdai, The Landscape Show, and the like have been cornerstones in the cultural exchange of art for quite some time. Now, a new player is looking to carve out its own niche in art in the region, and is one of the most highly anticipated art fair launches.
ART SG will bring together 150 galleries from 30 countries and offer a new meeting point for both collectors, curators, and artists worldwide. While the fair is still a few months away from launching its inaugural edition at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, it has quietly positioned itself as the biggest international art fair for Singapore and Southeast Asia.
“As Southeast Asia’s most selective and largest art fair to date, the launch of ART SG will create a defining moment in Asia’s cultural landscape and shine a spotlight on Singapore," said ART SG Co-Founder Magnus Renfrew. "The scale and caliber of our inaugural exhibitor list demonstrates a strong commitment and shared belief in the importance of the art market in the region."
ART SG, which is presented by founding partner UBS and organized by The Art Assembly, an affiliation of major international art fairs in the Asia-Pacific region, hopes to showcase the best of the world's most dynamic cultural exchanges. It will do so through large-scale public art programs and installations, a curated film sector, and art education.
In turn, it hopes to encourage a new generation of emerging collectors, as well. We can also expect to see internationally acclaimed galleries and new experimentations in digital art and works on the blockchain.
“We believe the launch of ART SG will crystallize Singapore’s position as an exceptional cultural venue within the international art landscape," added ART SG Fair Director Shuyin Yang.
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ART SG will be Southeast Asia’s most selective and largest art fair to date, with a strong exhibitor list that showcases the various visual languages of contemporary art around the world. Galleries like Arario Gallery, Gagosian, GALLERIA CONTINUA, Pace Gallery, and White Cube, among others, are only a few of the many renowned exhibitors that will be present during the event.
“Singapore is a diverse multi-cultural society, with a rich history and heritage that creates a perfect setting for encounters with art. It has a rapidly growing visual arts scene, world-class museum infrastructure, and excellent performing and literary art," explained Singapore-based collector Pierre Lorinet.
Lorinet, who is also a member of the ART SG Advisory Group, looks forward to the addition of ART SG to the country's "cultural ecosystem."
Apart from the galleries category, ART SG will also offer a contextualized sector featuring galleries presenting solo or duo artist programs, or curated thematic presentations, with FOCUS. These will include the likes of albertz benda in New York and Los Angeles, Art Front Gallery in Tokyo, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery in London, Berlin, and Nevlunghav, and many more.
FUTURES, on the other hand, is another sector art enthusiasts can look forward to simply because of its support for younger galleries under the age of six. 1PROJECTS in Bangkok, CHRISTINE PARK GALLERY in New York and Shanghair, and the Philippines' Cebu-based gallery 856G / Tropical Futures Institute.
Meanwhile, REFRAME offers the public a snapshot of technological innovation in the arts. From the bitforms gallery in New York and San Francisco to the Galerie Nagel Draxler in Berlin, Cologne, and Munich, exhibitors here will present digital painting, animation, immersive installations, augmented or virtual reality, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
August Hatecke, who is the UBS Global Wealth Management Country Head at UBS Singapore sees the launch as a testament to the strength and potential of Singapore as a world-class arts destination.
"Supporting this new flagship platform will provide the art-loving public and UBS clients access to the most important galleries, dynamic artists, and artwork available today,” he expressed.
ART SG is launching its first edition in Singapore from January 12 to 15, 2023. The full exhibitor list can be found here.
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