Art SG returns with an exciting curation of art, talks, film and more

Mark your calendars as Southeast Asia’s leading global art fair Art SG makes its highly anticipated return from Jan 19 to 21, 2024 (Preview & Vernissage, Jan 18) at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre!

Organised by The Art Assembly and presented by Founding and Lead Partner UBS, this year’s edition promises to be even more spectacular with over 110 remarkable galleries from 33 countries and territories.

Look forward to big names like Gagosian, White Cube, and Thaddaeus Ropac, putting their best foot forward alongside upcoming and rising art spaces from the region and from around the world.

Perfectly timed with Singapore Art Week, Art SG kicks off with an exclusive VIP Preview & Vernissage on Jan 18, setting the stage for a week-long celebration of arts in Singapore.

In addition to being a platform for the exploration of artistic excellence, this international contemporary art fair also helps galleries spark new connections and expand their networks, making an impact within Singapore and beyond. 

"As Singapore emerges as a crucial player in the international art ecosystem, the 2024 edition will reaffirm the defining features of Art SG: an exceptional and uncompromising concentration of high-quality presentations; a vital convening point as Southeast Asia's leading fair for galleries, collectors, institutions from around the world and a commitment to advancing new opportunities for our gallery community."

- Magnus Renfrew, co-founder, Art SG.

Event overview

This year, Art SG will unfold across three different sectors – Galleries, Focus and Futures – set to delight both new and seasoned collectors, as well as arts enthusiasts.

Leading the charge as the largest sector, Galleries will feature multi-disciplinary presentations from 68 primary galleries.

Focus highlights 36 curated presentations focused on artistic practices, diverse mediums, including digital art and new media, and emerging to mid-career artists.

Dedicated to supporting younger galleries less than ten years old, Futures sees exclusive presentations created within the past 18 months and unveiled for the first time at Art SG.

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 digital art, film and new media, augmented or 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.

More than just an art fair

Art SG is dedicated to being a vital platform and meeting point for artists, curators, collectors, institutions, galleries and art enthusiasts.

Together with an impressive line-up of gallery presentations, their program spans talks and conversations, large-scale installations, films and more, so keep your eyes peeled.

Discussions and dialogues with Talks

Also highly anticipated is the return of Art SG’s Talks program: Perspectives.

Through a series of insightful dialogues curated by Zoe Butt, Founder of ‘in-tangible institute, the program will delve into pivotal issues in the Southeast Asian art ecosystem, such as supporting next-generation art practitioners and how collectors, curators, and dealers play a supportive role within this network.

Expect a panel of esteemed speakers from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australasia, and engage in cross-cultural dialogues and reflective discussions. Explore inventive approaches to cultivate and sustain art ecosystems in light of global dynamics. 

For the full line-up of topics and speakers, please visit Art SG website.

Immersive large-scale installations in Platform

Gracing the fair are site-specific art installations that spotlight the latest in contemporary art practices.

Encapsulating themes inspired by the Asia Pacific region and beyond, these installations showcase the works of five artists spanning diverse backgrounds and generations.

Home by Gordon Cheung

In the captivating mixed-media installation Home, British-Chinese artist Gordon Cheung reimagines traditional Chinese windows using financial newspapers and bamboo.

The ethereal architecture alludes to homes lost in China’s rapid urbanisation, intertwined with the exploration of identity – a reflection stemming from Cheung’s dual identity during the 1997 British to China handover of Hong Kong.

Presenting between states of existence, the 18-structure installation presents a visual narrative of looking from the past to the future through a financial frame.

Presented by Richard Koh Fine Art.

Immortal Words by Boedi Widjaja

Building on Boedi Widjaja‘s extensive ten-year exploration of the body, memory, language, and encoding, Immortal Words delves into our profound ancestral history and embedded memories through ancient words.

Bring home a piece of the bio-art installation via DNA-infused ink vials dispensed through gachapon machines.

Featuring ultraconserved words like "ashes", "fire", "to flow", "to give", "hand", "to hear", and "mother" in Southeast Asian languages, this installation was developed in consultation with geneticist Associate Professor Eric Yap.

A playful project that explores the intricate connections between language, history, and contemporary art.

Presented by ShanghArt Gallery.

Moving images in Film

With a Film program hosted in collaboration with ArtScience Museum and Sam I-shan, former National Gallery Singapore curator, expect thought-provoking works and discussions through moving images.

Through her deep understanding of Southeast Asian film and moving images, alongside her experience in curating for events such as the Singapore International Film Festival, Sam I-shan connects diverse narratives and fosters the melding of art, film, and technology in the line-up of visual storytelling. 

For the full program lineup, please visit Art SG website.

VIP Collections

The Pierre Lorinet Collection presents Rough

Pierre Lorinet presents Rough, a vibrant collection showcasing works from 14 prominent artists.

Curated by adviser Edward Mitterrand, the exhibition’s diverse range of styles and mediums explores Thomas Houseago’s dark masks, Rashid Johnson’s narrative of the shared human experience, and Ai Weiwei’s politically charged installations that speak of the complexities of our contemporary world.

Rirkrit Tiravanija delves into themes of extinction, humanity’s impact on the natural environment, and the imminent end of civilisation.

Danh Vo’s pottery narrates tales of medieval torture scenes. Rough invites all to question, interpret, and engage with the unconventional.

Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics

With Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics, dive into the shared narratives across Afro-Asian cultures with an exhibition of 100 acclaimed international artists from two continents.

This groundbreaking showcase features private collections in diverse art forms from around the region.

Featured artists include Theaster Gates, renowned for Afro-Mingei – a fusion of African-American vernacular craft with Soetsu Yangagi’s Japanese "mingei" philosophy.

Singaporean artist Yanyun Chen and Nigerian artist Ifeyinwa Joy Chiamonwu explore themes of migration and displacement, language and identities. 

Completing the journey is a sensorial experience hosted by The Institutum.

Alongside partners such as ShanghArt Singapore, Nouri, and Creamier, tantalise your tastebuds with Crossroads of Afro-Asian Flavours – a four-hands dinner presented by Chef Ivan Brehm of Nouri and Ghanian Chef Selassie Atadika.

Or, hop over to Creamier for some Afro-Asian-inspired ice cream.

Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics runs Jan 18 to 30, 2024 from 11am-6pm daily at Gillman Barracks. Exhibition at ShanghART Gallery, 9 Lock Road, Level Three, Singapore 108937, and 7 Lock Road, Ground Floor. Restaurant Nouri is located at 72 Amoy Street, Singapore 069891. 

For more information and reservations, please contact marketing@theinstitutum.com.

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 $38 for weekdays and $42 for weekends; Vernissage four-day passes are $78. Get your tickets here.

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This article was first published in City Nomads.