New Director Galuh Sukardi at David Zwirner

Strengthening Southeast Asian contemporary art
By A&M

Galuh Sukardi has joined David Zwirner Gallery as Director in its Hong Kong Sales team. The gallery, which also has spaces in New York, London and Paris, established its presence in the city at the beginning of 2018 at the H Queen’s Building. As part of David Zwirner’s deepening commitment to the wider Asian market, Galuh will oversee the promotion of its artists in Asia and develop key frameworks in the gallery’s expanding programme.

Galuh Sukardi.

What are the immediate and long-term plans for your directorship at David Zwirner Hong Kong? 
David Zwirner Gallery has a sophisticated approach to our programme and market, and importantly the spirit and commitment to nurturing artists’ careers over a long period of time. In the past five years alone, the gallery’s represented artists have exhibited in over 300 institutional shows across 40 countries.

At David Zwirner Hong Kong, we are looking to grow our extensive network and experience in the region. There is a particular opportunity at the moment with the growth of public and private museums, foundations and the growing number of collectors committed to contemporary art, which has the potential to make Southeast Asia one of the most exciting regions for contemporary art in the world. This is also reflected in the artists of Southeast Asia where greater international attention is being paid to the likes of Christine Ay Tjeo, ruangrupa, Handiwirman Saputra, FX Harsono, Heri Dono, Arahmaiani, Phillip Lai, David Madella, Melati Suryodarmo, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Cian Dayrit, Danh Vo, Sopheap Pich and Ming Wong to name a few.

What do you think the impact of the political situation in Hong Kong will have on the market for Asian art?
In the short term, political instability makes it harder to do business but in the medium to long term, Hong Kong is still promising and an exciting city. Hong Kong provides the gateway between Asia and the West as well as access for collectors in Asia to both Western and Asian art.

Could you share details about upcoming exhibitions David Zwirner in Hong Kong or elsewhere, and will there be any featuring Southeast Asian artists?
We are interested in working with artists in the region and always keeping our eyes peeled!

The year started strong for us with exhibitions by Ruth Asawa, Bonode Behari Mukherjee, Noah Davis, Stan Douglas, Yun Hyong-keun, Doug Wheeler and Rose Wylie. And I am excited for Jordan Wolfson and Donald Judd’s upcoming exhibitions with us!

Given your experience promoting Southeast Asian art in your various roles, what have been positive trends relating to art in the region in recent times?
One of the things I am excited by is that Southeast Asian artists and collectors are wanting to explore the best of global art in the region. When you look at the history of artists from Southeast Asia that have had a big impact in the region such as S.Sudjojono, Georgette Chen, Fernando Zobel, Latiff Mohidin, who drew on art from all over the world in their practices. Collectors who are building foundations have also begun to collect not only the best of Southeast Asian art but also international artists. David Zwirner reflects this global outlook with an exceptional roster of prominent and influential artists. As a consequence, we are uniquely placed to partner with and grow the expanding contemporary art world.

Global interest in the region is also reflected in the appointment of Indonesian art collective ruangrupa as the curators of the next documenta in Kassel in 2022, and Asia Society’s Triennale in New York which takes place in June 2020. In Southeast Asia, projects such as the successful Minimalism exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore and the Asian Art Institutum’s recent collaboration with The Arts House in Singapore, as well as the ethos behind Museum MACAN in Jakarta, Indonesia, Belles Artez in Bataan and Manila, Philippines and The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam all embody a global perspective to contemporary art in and from Southeast Asia.

For more information, visit www.davidzwirner.com.