Creating conversations and potentials
By Ho See Wah

Heri Dono, ‘An Angel with Clowns’, 2008, acrylic on belgium linen, 150 x 200cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Jan Manton Art.

S.E.A. Focus is back for its much anticipated second edition as an anchor event of Singapore Art Week 2020. Organised by STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, it will take place at Gillman Barracks from 16 January to 19 January.

For STPI, S.E.A. Focus is an opportunity to showcase what the region has to offer, and additionally to create critical and forward-looking conversations on what art in Southeast Asia can potentially do, as well as the multitude of directions it can take in the future. Apart from organising the event, the non-profit organisation will present print and paper works by Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak and Indonesian-born artist Melati Suryodarmo, developed during their residencies at STPI.

The event features 20 galleries from Singapore and beyond, with all artists presented having ties to the region. While some galleries have opted to showcase a group of artists, 11 out of the 20 are going with solo presentations.

Tan Wyn-Lyn, ‘Copper paintings (work-in-progress)’, 2019, patina and resin on copper. Image courtesy of the artist.

The gallery list includes six Gillman Barracks tenants: FOST Gallery, Sullivan+Strumpf, Mizuma Gallery, Yavuz Gallery, Chan + Hori Contemporary and Richard Koh Fine Art. First-time participant FOST Gallery Director Stephanie Fong says, “We are very excited to be participating in S.E.A. Focus for the first time and our artists Grace Tan (Malaysia) and Wyn-Lyn Tan (Singapore) will be debuting their new works for the fair.”

Dawn Ng, ‘EMOTIONAL THINGS’, 2020, stone, 109 x 19 x 19cm, edition of 3+2AP. Image courtesy of Sullivan+Strumpf and the artist.

The galleries are banking on the excitement around the event to bring in new crowds. Ursula Sullivan, owner of Sullivan+Strumpf expresses, “There is already a great buzz about it, so we expect to see all of our favourite collectors and some new ones, getting out, having fun and re-connecting with our art community.” Sullivan+Strumpf will present two new series by Singaporean artist Dawn Ng, ‘MONUMENT MOMENTO’ and ‘INTO AIR (ASH)’.

Luke Heng, ‘Non-Place’, 2019, oil on linen, 188 x 330cm. Image courtesy of Yavuz Gallery.

Similarly, Gallery Manager Theresia Irma of Mizuma Gallery says, “As it is the first time we are participating in the fair, we hope that through showcasing the works of our artists in a space outside of our gallery, we will be able to meet new people and gain new experiences.” Mizuma will be bringing in Singaporean Ben Loong’s monochromatic textures for ‘Mono’. From Yavuz Gallery is Singaporean artist Luke Heng’s ephemeral works in ‘Non-Place: Peripherals’.

Ahmad Abu Bakar, ‘BUMI #7’, 2019, white stoneware, black clay and glaze (fired at 1220 degrees), 75 x 40 x 40cm. Image courtesy of Chan + Hori Contemporary.

Chan + Hori Contemporary shares its expectations of the platform to be a strong foundation for the regional art industry’s prospects. Curatorial Director & Partner Khai Hori comments, “Through S.E.A. Focus, we envision our contribution in furthering Singapore’s position as the international meeting point for art, artists and art professionals in Southeast Asia.” The gallery will be presenting works by Singapore-based artist Ahmad Abu Bakar and Indonesian artist Lugas Syllabus.

Joshua Kane Gomes, ‘Looking for Love in All The Wrong Faces’, 2019, steel, fabric & polyester fiber fill, 105 x 139 x 82cm. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art.

Richard Koh Fine Art (RKFA) Founder Richard Koh thinks S.E.A. Focus is a timely reminder of what Southeast Asian art has to offer, saying, “The fair has a good mix of Southeast Asian galleries from the region. This is a good start in re-introducing such works to many of the regional collectors who are beginning to realise what Southeast Asia has to offer.” RKFA will present a group of Southeast Asian artists: Malaysian artists Faizal Yunus, Haffendi Anuar, Hasanul Isyraf Idris, Joshua Kane Gomes, Justin Lim, Zelin Seah, Singaporean artist Keith Teo, Cambodian artist Pen Robit, as well as Taiwanese artist Liu Hsin-Ying. Most works are priced within SGD3,000 to SGD5,000.

Yanyun Chen, ‘This Line is False No.1’, 2019, charcoal on paper mounted on aluminium 150 x 60cm. Image courtesy of Art Porters Gallery.

Other participating Singaporean galleries include Art Porters Gallery, Art Seasons Gallery and Gajah Gallery. Art Porters will be showcasing ‘False Truths’ by Singaporean artist Yanyun Chen in collaboration with Singapore-based visual effects artist Alex Scollay. Prices for Yanyun Chen’s works range from SGD1,200 to SGD11,500.

Umibaizurah Mahir Ismail, ‘New Urbanism’, 176 x 41 x 25.5cm. Image courtesy of Art Seasons Gallery.

Art Seasons Gallery envisions S.E.A. Focus as a vital node in creating a more culturally-inclined country. A gallery representative says, “More initiatives like Singapore Art Week and S.E.A. Focus should be rolled out to make Singapore a more vibrant and friendly art city for local and overseas art enthusiasts to visit and enjoy.” The gallery will present Malaysian artist Umibaizurah Mahir Ismail’s works, with prices ranging SGD2,000 to SGD10,000.

Dini Nur Agnia, ‘Morning Glory’, 2019, clay flour on canvas board, 200 x 120cm. Image courtesy of Gajah Gallery.

