It is often said that art is a long-term investment, and well, what’s better than investing in the future?

Gearing up for its second edition, ART SG, organised by The Art Assembly and presented by Founding and Lead Partner UBS, is set to transform Singapore into a global nexus of artistic innovation and expression. Held from 19 to 21 January 2024 (Preview & Vernissage, 18 January) at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, ART SG will illuminate the city’s artistic landscape with an exceptional line-up of over 110 galleries from 33 countries and territories.

Under three main distinct gallery sectors – GALLERIES, FOCUS and FUTURES – the fair’s second edition will host established names such as Gagosian, White Cube, and Thaddaeus Ropac, as well as emerging galleries like Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Asia Art Center, and TARO NASU. In addition to these three sectors, ART SG presents a new label this year, DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT, highlighting galleries whose programs have an emphasis on art and technology, including augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, creative coding and algorithms, and more. Don’t miss these presentations to view artists pushing boundaries and engaging with new areas of practice.

Alongside carefully selected artworks and specially curated presentations, ART SG will also feature dynamic large-scale installations, a film program and engaging talks by art leaders from around the globe.

Embracing Digital Art and New Media

Distinctive in its approach, through the guidance of Fair Director Shuyin Yang, ART SG continues to redefine the art landscape in Southeast Asia. This year, the fair heralds a new era of artistic exploration – after all, art in the 21st century is a canvas that expands beyond conventional mediums. Embracing the digital realm, new media, and the vibrant voices of a new generation of artistic talent, look forward to a tapestry of creativity and art through technological innovation, immersive experiences, fresh perspectives, and cross-border dialogue.

GALLERIES: A Pantheon of Masterpieces

Within GALLERIES, the mainstay of ART SG, 68 international and regional galleries converge to showcase multidisciplinary exhibitions and the fusion of traditional and avant-garde mediums.

All the way from Berlin, neugerriemschneider is set to present paintings, sculptures and textile works by Ai Weiwei, Thomas Bayrle, Billy Childish, Olafur Eliasson, and Andreas Eriksson, whilst London’s White Cube Gallery, will present a thoughtfully curated showcase including works like Move me (2015) by Tracey Emin, who is known to touch on raw, unfiltered emotion that revolve around the fundamental themes of love, desire, loss, and grief. Don’t miss Kaikai Kiki Gallery’s exhibits of Japanese artist, AYA TAKANO whose multi-disciplinary works have made waves at Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon (macLYON) in France, and her fashion collaborations and manga comic books and sci-fi novels have always kept her ahead of the curve and prevailed her relevance in popular culture. At the Digital Spotlight, Gazelli Art House’s Harold Cohen and Jake Elwes, trailblazers in generative and computer-based art, explore technological creativity as well as the implementation of AI and its potential to address social issues.

In terms of local highlights, ART SG welcomes 20 galleries from Singapore, including Richard Koh Fine Art’s showing of Southeast Asian artists and the best of fine art from the likes of Gajah Gallery, and Art Seasons.

FOCUS: Exploring Different Mediums and Artistic Practices

The Focus sector delves deep into thematic programs, emphasising the development of artistic practices, and the exploration of different mediums – especially digital art and new media. Artists like 2019 joint Turner Prize winner, Tai Shani will put forward immersive installations whereas galleries like Chi-Wen Gallery look into the cinematics of Taiwanese video art. The intersection of technology and art is also highlighted through presentations by bitforms gallery, with a selection of works made with generative procedures by Quayola and Refik Anadol, two of the most acclaimed artists working at the forefront of technology and machine intelligence.

Worth a browse are works by Wong Chee Meng, represented by Wei-Ling Gallery. In this latest series, the artist utilises motion-based Augmented Reality (AR), establishing himself as a trailblazer in the Malaysian art scene, merging traditional painting with the cutting-edge realm of AR. With the kinetic essence inherited through Kuala Lumpur’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) doors and windows, the artworks give the audience to engage and partake, whilst catching a glimpse into the nation’s openness, inclusivity, tolerance, and communal unity. Look closely, the artists’ works are often more than just what meets the eye, unravelling hidden narrative segments and stories with each layer.

Alternatively, Madrid’s contemporary art gallery, Sabrina Amrani is set to present a solo show by Spanish artist Carlos Aires, specifically created for the fair. The six new works from his series “Love Songs in Times of Crisis”, feature banknotes from several of the Asean countries, overlaid with pinned letters with lyrics from famous songs. The artist’s main medium, the banknotes, are a common signature in his works, drawing attention to the dimension of money as an instrument of power in contemporary societies.

FUTURES: Fostering Tomorrow’s Visionaries & Emerging Voices

In the FUTURES section, glimpse into the future of art with a dedicated space for younger galleries under ten years old. Here, emerging talents from 10 galleries across the globe unveil their works which have been created within the past 18 months. Never before exhibited in a gallery or institutional setting, these exclusive works done for ART SG leap into the realms of digital art, immersive technologies, and experimental forms of expression.

These presentations range from Artemis Gallery’s digital image-making through video, computer-generated imagery and virtual and augmented reality, to The Back Room‘s textile-based works reflecting themes of identity and independence. Check out the latter’s booth anchored by a fluorescent, multi-work woven installation by Marcos Kueh, woven works by Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín inspired by his indigenous identity and Red Hong Yi’s investigations into womanhood.

Shanghai’s LINSEED gallery will also be spotlighting a group presentation exploring objects and scenes that are often embedded with personal attachment. Look forward to works by Kiki Xuebing Wang, winner of the John Moores Painting Prize’s Emerging Artist Prize, showcasing the artist’s intricate abstractions that explore the disorienting relationship between distance and proximity through the constant rediscoveries of forms. Inviting viewers into a space charged by emotions and memories, the presentation will attempt to resurface the intensity of genuine feelings in today’s virtual world.

Needless to say, ART SG 2024 is set to promise an immersive four day journey, inviting art enthusiasts and collectors to explore, engage, and celebrate the diverse expressions of creativity shaping the contemporary art world. With much to explore and ground to cover, we reckon it’s best to start planning your visit now!

ART SG runs Jan 19 to 21, 2024 (Vernissage, Jan 18) at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956. Open Thu 5-9pm, Fri 12pm-7pm, Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm. One-day passes start from S$38 for weekdays and S$42 for weekends; Vernissage four-day passes are S$78. Get your tickets here.

This article was first published in City Nomads.

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