• Market
  • Nov 20, 2024

ART SG Prepares for January 2025 Edition

*presented by ART SG

Installation view of MARCOS KUEH’s Woven Billboards – Nenek Moyang (part of the Kenyalang Circus series), 2023, industrial weaving with recycled polyester thread, eight colors, dimensions variable, presented by The Back Room at ART SG, Singapore, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and ART SG.

Returning to Singapore from January 17–19, 2025, the third edition of ART SG, presented by Founding and Lead Partner UBS, will bring together 106 exhibitors from 30 countries and territories to spotlight Singapore as a fast-rising cultural capital, and a dynamic hub for exchange and transformation across Southeast Asia and beyond.

As the marquee event for Singapore Art Week—the annual city-wide celebration of visual arts—ART SG’s lineup of established as well as emerging exhibitors will promise fresh discoveries for new and seasoned collectors alike. Notable returning heavyweights include Gagosian (New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Le Bourget, Geneva, Basel, Gstaad, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong); White Cube (London, Hong Kong, Paris, Seoul, New York); Lehmann Maupin (New York, London, Seoul); Thaddaeus Ropac (London, Paris, Salzburg, Seoul); and Goodman Gallery (Johannesburg, Cape Town, London New York), alongside newcomers Haridas Contemporary (Singapore); Baik Art (Los Angeles, Seoul, Jakarta); and SUN Contemporary (Bali). INKStudio (Beijing, New York), ESLITE GALLERY (Taipei, Beijing), Cardi Gallery (Milan, London), Zilberman (Istanbul, Berlin, Miami), Yeo Workshop (Singapore) and artcommune gallery (Singapore) return after a one-year hiatus, signaling a conviction in Singapore as a gateway to a flourishing collector base—a sentiment echoed by the results of the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2024 which noted that Singapore collectors ranked amongst the highest in favoring art fairs for acquiring artworks.

MELLA JAARSMA, Surat Terakhir / Last Letter, 2014, digital print on cotton, antique mirrors. Courtesy the artist and ART SG.

Visitors will be given an unparalleled overview of contemporary artistic production with a special focus on Southeast Asia, with a third of exhibitors operating spaces in the region. Highlights to look forward to include the fair’s PLATFORM curation of large-scale and site-specific projects, such as Singapore artist Khairulddin Wahab’s ambitious painting installation weaving together the region’s maritime histories, presented by Cuturi Gallery, and Miya Ando’s ethereal textile installation evoking the lunar cycle, presented by Sundaram Tagore Gallery. There will also be a strong emphasis on digital artworks at the upcoming edition of ART SG, with galleries such as HOFA presenting an experimental curation exploring the intersection of human and machine creativity, as well as projects by artists who work in the digital space such as Shavonne Wong and Jahan Loh, presented by Columns Gallery and 333Gallery respectively.

For 2025, an innovative curated section ‘By Artists, On Artists’ will explore a selection of film and video works created by artists and shown in juxtaposition to a series of films focusing on the lives and careers of well-known artists. This section will develop across three chapters, ‘Constructing Landscapes’, ‘Voices and Signs’ and ‘Ruins and Memories’, through which audiences will gain fresh insights into contemporary art practices across different histories and disciplines.

The upcoming edition of ART SG sees a strong focus on female and diaspora artists: Malaysian-born Mandy El-Sayegh will be part of a slate of artist talks, and Baik Art will present a  solo showcase and performance-installation by Mella Jaarsma, an artist of Dutch origin who has made Indonesia her home and is today recognized as a leading figure in its contemporary art scene.

As testament to the fair’s growing role and significance in the regional art calendar and ecosystem, for its 2025 program ART SG will join hands with four visionary cultural partners with strong ties to the region and a shared commitment to fostering appreciation for contemporary art and patronage. Led by director Aaron Cezar, Delfina Foundation (London) will collaborate with ART SG to create a series of programs around collecting, philanthropy and creating private foundations. Inspired by Delfina Foundation’s ground-breaking program ‘Collecting as Practice’ which explores the philosophy, psychology and politics of collecting, three critical discussions will be presented at ART SG 2025, looking at the essential role of collectors in shaping artistic regional development.

Bangkok Kunsthalle (Bangkok) will partner with ART SG to curate ART SG FILM, a selection of video art and moving image works with an emphasis on showcasing new and groundbreaking practices. Helmed by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, artistic director of the St Moritz Art Film Festival and founding director of Bangkok Kunsthalle and Khao Yai Art Forest, FILM will juxtapose moving image works created by artists with a series of films about the lives and careers of prominent and respected artists.

Other partners include Art Outreach (Singapore) and M Art Foundation (Hong Kong, Singapore); the former will convene a visual arts summit gathering a faculty of experts including Alessio Antoniolli (director, Triangle Network London), Honor Harger (vice president, ArtScience Museum and vice president, Attractions Marina Bay Sands), Sook-kyung Lee (director, The Whitworth, Manchester; curator, Japan Pavilion, 60th Venice Biennale 2024), and Zoé Whitley (director, Chisenhale Gallery), among others.

These initiatives will form part of a wider program of conversations and activations taking place throughout Singapore Art Week, including museum and gallery exhibitions, thought leadership symposia, and unique art and culinary experiences.

As noted by Tay Tong, the National Arts Council’s Director of the Visual Arts Ecosystem Group, ‘this vibrant fair facilitates connections between artists, galleries and collectors. ART SG is a catalyst for transforming Singapore into a global art destination, bridging diverse artistic expressions and engaging collectors in meaningful ways’.

Tickets to ART SG are available to purchase online: artsg.com/tickets