COVID-19 Impact on Southeast Asian Art
United in adversity
By Ho See Wah
Key Points
Cancellations and postponements slow businesses and fuel financial anxieties
Organisations and individuals migrate content online and expand on digital outreach
Questions and reflections on art and its potential emerge
Rallying spirit felt with positive outlook on the future
Chulayarnnon Siriphol, ‘Give Us A Little More Time’, 2020, 4-channel animation video, sound, color, edition of 3 +1AP © 2020 Chulayarnnon Siriphol. Image courtesy of the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.
The impact of COVID-19 on the art industry cannot be understated. Since the start of the year, the global art world has seen a string of cancellations and postponements for numerous fairs, auctions and exhibitions. In Southeast Asia, major events such as KUL Biennale 2020, Art Moments Jakarta and Bangkok Art Book Fair 2020 have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely. Disruptions to the art calendars in other countries with a considerable Southeast Asian presence have also dealt a blow to the regional art scene, such as the cancellation of Art Basel Hong Kong.
More recently, many countries have entered a state of partial or full suspension of activities as their domestic outbreaks worsen, with only essential services remaining open. As a result, regional art communities have had to adapt swiftly to new ways of operating around these austere circumstances. The financial impact is felt across the Southeast Asian art community. Artists, galleries, non-profit institutions, museums, public relations firms and art logistics companies have all had to contend with substantial loss of income as many of their regular activities come to a halt.
Freelancers are particularly feeling the brunt of the situation. “The mass closures and cancellations mean that many are facing a strong possibility of zero income for a foreseeable few months ahead. I —we— have always known about the vulnerability of our positions as art freelancers, but this is an extraordinary situation," says Mok Cui Yin, an independent producer and arts manager based in Singapore.
Independently-run art spaces are pivoting the best way they can even as they are obligated to temporarily shutter their doors. In this regard, Creative Space Brunei has set up a virtual ‘the (art) shop’ on Instagram where they promote and sell works by local artists. In Singapore, Coda Culture has produced an online PDF catalogue of Marla Bendini’s ‘April Fools’, whose original exhibition dates clashed with Singapore’s month-long partial lockdown. In this manner, viewing and purchasing the works remotely is possible. Still, uncertainties around financial sustainability are visibly felt. Coda Culture Founder Seelan Palay says, “If the situation doesn't get better, we can only hope that our landlord will agree to a temporary rent freeze.”
Certain aspects of the art logistics business, such as art handling and shipping are seeing a major decline in work engagements. Some companies are taking this time to strengthen the business from within. Vincent Ng, Business Development Director (Fine Arts) of Malca-Amit reflects, “We’re taking this opportunity to perform training and brainstorming sessions to improve overall. I hope everyone is striving towards a better tomorrow.”
Stimulus packages and buffers from various governmental bodies go some way to alleviating anxieties. Just last week, the Cultural Economy Development Agency in Malaysia announced a recovery package to assist artists and cultural workers during this period. One of its preliminary initiatives is the Create Now Funding Programme, which gives a grant of up to MYR1,500 per individual, and MYR3,500 per collective or organisation. In Singapore, the National Arts Council (NAC) rolled out a SGD55 million Arts and Culture Resilience Package, including a grant of up to SGD20,000 for digitalisation projects, among other measures such as a three-month corporate and personal income tax deference.
In spite of these measures, there are questions about the value of art and the labour behind it. "Beyond immediate financial anxieties, there is a growing sense of malaise and an existential crisis: a deep questioning of who we are and what we can do when many of us are no longer able to do what we do best," says Mok. "I’m grateful for measures that have been rolled out and adapted along the way to cushion some of the impact, but I’m also sceptical about the broader messaging, which is the implicit idea that we are not worthy of support unless we agree to perform productively."
Artists are powering through and are exploring creative ways for sustaining their practices during this period. Zoe Butt, Artistic Director of The Factory Contemporary Arts Center, observes, “I’m hearing of artists inspired by modern Vietnamese painting and creating their own interpretative reenactments; of artists returning to skills such as musical composition and drawing; of artists revisiting old works and realizing their relevance to occurrences of this pandemic,” says Butt. “So, many artists here are turning to what they do best: the art of reflection.” The Factory itself is using this time to focus on research for future projects remotely as they temporarily close.
Anchalee Arayapongpanich, ‘Untitled I’,2020, watercolour and pen on paper, 36 x 47cm. Image courtesy of G13 Gallery.
Some galleries have adapted swiftly to the circumstances. Kuala Lumpur-based G13 Gallery’s online exhibition, ‘Mending Fence: Tales From an Isolation’, is inspired by the pandemic itself. Over 40 artists from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines will showcase works that respond to this period of isolation arising from the current circumstance. This will be their seventh exhibition in their Viewing Room, which they had already launched back in 2018 to reach out to a global audience. Founder Kenny Teng says, “Thanks to the digital world we live in today, creativity can still despite being unable to view it in person. Digital exhibitions are important and will change the way the gallery works in the future.” Other galleries are catching up on the digital front. Suma Orientalis, which is also in Kuala Lumpur, is launching a virtual viewing room, and will ramp up efforts on their communication front by publishing informative articles and opinion pieces on their site.
Art Basel in Hong Kong, 2019. Image Courtesy of Art Basel.
