IMPART Collectors' Show 2021 Goes Digital

‘Leap of Faith’ by Art Outreach Singapore brings new insights on collecting art
By Ho See Wah

Deni Ramdani, ‘0°’, 2017, soil, water and goldfish, dimensions variable. Image courtesy of Wiyu Wahono.

The 4th IMPART Collectors’ Show returns this year in a special edition that takes place entirely online. Organised by Art Outreach Singapore, it is a much-welcomed annual event that provides a glimpse into the world of private acquisitions, and offers collectors a platform to share their zeal as art advocates. 

Precipitated by the logistical constraints owing to COVID-19, IMPART maximises the situation by taking advantage of what the virtual format offers. Titled ‘Leap of Faith’, the exhibition will host a series of video interviews with the collectors on a dedicated microsite. These interviews grant rare access into their homes and offices, and enable us to view how the artworks are displayed and contextualised in their semi-permanent settings. Additionally, the digital platform permits the viewing of works that are physically challenging to transport and showcase.

Shilpa Gupta, ‘Someone Else’, 2011, stainless steel books with MS shelves, 373 x 150cm. Image courtesy of Sangita Jindal.

The interviews themselves offer insights into the world of private art collecting, and illuminate the multiple steps that go into the process, and the relationships that are forged through it. ‘Leap of Faith’ demystifies the business of art collecting and encourages art appreciators to think more seriously about acquiring works.

Eddi Prabandono, ‘Vespa’, 2013, iron plate material, vespa special with duco paint, 640 x 340cm. Image courtesy of Art Outreach.

For husband and wife Lito and Kim Camacho who are based in Manila and Singapore, cultivating a relationship with the artist is an important part of the collecting process. While not a necessity, this has sometimes been a determining factor in whether they acquire a work or not. The couple, who owns one of the most important collections of modern and contemporary art in the Asia-Pacific region, notes that additional information like the books the artists read or their philosophies of life can play a role in cementing the decision. “It is extremely rewarding to know the artist because when you look at the works, you can see it in a different light,” comments Lito. “When you know the way they think when they are making their art, it gives you a better appreciation of it.” 

This is the case for one of the works in IMPART, Indonesian artist Eddi Prabandono’s ‘Vespa’ (2013). When they first spotted the work at Art Stage, Singapore, the Camachos had no intention of acquiring the work though they were impressed by it. It was only after meeting Prabandono in real life and having an instant connection with him that the collectors were convinced to acquire the work. 

Fostering a relationship with the artist does not end after the artwork has passed hands. The couple notes that they remain friends with many of the artists whose works they collect, and often invite them to stay when they are in town. Most notably, Lito and Kim own a farm in Manila that doubles up as a space for an art residency, which Prabandono took part in as well. 

Xu Zhongmin, ‘Adam and Eve’, 2008, mechanical installation, 1200 x 180 x 110cm. Photo by Colin Wan, image courtesy of Art Outreach.

Such artist-collector relationships are fruitful for both parties in a myriad of ways. This is the case for Singapore-based collector Woffles Wu as well, who owns a private museum in Singapore dedicated to contemporary Chinese art. An avid collector of Chinese artist Xu Zhongmin, Wu has also developed a close partnership with the artist. On meeting him, Wu recounts, “I was able to learn more about him, his thoughts, why he does certain things and why he sticks to kinetic works and not other forms.” Wu adds, “In turn, he could also understand some of my artistic direction and my philosophy, as well as how I wanted to see certain representations of work, so we have been collaborating since then.” 

One such work featured in the IMPART Collectors’ Show is ‘Adam and Eve’ (2008). Drawing inspiration from an earlier work where a skeleton was clothed, unclothed, and clothed again in a perpetual cycle, Wu suggested replacing the skeleton with the figure of Adam, which would then morph into Eve, and eventually into a skeleton to echo the idea of rebirth. Taken by the idea, the artist executed it to produce ‘Adam and Eve’.  

Ernesto Klar, ‘Relational Light, 2010, haze, video cameras, projectors, speakers and custom software system, dimensions variable. Image courtesy of Wiyu Wahono.

In other instances, getting to know the artist behind the work is not a crucial factor. For Indonesian collector Wiyu Wahono, acquiring art is predominantly about capturing the spirit of today’s milieu. The experimental artworks he gravitates towards reflects this mission well. “Collecting art has to do with preserving our culture among others,” he says. “So if you focus on building a strong collection and capturing the zeitgeist, or preserving art such as new media that will be gone if people like me do not collect it, then it is not important to meet the artist.” 

This is aptly reflected via Venezualan-American artist Ernesto Klar’s ‘Relational Light’ (2010), an interactive audio-visual installation that allows the audience to actively manipulate light with their bodily movements. The artwork is unorthodox in its use of innovative and uncommon artistic media as it utilises light, sound, smoke and a custom-tracking software that requires a complex and precise technical set-up. And conceptually, the artist pushes the boundaries of what contemporary art can offer through bringing to life the idea and experience of kinetically interacting with light. 

Sopheap Pich, 'The Duel', 2008, bamboo, wire and glue, 252 x 120 x 61cm. Photo by Colin Wan, image courtesy of Art Outreach.

In addition to gleaning more into artist-collector relationships, the interviews also reveal much about the intent and strategies of the collectors. For Singapore-based Jim Amberson, the impetus to cultivate his Southeast Asian contemporary art collection came from a desire to more deeply understand the region. This commitment drove Amberson to take a Master of Arts in Southeast Asian Studies with the National University of Singapore. Amberson also acquires works outside of Southeast Asia and juxtaposes them with the ones from the region. “It demonstrates that Southeast Asian art can hold its own in collaboration or in context with artists from other parts of the world,” he says. “It also points out that Southeast Asian art should not just be seen in a bubble, and there needs to be an opportunity for it to be part of global narratives, global themes, global discourse.” Viewers can expect to see a microcosm of this approach through the IMPART Collectors’ Show, which will feature Amberson’s works from Moffat Takadiwa, born in Zimbabwe, Maria Taniguchi based in Manila and Sopheap Pich based in Phnom Penh. 

Andy Warhol, 'Susan and Mark', 1983, Acrylic, silkscreen on canvas, 102 x 102 cm. Image courtesy of Suzanne Syz.

Besides selected works in the collection of Camacho, Wu, Wahono and Amberson, the audience can look forward to seeing works in the collections of Mumbai-based Sangita Jindal, who has a long history of supporting cultural heritage and the arts, and Geneva-based Suzanne Syz, whose collection comprises 300 works including pieces by Cindy Sherman and Wolfgang Tilmans. Highlights include Shilpa Gupta's inspiring 'Someone Else' (2011), an installation of stainless steel books written anonymously or under pseudonyms that speaks to histories of censorship and repression, and 'Susan and Mark' (1982), a portrait of Suzanne Syz and her son Marc rendered in Andy Warhol’s iconic pop art style, respectively. 

It is a treat to access these deeply personal private collections, and more so to hear the collectors explain their motivations and strategies for selecting works to develop their collections. The 4th IMPART Art Collectors’ Show leaves us with a keener appreciation for the multi-faceted role that collectors can play within the art ecosystem at large.


Watch the interviews, which details what drives the collectors to acquire art, more about the works they own, and what advice they have for people who would like to start their own collection here.