Gajah Gallery uses the platform to showcase its young artists. Founder Jasdeep Sandhu comments, “This is Gajah Gallery’s second year participating in S.E.A. Focus, and we decided to join once again because we share the fair’s vision in spotlighting burgeoning artists working in the region that deserve to be seen and heard.” The gallery brings in three artists from their annual emerging artists show, ‘The New Now’: Indonesian artist Dini Nur Aghnia, and Singapore-based artists Kara Inez and Mahalakshmi Kannappan, with artwork prices from SGD600 to over SGD3,000.

Cheng Yen Pheng, ‘It’s Been Four Years Since’, 2015-2018, wheat root, iron wire stitching and pencil drawing on rice paper, 70cm x 396cm. Image courtesy of Wei-Ling Gallery.

Regional galleries Wei-Ling Gallery, Silverlens, CUC Gallery and Nova Contemporary share their thoughts as well. Like Gajah Gallery, Kuala Lumpur-based gallery Wei-Ling is keen to promote the next generation of artists. “We are pleased to be promoting one of the country’s most provocative young contemporary voices, Cheng Yen Pheng, who was recently awarded with the 2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia)”, says Director Lim Wei-Ling, “Joining S.E.A. Focus this year is in line with our gallery’s commitment to introducing Malaysian contemporary art to international audiences, through the presentation of strongly curated projects.”

Yee I-Lann, ‘TIKAR/MEJA 3’. Image courtesy of Silverlens.

For others, this is a chance to foster connections within a wider art community. New to S.E.A. Focus is Silverlens, who will be presenting works by Yee I-Lann and Mit Jai Inn with artwork prices ranging from SGD3,400 to SGD27,000. Gallery Director Isa Lorenzo says, “We are looking forward to connecting with friends and collectors in Singapore, as well as meeting new friends and decision makers in the art world.”

Tulip Duong, ‘Hybrid’, 2019, serpentine stone and gearbox. Image courtesy of CUC Gallery.

Hanoi-based CUC Gallery speaks on what the event can accomplish for the region. Founder and Director, Pham Phuong Cuc opines, “S.E.A. Focus is very different from other art fairs. Not only is the focus on Southeast Asian art and artists, but the organiser, alongside us, has also selectively and thoughtfully created an exhibition programming that can reveal the heart and soul of Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art.” The gallery will be presenting the works of Vietnamese artist Tulip Duong going from SGD2,000 to SGD10,800.

Tada Hengsapkul, 'Future Loop Foundation', 2016, single channel, HD video, 2 min. Image courtesy of Nova Contemporary.

As for Bangkok-based Nova Contemporary, their gallery representative views the platform as “a provoking opportunity to exhibit established and emerging artists within a diversely-curated platform to stimulate new thoughts and perspectives in art and curation.” They will showcase the works of Thai artists Nipan Oranniwesna, Jedsada Tangtrakulwong,Tada Hengsapkul, Latthapon Korkiatarkul, Sathit Sattarasart, Nim Kruasaeng, Anon Chaisansook, Mary Pakinee and Pam Virada, and Burmese artist Moe Satt, with a price range of SGD2,000 to SGD22,400.

Rirkrit Tiravanija, ‘Untitled 2019 (Beauté Esthétique with No Shampoo)’, 2019, exhibition installation view. Photograph by Jens Ziehe, image courtesy of the artist and neugerriemschneider.

Hailing from Berlin and Australia are galerie neugerriemschneider and Jan Manton Art respectively. Neugerriemschneider will present a single installation, ‘Untitled 2019 (Beauté Esthétique with No Shampoo)’ by Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, who has a residence in Berlin amongst others.

Jumaadi, ‘If You Were the Canoe, I’d Be the River’, 2018, buffalo hide with pigment, 60 x 75cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Jan Manton Art.

Jan Manton Art will present two of the three Southeast Asian artists it represents for S.E.A. Focus. Jan Manton, Director of Queensland-based Jan Manton Art says, “We are excited to bring much-loved Indonesian artists Heri Dono and Jumaadi into S.E.A Focus’ dialogue and hope to spark cross-cultural exchanges with other representing galleries and audience members alike.” Fairgoers can expect artwork prices such as SGD7,000 and SGD33,800.

Other participating galleries are The Columns Gallery (Seoul), The Drawing Room (Manila), Roh Projects Projects (Jakarta) and Vitamin Creative Space (Guangzhou).

S.E.A. Focus reaffirms its commitment to promote art from Southeast Asia and to foster deeper cultural exchanges in the art ecosystem through its programming. This aspect comes through strongly in ‘SEAspotlight’, a series of talks that attempts to chart the region’s art direction in the world and its future possibilities. Noteworthy events include the various ‘Southeast Asia Art Watch’ talks, where the art scenes of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are dissected in detail by practitioners from the respective countries, such as OHD Museum Founder Dr. Oei Hong Djien, Thai artist Korakrit Arunanondchai and Nguyễn Foundation Founder Quynh Nguyễn. Another highlight is ‘The Future of Exhibitions’ talk by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of Serpentine Galleries, who will share insights on the present and future trajectories of exhibition-making.

Expectations are high for S.E.A. Focus in its second year. As a platform that is committing itself to support the creative development of this region, many are looking towards it as champion for Southeast Asian art in the regional art industry. We’re excited to see how well the event fulfils this promise in the coming week.

Listen to our A&M Conversations with Executive Director of STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery and Project Director of S.E.A. Focus Emi Eu here.

A&M is proud to be the official media partner of S.E.A. Focus 2020, which runs from 16 January to 19 January 2020 at Gillman Barracks. The VIP Preview (by invitation only) will take place on 15 January 2020. It is an initiative led by STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery. For more information, visit seafocus.sg.