Preview of the inaugural fair
By A&M

Botanical Installation celebrating the launch of ART SG. Conceptualised by London-based design studio The Plant, with tropical foliage native to Singapore composed by This Humid House. Image by The Primary Studio/Dju-Lian Chng.

There is ripe anticipation for the inaugural edition of ART SG, which will take place from 12 to 15 January 2023 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore across two floors, with over 150 galleries participating from Singapore, and the rest from Southeast Asia and beyond.

In addition to the main Galleries sector, ART SG will present three niche sectors. Focus features galleries with solo, duo or curated thematic presentations. Futures is dedicated to galleries under the age of six years. And Reframe highlights art made or presented using digital technology, including augmented or virtual reality, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The fair’s Film sector will be curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong, Artistic Director of Jim Thompson Art Centre in Bangkok; while the Talks programme is curated by Cosmin Costinas, Director of the Biennale of Sydney in 2024.

In this preview, we share some of what we can expect to see at the galleries’ booths and hear from gallerists about their thoughts on the blockbuster event.

Arario Gallery

Leslie De Chavez, ‘The Parable of the Poet in the Anguish of Existence’, 2021, oil and metallic leaf on canvas, 175 x 140cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Arario Gallery.

Arario Gallery’s booth features a mix of artists from Korea, China and Southeast Asia. Among the highlights are paintings by Eko Nugroho, Uji Handoko Eko Saputro and Leslie De Chavez. In addition, works by Geraldine Javier, Ahn Jisan, Noh Sangho, Lee Jeongbae, Liang Manqi, Lee Jinju, Gwon Osang and Jung Kangja will also be on view. Confident of ART SG’s high calibre, Sales Representative Arie Han looks forward to meaningful time with collectors whom they have not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic. “As the hub of Asia, the global art market will pay attention and there is expectation of exponential growth in the future,” she remarks.

David Zwirner

David Zwirner, based in New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong, will be presenting works by gallery artists including Josef Albers, Diane Arbus, Katherine Bernhardt, Michaël Borremans, Carol Bove, Marcel Dzama, Oscar Murillo, Neo Rauch, Thomas Ruff, and Josh Smith.

Leo Xu, Senior Director says, “Singapore has emerged in recent years as another important hub in Asia. In my recent visit to Singapore this year, there is an evident transformation in the cultural landscape. Many have relocated to the city and there is a rapidly growing community and interest for art.” He adds, “Singapore is well connected to the rest of Southeast Asia and is home to a diverse and culturally rich population. We are looking forward to participating in ART SG next year and bringing the essence of our gallery program to local and regional collectors and institutions."

FOST Gallery

Singapore-based FOST Gallery will also be presenting a group exhibition, featuring the works of Kray Chen, John Clang, Phi Phi Oanh, Donna Ong, Wyn-Lyn Tan, Ian Woo, Yeo Tze Yang and Luis Santos. Founder and Director Stephanie Fong says, “ We are delighted to be part of ART SG’s inaugural fair and will have two presentations in our booth: the first are artworks reflecting daily life in Asia, and the second is of contemporary abstract paintings. We hope that these presentations will give a glimpse into the diverse and vibrant art scenes in the region.”

Gajah Gallery

Gajah Gallery, which has gallery spaces in both Singapore at Tanjong Pagar Distripark as well as in Jakarta and the Yogya Art Lab in Yogyakarta, will be presenting a group show with Ashley Bickerton, Yunizar, Suzann Victor, Han Sai Por, Jane Lee, I Gak Murniasih and Uji Hahan Handoko Eko Saputro, among others.

Founding Director Jasdeep Sandhu is looking forward to the relationships the fair will forge. "After over two years of virtual meetings and limited travel, we look forward to a vibrant, fruitful gathering among artists, galleries, collectors and cultural workers from across the world,” he says. “But most of all, our hope for ART SG is that artists from Southeast Asia continue to receive the international visibility they deserve. We hope that the fair only sparks the momentum for more initiatives of this quality and scale, offering our artists such an important global stage."

Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery

Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery is presenting a solo booth with works by Sinta Tantra, a British artist of Balinese descent. Tantra studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London between 1999 and 2003 and later continued her studies at the Royal Academy Schools in London, graduating in 2006. For her ART SG showcase, she has created a new full body of deep blue egg tempera abstract paintings in a monochromatic setting.

Kristin Hjellegjerde, Owner and Lead Curator, believes that ART SG is an important addition to the art fair circuit as a meeting point for artists, curators and collectors within Southeast Asia and beyond. “The gallery represents and exhibits artists from the region including Sinta Tantra and Filipino artist, Wawi Navarroza. Therefore, it is important for us to participate in and support regional fairs and biennales.” With the current difficult climate in Hong Kong, Hjellegjerde also foresees Singapore to be a key new destination for art.

