Cover SINGAPORE - JANUARY 20: A visitor walks past the artpiece by Ivan Lam titled 'They Will Kill Us All' at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on January 20, 2016 in Singapore. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE - JANUARY 20: A visitor walks past the artpiece by Ivan Lam titled 'They Will Kill Us All' at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on January 20, 2016 in Singapore. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
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To be held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Art SG welcomes artists from all over the world. For Filipino enthusiasts, here's what to expect from our very own artists and galleries
Looking to travel this 2023? Singapore makes for a fantastic cultural destination, especially this January as it hosts Art SG. Playing host to over 150 of the world's leading galleries, this particular art fair will be the biggest fair launch in the Asia Pacific region in about a decade. Incomplete without Filipino talent, Art SG will also host some of our very own during the four-day event that will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Its co-founder Magnus Renfrew and fair director Shuyin Yang previously spoke with Tatler about how Art SG came to be. "We saw a huge opportunity for an international-level art fair with strong participation from galleries in Southeast Asia and Asia as well as some of the best galleries in Europe and America,” commented Renfrew. There will be a variety of experiences available for guests at Art SG. Aside from highlighting international and regional galleries (under Galleries), audiences will also be able to view films or moving image content in the Film section, support burgeoning artists with the Futures section, and delve deep into art made with digital technology (NFTs, animation, virtual reality, and more) at Reframe. There will also be a format called Focus, which provides "a contextualised sector for galleries presenting solo or duo artist programs, or curated thematic presentations".
Read more: Art SG: Why Southeast Asia Deserves an International Art Fair To Call Its Own
As the Philippines has especially close ties with Singapore, it's not surprising to find out that a handful of local talent will be representing the country in Singapore come January. Founded in Madrid, with a branch in Manila, Galería Cáyon will be included in the Galleries portion of Art SG. Meanwhile, our very own Drawing Room and Artinformal will be welcomed under Focus.
Alongside Art SG, the S.E.A. Focus, another anchor event for the bigger Singapore Art Week, will be entirely dedicated to contemporary art from the Southeast Asian region. Filipino galleries and artists will have their time under the limelight; in fact, 12 artists and 4 galleries will be participating in the S.E.A. Focus.
Named as one of Tatler's Asia's Most Influential, Jigger Cruz will be presenting works at S.E.A. Focus alongside Pio Abad, who is known for his defiant exhibits that condemn the brutality of the Marcos regime.
See also: Pio Abad Presents Telling New Art Exhibit on the "Conjugal Dictatorship" of the Marcos Family
Young artist, Issay Rodriguez, known for her impressive portfolio that won her an art grant of PhP 300,000 will also be in Singapore. Patricia Perez Eustaquio, based in Benguet and known for her work with shadows and detritus will showcase alongside her. Multi-awarded artist, Martha Atienza, will showcase her film at the S.E.A. Focus Fringe Film Programme 2023, OFF Focus.
Read also: The Creative List: Art, Architecture, and Design
Art enthusiasts can also look forward to supporting the works of Celine Lee from Artinformal and Christina Lopez from The Drawing Room. Other female artists include Veronica Lazo, Carina Santos, and Wawi Navarroza. Furthermore, creations of JC Jacinto and esteemed artist Manuel Ocampo will make an appearance.
Supporting their artists are four galleries from Manila, one of which is Silverlens. First founded in Manila in 2004, Silverlens now also finds a home in New York City. They continually aim to transcend borders across the art community and have been a solid supporter of representation across various art fairs and gallery collaborations.
Artinformal, also originally established in 2004, is a proud partner at S.E.A. Focus. A haven for creatives in both Makati and Greenhills, Artinformal promotes art through creative exchange. This is also the noble cause that inspires MONO8, a Manila-based contemporary art space, to champion local artists at Singapore Art Week. Known to be a champion for mid-career and emerging artists, MONO8 redefines the creative space to encourage a critical understanding of art between communities.
The Drawing Room, located in Makati City, will also be present at S.E.A. Focus, ready to engage audiences through the sensibilities of Filipino art.
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