The Southeast Asian art world beyond COVID-19 forges ahead
By A&M

Key Points

The Southeast Asian art world has pivoted swiftly to overcome unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Immediate actions have prioritised supporting artists in vulnerable positions and testing various online activations to engage with audiences.

Enforced restrictions have prompted not only deep introspection on existing art world structures and practices, but also precipitated real actions to bring about welcome changes.

While it remains to be seen how power dynamics will shift within the artworld, thinking outside of the box has proven crucial to staying ahead of the game.

Stakeholders are hopeful for a more synergetic regional art community that will simultaneously hold each other accountable on adopting best practices mindful of responsible environmental, social and corporate governance.

COVID-19 has shaken up the global art ecosystem, rendering many current practices untenable, and necessitating systemic changes. Over five daily panel discussions from 15 to 19 June, we spoke with stakeholders in the Southeast Asian art world to find out how they have been dealing with the myriad curveballs emerging from the pandemic. As governments across the region are beginning to lift restrictions cautiously, we asked them how they have been innovating to stay afloat and thrive, from short-term safeguards to long-term plans.

Immediate Reactions

Across the panels, the focus has been on supporting the artists who are at the core of the art world. As part of the informal economy, their livelihoods have become more precarious than before, especially those of emerging artists. Support has been given to the artists from direct purchases to promotion of their artworks in innovative formats to providing legal assistance.

To continue engaging with audiences when physical spaces were shut across Southeast Asia, there was a large-scale migration online. Creative digital initiatives were tested to continue interacting with existing audiences and to attract new ones. Going virtual has allowed for a broader audience across geographies to be included in activities that might otherwise not be available to them in pre-pandemic conditions because of real accessibility or perceived barriers.

What’s Next

However, while digital engagements are here to stay, the consensus is that it cannot replace physical viewing experiences. Most yearn to look at art in real life, and more than that, to enjoy the conversations and camaraderie that are part and parcel of appreciating art. While the online realm has opened up new possibilities for engagement, it is best seen as a complementing platform to the showing of art in physical spaces.

The pandemic has motivated deep introspection for both individuals and organisations. Artists are realising the value of rest for creativity. At the same time, there is a collective wish for a less frenetic pace in the art world calendar. Some are skeptical that this will be the way forward as stakeholders try to compensate for time —and money— lost during the pandemic, everyone will become more selective about activities to be involved in. Moving forward, this reflective moment has also raised queries on the best ways to operate in a post-pandemic world, from rethinking hierarchies within an organisation to making more ethically-informed decisions in operating procedures.

Forging Ahead

It remains to be seen how the power dynamics will change within the Southeast Asian art world. Some panellists noted that businesses with deeper pockets are in a stronger position to weather the storm of uncertainties that will make smaller ones redundant. At the same time, there is a sense that the ease of digital engagement has levelled the playing field for smaller, nimbler organisations to earn a spot at the table.

All in all, there is a collective desire to blaze trails unique to the Southeast Asian art world. Collaboration will be key to strengthening individual positions across the region, where various art ecosystems are still in the process of maturing. By pooling together resources, we can carve out art discourses and directions that will best represent and forward the agenda of the region.

If you would like to watch full recordings of the panel discussions and read our key takeaways from each one, they are available here:

We would like to thank all 550 participants for signing up to attend PIVOT. It was a pleasure to have you in the audience, and we especially appreciated the thoughtful questions that were raised during each panel discussion.

As we plan for future events, we would appreciate it if you could complete a survey to give us your feedback on this first Art & Market conference. We look forward to welcoming you at the next!