Ota Fine Arts

Hilmi Johandi, ‘Lobby (after Penang Road, Fort Canning Road and Orchard Road)’, 2022, oil on linen, 180 x 150cm. © Hilmi Johandi. Image courtesy of the artist and Ota Fine Arts Singapore/Shanghai/Tokyo.

Ota Fine Arts will be presenting works by Singapore artists Hilmi Johandi and Guo-Liang Tan, as well as Maria Farrar, Chris Huen and amongst others. The gallery shares that there will be works from Hilmi’s recent study of postcards and posters distributed the 1980s and 1990s which portray Singapore as a tropical paradise for tourists. Tan will show a large framed work painted on both sides of a translucent fabric surface and presented as a free-standing piece. This is a continuation of his exploration of paintings as phenomenological ‘surface-objects’ and markers in space.

Richard Koh Fine Art

Natee Utarit, ‘Ruin of the Four Noble Truth’, 2022, oil on canvas, 210 x 250cm (work), 212.5 x 252cm (framed). Image courtesy of Natee Utarit and RKFA.

Richard Koh Fine Art (RKFA), which has gallery spaces in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok, will be showing a group exhibition of 16 Southeast Asian artists, including Svay Sareth, Yeoh Choo Kuan, Zelin Seah, Melissa Tan, Natee Utarit, and Trong Gia Nguyen.

Richard Koh sees that ART SG will reignite the local and regional art scene. He says, “With the fair situated in Singapore, it lands itself in a unique position with its proximity to cultural diversity and as a hub for Southeast Asian contemporary art.” He adds, “I am confident that ART SG will be the spark that revitalises not only the Singapore visual art scene but also the entire Southeast Asia region, which saw immense challenges over the past few years.”

STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery

Pinaree Sanpitak, ‘Fragmented Bodies: The Personal and The Public’, 2019, exhibition view at STPI Gallery, Singapore. Image courtesy of STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery.

STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery will showcase the innovation and diversity of their artists as well as artworks made in their residencies. The international line-up includes Genevieve Chua, Han Sai Por, Haegue Yang, Pinaree Sanpitak, and Prabhavathi Meppayil. Speaking about STPI’s experience with art fairs, Director Rita Targui considers these moments as more than engagements in the market. They also serve as highly anticipated meeting points for the art world to gather and share ideas, creating valuable opportunities to broaden our audience and encourage fresh engagement in the region.

Riding on this momentum and international interest in ART SG and Singapore as a whole, STPI looks forward to building on the country's present strengths to collectively foster positive impact and growth for the Singapore art scene. “Singapore has been a name on everyone's lips for the past year, especially in this post-pandemic climate,” Targui says. “With ART SG, people will have the opportunity to discover the vibrance of art and lifestyle that Singapore has to offer.” In addition to their participation in ART SG, STPI will be presenting the fifth edition of S.E.A. Focus, a showcase and art market hub for Southeast Asian contemporary art.

Warin Lab Contemporary

Warin Lab Contemporary, founded in 2021, will be presenting a duo exhibition by Thai artist Thaiwijit Puengkasemsomboon and Indonesian artist Arahmaiani. Founder Sukontip Fon Nakasem, who launched her first art gallery La Lanta Fine Art back in 2006, says, “Our gallery is newly established in Bangkok. We hope to introduce our gallery's programme that is focused on the theme of environment to the regional audience through the ART SG platform.”

WOAW Gallery

For WOAW Gallery from Hong Kong, ART SG will be their first fair in Southeast Asia. “I have always been fascinated by Southeast Asia’s art scene and how it relates to and contrasts with that of Hong Kong and Greater China,” Founder Kevin Poon comments. “WOAW Gallery is extremely excited to be present at the very first edition because it signals growth in the art market. We hope to be able to engage with young and seasoned collectors within the region, and bridge them with the very latest cultural trends we are witnessing in America, Europe, Hong Kong and Greater China.” WOAW Gallery will be in the fair’s Focus Sector, showcasing paintings by three represented artists: Charlie Roberts, Drew Englander, and James Goss.

Yavuz Gallery

Yavuz Gallery, which has spaces in Singapore and Sydney, will be featuring new works by leading artists from the gallery’s programme including Alvin Ong, Patricia Piccinini, Pinaree Sanpitak and Grace Wright. Originating from Singapore, the gallery sees ART SG as an opportunity to celebrate the region and acknowledge emerging Southeast Asian talent on the global stage. “Singapore enjoys the advantage of being centrally located to thriving Chinese, Indian and Australian art communities,” says Founder Can Yavuz. “International curators and collectors are seeing the incredible diversity, talent and growing potential of Asian contemporary art. We are excited to see our local artists recognised by international curators and included in global programmes.”

With over 150 galleries participating, and each one bringing the best from the artists they are presenting, we look forward to an enriching, successful first edition of ART SG.

ART SG will be held from 12 to 15 January 2023 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore. Purchase your First Release tickets before 23 November and receive two tickets for the price of one. More information here.

Art & Market is proud to be a media partner of ART SG.