Some galleries have adapted swiftly to the circumstances. Kuala Lumpur-based G13 Gallery’s online exhibition, ‘Mending Fence: Tales From an Isolation’, is inspired by the pandemic itself. Over 40 artists from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines will showcase works that respond to this period of isolation arising from the current circumstance. This will be their seventh exhibition in their Viewing Room, which they had already launched back in 2018 to reach out to a global audience. Founder Kenny Teng says, “Thanks to the digital world we live in today, creativity can still despite being unable to view it in person. Digital exhibitions are important and will change the way the gallery works in the future.” Other galleries are catching up on the digital front. Suma Orientalis, which is also in Kuala Lumpur, is launching a virtual viewing room, and will ramp up efforts on their communication front by publishing informative articles and opinion pieces on their site.
Museum MACAN website shown on screen. Image courtesy of Museum MACAN.
Like galleries, museums are moving their operations online to continually engage with their audiences. Museum MACAN in Jakarta, for instance, recently launched their Museum from Home initiative, where the public is able to access art, culture and creative resources on their website. The museum is cognisant of barriers imposed by internet connectedness in the country. To that end, Director Aaron Seeto says, “We are looking into doing collaborations with like-minded partners to create relevant content, one that is accessible for most Indonesians, as the level of internet connectivity varies in between areas, provinces and islands.”
In Singapore, the NAC launched an initiative, The A List, where all digital art and cultural ongoings are consolidated on one site such that one can enjoy ‘#SGCultureAnywhere’. “Creation and innovation lies strongly in the DNA of our creative community, and we see this as an opportunity to galvanise the industry and develop new ways of appreciating the arts during this tough period but also beyond,” says NAC Deputy CEO Mr. Paul Tan. “The NAC is committed to sustain the arts even as our physical spaces take a brief interlude.”
Auction houses, which have offered online sales for a number of years now, continue with these. “We are fortunate to have embarked on digital platforms several years ago. With the current situation, we have to build on our existing capabilities quickly and be innovative with our offerings in our engagement with clients,” says David Fu, Director of 33 Auction. At the same time, we have to continue to meet their needs so as to remain relevant to the market.” Bonhams is also in the midst of their online ‘Ritual + Culture: Fine Southeast Asian Arts’ auction, which ends on 22 April. Nonetheless, previews, which are important for clients to view potential purchases cannot take place and the excitement that a salesroom can generate will have to be put on hold. These postponements include Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams Hong Kong Spring Auctions, and most recently Phillips.
While the internet offers an avenue to engage with audiences, there are also constraints. Sophia Shung, Executive Director of Suma Orientalis, ponders how digitalisation affects the experience of viewing art. While all artworks are best enjoyed live, this is particularly applicable for works whose experience is greatly dependent on its corpearility or the space it inhibits. Such works include sculptural pieces, relational works and installations. “Of course, it is a very nice idea that anyone can access our showroom 24 hours a day in the comfort of his or her own home, since online viewing is awesome as an introductory and supplementary tool,” says Shung. “Nevertheless, people who get excited about a work still need the experience of engaging with it personally.”
In the face of adversity, there is a can-do spirit as the art community innovates and looks for ways to uplift each other. Public relation firms are strategising with their clients to tide over this period and look to the future. In Hong Kong, Sutton President Catherine McClelland comments, “Working in hand with museum and fair directors and curators, we have sought to pause and pivot strategies, to reassess the most important objectives and establish new ways of communicating and staying connected at this time. Developing transformative solutions, we have been providing advice at this time of crisis when many of our clients need us the most.” Sutton is also in the process of developing recovery campaigns to rally the community when the worst of the pandemic is over. Efforts to recharge the arts can already be seen, such as with Art Power HK, an initiative to rally the local community through consolidating all domestic art offerings online.
As a whole, the industry is showing a steely determination to ride out the storm. “While COVID-19 has led to many cancellations, it has shown us the tenacity of our arts clients in adapting swiftly and presenting their offerings in an innovative manner,” says Yvonne Li, Director of Singapore-based public relations firm Tate Anzur. “We also see artists coming together to collaborate and create more than ever before and we are hopeful that this shared experience will only make our arts and culture scene stronger for the future.” The same hopeful sentiments are shared by Tanya Michele Amador, Managing Director of Amador Arts Projects, who recently put out an open call for artworks and plans to promote them on its Instagram page to demonstrate solidarity and support for the art scene. “Artists and curators are using the time to reflect on how they are channelling their emotional and psychological energies into their practices in response to the challenges stemming from the virus,” says Amador. “All this brings hardships but also offers opportunities to learn, evolve and, hopefully, reboot the market in a more sustainable and responsible way.”
All in all, this is a time for contemplation as the industry reassesses its operations, strategies, and also reflects on the value of art itself. In Brunei, Creative Space is fighting to survive but also planning for the future with a belief in art’s healing powers. Osveanne Osman, General Manager and curator says, “We are preparing to contribute to the healing and closure that art can offer to our community as we reflect on the entirety of this pandemic.” And on the post-pandemic economy, Shung asserts, “What’s in our hands is to prepare the reasons well — the reasons as to why art is relevant, and why this art or that art is relevant. How will art and the art community respond to this crisis of mankind? What value does it provide? We need to do more to make art as important to the man on the street as it is to us.”
At present, the pandemic’s impact on the industry is keenly felt. Some groups in the art community are hit harder than others, depending on the nature of their work and their access to resources. Businesses are working around increasingly tight constraints to remain afloat. As the art scene adjusts to alternative working methods, with many going online, this period has also triggered renewed reflections on art and its potential. Many are keeping a positive outlook, and are already preparing for how to better operate in a post-coronavirus world.
