STPI Director Emi Eu’s Guide to
Singapore Art Week

A Chinese proverb recommends 'crossing the river by feeling the stones'. It's a strategy embraced by Deng Xiaoping during his cultural reforms throughout the 1980s.

STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery director Emi Eu suggests the proverb also applies to the growth of Singapore's art market, something to be approached slowly, thoughtfully, and carefully—by feeling the stones.

Against the backdrop of an ever-growing programme for Singapore Art Week (19–28 January 2024), the return of Sotheby's auctions to the city in 2022 after a 15-year hiatus, and S.E.A. Focus—Singapore's primary showcase of Southeast Asian contemporary art—securing the Bank of Singapore as its Main Sponsor, things are steadily on the up.

Ocula Advisory sits down with Emi Eu, Executive Director of STPI, and Project Director of S.E.A. Focus, to guide you through the week.

Until ART SG arrived last year, S.E.A. Focus was the only art fair in the city during Singapore Art Week. What was it like working with ART SG?

I found they complemented each other well. ART SG is a business-driven fair, uniting international and local galleries. In contrast, S.E.A. Focus emphasises Southeast Asia, showcasing the integral part Singapore plays in the conversations and business in this part of the world.

There's a growing interest in our region's arts and culture. Recently, both Silverlens in Manila, and Alisan Fine Arts, a stalwart of the Hong Kong gallery scene, have opened galleries in New York. Reading the food sections of The New York Times or Financial Times, they're plastered with recipes from our part of the world.

ART SG's arrival in Singapore augments our efforts in opening up Southeast Asia to the international art scene.

Did you notice a larger, more international audience last year?

Definitely. ART SG's arrival brought Singapore into focus for major Western galleries—all of which are very important to the arts ecosystem. Their interest in exploring artists from this region is a good sign. With them came a following of collectors, buyers, and friends.

Speaking to several Korean galleries ahead of the inaugural Frieze Seoul in 2022, there seemed to be a feeling of apprehension from some local gallerists about the influx of big blue-chip galleries potentially overshadowing Korean artists and the local art scene. Do you see this happening in Singapore?

As of now, Singapore doesn't appear to be a focal point for them. There was a moment of concern when it seemed Hong Kong was going to be closed, but the success of Art Basel Hong Kong in March showed us that the city had not been as hard hit as what was written in the media. The influx of galleries is inevitable in a flourishing, dynamic market capable of supporting such demand, so it's something to welcome when the time comes.

In 2019, Art Stage Singapore—then, the city's leading art fair—closed with director Lorenzo Rudolf blaming Singapore's weak art market.

In 2020, you told Ocula Magazine that 'For any art market to thrive, you've got to have everybody working together, and that's what we call an arts ecosystem or arts landscape.'

Has that happened?

There's noticeable potential for growth in Singapore's art market. Despite auction houses leaving some time ago, Sotheby's held its first auction in Singapore in 15 years in 2022.

ART SG is a business-driven platform, and those behind it are not looking for short-term gain. Just like Art Basel when it first arrived in Hong Kong, they've put their faith in Singapore as they know this is going to be [for] the long haul.

Recently, S.E.A. Focus secured Bank of Singapore as its Main Sponsor. Financial institutions, especially in Asia, wouldn't commit to such a partnership without being confident that their main clients had an interest in the arts. Such partnerships reassure me of our market's development.

What is on the cards for S.E.A. Focus this year?

Believe it or not, this is our sixth iteration. While we're still fairly small, people in the industry know we're here. We continue to press on, sharing Southeast Asian art and artists however we can, as best as we can, brick by brick.

This year we have a new curator, John Tung. While we always have a curatorial theme, this year the fair is focusing on offering perspectives on the impact of technology on how we see, make, and present art.

Who will STPI be bringing to the fair?

We're showcasing work by the Vietnamese American artist, Dinh Q. Lê. Born in Vietnam and raised in the United States, Lê returned to Vietnam to co-found Sàn Art, the first not-for-profit contemporary art space in Ho Chi Minh City, dedicated to promoting the work of young Vietnamese artists.

Growing up near the Cambodian border, Lê admired Cambodia's beautiful cultural heritage despite periods of turmoil, including the brutal Khmer Rouge regime—a horrific time for many Cambodians.

In 2016, Lê undertook a project at STPI. The following year, he used visuals of Cambodian monuments in an exhibition that served as a poignant memorial for those who suffered and died during that dark period.

Tell me about the Heman Chong exhibition that STPI will show during the fair.

Chong's upcoming exhibition, Meditations on Shadow Libraries (17 January–10 March 2024), will be his second solo show at the gallery. It's going to be slightly larger in scale and more extensive, almost like a mini-survey of his artistic journey.

Born in Malaysia and raised in Singapore, Chong's work is conceptually-driven. He began his practice working with text, accumulating many books in the making of his works. Today, his focus has evolved towards publishing, with a particular interest in the concept of the library.

Comprising his 25-year practice working with books, the exhibition will feature his seminal work, The Library of Unread Books (2016–ongoing), a living reference library, tracing the perimeters of knowledge and reflecting on notions of access, excess, and the politics of distribution. The library will be presented with actual books, and encourages people to bring unread books to enrich the library's collection.

For those in Singapore for the fair, what shows would you suggest seeing?

I recommend seeing National Gallery Singapore's Tropical: Stories from Southeast Asia and Latin America (18 November 2023–24 March 2024), an exhibition bridging these two regions in their united struggles against colonialism. Additionally, see Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen's mid-career survey exhibition, Time & the Tiger (24 November 2023–3 March 2024), at Singapore Art Museum.

In a panel discussion last year at S.E.A. Focus, curated by Ocula's Editor-at-Large, Stephanie Bailey, prominent Singaporean collector Nathaniel Gunawan emphasised the importance of institutions such as National Gallery Singapore in re-discovering hidden narratives or artists on the fringes. Is re-discovery a curatorial priority at S.E.A. Focus?

Under Tung's curatorial direction, we position our platform as a space for encountering unseen artwork or experiencing work in new ways. There will not only be an opportunity to discover Indonesian art, but art from the broader Southeast Asia region, including Indochina, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

While we feature established Southeast Asian artists like Heri Dono, who many people know, we aim to present artists' work in a different context. That's why I believe working with a curator is very important.

Gunawan also expressed concern about emerging collectors in the city, noting a lack of appreciation for Indonesian art from the 1960s and 70s.

Young collectors exploring works on paper or prints are recognising the interconnectedness of artworks made from any part of the world at one time. The fact they're going backwards to see it is because they are learning that what we see today came from something else.

However, a concern arises as some people follow trends rather than pursuing what they love, or are immediately drawn to. Galleries bear a heightened responsibility to ensure consistency in promoting artists and curating programmes, extending beyond market peaks to endure challenging periods too.

Platforms like S.E.A. Focus, Frieze Masters, and Frieze London bridge the past and present, providing buyers and collectors with opportunities to appreciate and see that there's more beyond contemporary art.

Lastly, where should people eat in the city?

I'd suggest trying out the Hawker Centres. These open-air food halls offer a diverse selection of local delights. You can grab an empty table, order from various stalls, and try all the culinary offerings. While the quality varies across centres, any one Hawker Centre would have one good stall. Just keep an eye out for those with long queues. —[O]