Art Basel Partners With Singapore Fair S.E.A. Focus
It's the third art event Art Basel will work on in the region, in addition to Art Week Tokyo and Art Basel in Hong Kong.
Exhibition view: S.E.A. Focus 2021, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore (22–31 January 2021). Courtesy S.E.A Focus. Photo: Toni Cuhadi.
Art Basel is backing another contemporary art event in Asia, partnering with S.E.A. Focus for the Singaporean fair's fourth edition from 15 to 23 January next year.
'This platform echoes Art Basel's broader mission to support the flourishing cultural ecosystems across Asia and our belief in the importance of new formats of collaboration,' said Adeline Ooi, Director Asia, Art Basel.
The support will come in the form of industry expertise and access to Art Basel's regional and international networks.
The news follows the announcement in August that Art Basel would lend similar support to Art Week Tokyo, which takes place this week from 4 to 7 November.
At the time, a spokesperson for Art Basel said strengthening art scenes in Asia was 'complementary to our core business of running our show in Hong Kong.'
'Hong Kong is firmly the home of our Art Basel show in Asia and we have no plans to launch Art Basel in Tokyo,' they said.
SEA Focus will be held at Tanjong Pagar Distripark as part of Singapore Art Week. Its theme, chance... constellations explores the shared histories, geographies, and cultures in Southeast Asia.
Participants will include: Yavuz Gallery, Gajah Gallery, Yeo Workshop, Mizuma Gallery, and Ota Fine Art from Singapore; The Cuc Gallery from Vietnam, SILVERLENS and Drawing Room from the Philippines; and Nova Contemporary from Thailand.
S.E.A. Focus was launched in 2019 by STPI Creative Workshop & Gallery with the support of Singapore's National Arts Council.
'Global attention on Southeast Asia, specifically Singapore, continues to grow and interest in contemporary art in this region is similarly increasing,' said Emi Eu, project director of S.E.A. Focus and executive director of STPI.
'We are honoured by the support from Art Basel for our 2022 edition, which will help augment Singapore's position as the leading culture hub in the region — and catapult S.E.A. Focus onto the global arts stage,' she said.
Greater China, including Hong Kong, remains by far the largest art market in the region. It's responsible for 20% of global art sales according to Art Basel's latest Art Market Report. —[O]
