The Neo Art Magazine

Last updated on September 9th, 2024 at 03:39 pm

The Garden City is all set for the return of Singapore Art Week (SAW). From the island’s rural areas to its bustling metropolis, Singapore is home to more than 130 visual arts events as part of Art Takes Over Singapore. The SAW has been going strong for 12 years, making it the longest-lasting art week in the area.

An exhibition of Singaporean visual art is in the works, thanks to the National Arts Council (NAC) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Across the island, viewers may find a wide variety of art events, from prestigious museum exhibits and international art fairs to openings of private collections and street art, brand activations, and community art projects. By hosting Open Call Projects and showcasing works from Singapore’s cultural institutions, SAW 2024 honours the country’s rich artistic heritage while shedding light on engaging new artistic connections. Multimodal presentations will be available to the public in the near future, with the goal of contributing to discussions on modern life and identity.

Also, for the first time, the fair will include 38 galleries from the area and beyond, each presenting a unique selection of artworks and curated presentations. Some of the newcomers include the following: Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Asia Art Centre, Taro Nasu, Sabrina Amrani, Poligrafa Obra Grafica, BANGKOK CITYCITY, BASTIAN, Gathering, Nadi Gallery, and Chi-Wen.

Magnus Renfrew, Co-founder, ART SG said, “We are proud to be bringing an international art fair of this stature, magnitude and representation to Singapore once again. As the world emerges from the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, galleries are setting their sights on new horizons, with Asia taking center stage. The region’s economic vibrancy and growing appetite for art collecting are drawing global attention. Singapore, positioned at the heart of Asia, stands out as an ideal destination for galleries seeking to expand their audience. Its strategic location, status as a key nexus in the region, and commitment to fostering a vibrant art ecosystem make it the gateway to a burgeoning art market. ART SG, together with the support of our partners, will continue to be a key driver in supporting Singapore’s ambition in becoming a distinctive art city and cultural hub.” 

The GALLERIES sector, which is the largest and most important part of the event, will feature 69 top galleries from around the world. The represented artists will showcase works in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, photography, video, and digital art. Notable features comprise Richard Koh Fine Art (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok), Gajah Gallery (Singapore, Jakarta, Yogyakarta), FOST Gallery (Singapore), BANGKOK CITYCITY (Bangkok), Nadi Gallery (Jakarta).

 

FOCUS 

Highlighting 36 presentations, FOCUS highlights galleries presenting focused and curated programmes that prioritise the growth of creative practises, the investigation of various media, particularly digital art and new media, and the promotion of artists from the beginning to the middle of their careers, which includes:

• An immersive installation, by 2019 joint Turner Prize winner Tai Shani, presented by Gathering (London).
• New works by Carlos Aires, presented by Sabrina Amrani (Madrid).
• a selection of works made with generative procedures by Quayola and Refik Anadol,presented by Bitforms Gallery (New York).
• Taiwanese video art by Chi-Wen (Taipei).
• The first-ever overseas solo presentation of Japanese artist Yutaka Aoki,presented by KOSAKU KANECHIKA (Tokyo).
•  a curated presentation of three Filipino artists Kristoffer Ardeña, JC Jacinto and Zean Cabangis, presented by Artinformal Gallery (Makati City, Mandaluyong City).
• A selection of works, by Filipino artist Gerardo Tan and Maria Cruz’s “One Million Dollars” project, presented by The Drawing Room (Manila).

FUTURES 

Eleven galleries, all under the age of ten, will be showcasing ART SG-exclusive exhibitions in the FUTURES section, which is all about promoting young galleries. Any presentations must be new creations that have not been seen in an institutional or gallery environment during the last 18 months. Notable features comprise:

• Artemis Gallery (Lisbon) will bring together new media artists Evelyn Bencicova, kennedy+swan and Studio Above&Below.
• The Back Room (Kuala Lumpur) will present three emerging talents from Southeast Asia and Central America: Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín (Guatemala), Marcos Kueh (Malaysia/Netherlands) and Red Hong Yi (Malaysia).
• Rissim Contemporary (Kuala Lumpur) will exhibit paintings by Paul Nickson Atia from his series “Torun Tana? (There Is Something About Home)” in an effort to promote the work of up-and-coming Malaysian artists, in addition to collages from Saiful Razman’s “Apartments” series.
• The Study of Khon Pi Luang by ubatsat, The Martyrs of the Plateau, Lord of the Toads, and the Monument of a Small Rice Box by Nakrob Moonmanas will be on display at Warin Lab Contemporary (Bangkok).

Jin Yee Young, Co-Head UBS Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific and Country Head UBS Singapore said: “Asia is a key strategic location for UBS, and we are delighted to continue our support of ART SG as Founding and Lead Partner, among our other contemporary art sponsorships globally. We are excited for ART SG, Singapore and Southeast Asia’s flagship international art fair, to kick off the region’s annual art calendar with an invigorating start. UBS has a history of supporting cultural endeavors across the world and at the core of this commitment is the UBS Art Collection, one of the most important corporate collections of contemporary art in the world. At the fair, the UBS Art Collection will present works by Eko Nugroho in the UBS Art Studio, featuring interactive sculptures that encourage community action for environmental preservation.”

PLATFORM

Over the course of the fair, PLATFORM presents a curated exhibition of dynamic, site-specific, and large-scale installations by five artists of varying generations and backgrounds.

• A mixed-media installation Home by British-Chinese artist Gordon Cheung.
• Immortal Words, a bio-art project by Singapore-based artist Boedi Widjaja.
•  The ongoing project Kenyalang Circus by Sarawakian textile artist Marcos Kueh.
• Donna Ong is scheduled to exhibit works from her “Every World” series, in which she skilfully arranges hand-cut paper shapes to create fantastical worlds. This is her distinctive artistic technique.
• Ian Davenport, a British abstract painter, will exhibit Lake, a monumental painting installation composed of 120 litres of paint.

FILM

Sam I-shan, a film and new media specialist and former curator at the National Gallery Singapore, has been appointed with great pride by ART SG as the curator of its FILM programme, which is being organised in partnership with the ArtScience Museum. Sam I-shan, who was born in Singapore and currently resides in Phnom Penh, contributes to the exhibition with an exceptional comprehension of Southeast Asian cinema, new media, and moving images through her selection process.

TALKS

ART SG is also pleased to announce the return of the TALKS program, a series of insightful conversations featuring art world thought leaders, which offers a chance to delve deeper into Southeast Asian contemporary culture in context to the global art landscape. Zoe Butt, Founder and Director of ‘in-tangible institute’, will curate bipartite sessions on critical issues within the Southeast Asian ecosystem, including the urgency of support for the next generation of artistic practitioners, and the role and relevance of collectors, curators and dealers within this support network.

ART SG 2024 | Dates & Times

VIP PREVIEW (BY INVITATION ONLY)

Thursday, 18 January | 2pm – 5pm

VERNISSAGE

Thursday, 18 January | 5pm–9pm

GENERAL ADMISSION

Friday, 19 January | 12pm – 7pm

Saturday, 20 January | 11am – 7pm

Sunday, 21 January | 11am – 5pm

 

Image Courtesy ART SG