The SAM ART SG Fund Returns For A Second Year

The SAM ART SG Fund will return for ART SG 2026 with an allocation of SGD 150,000 to acquire works by leading and emerging artists presented at the fair, reinforcing the fair’s role as a key platform for collecting and strengthening Singapore’s arts ecosystem. Made possible through the generous support of patrons Carmen Yixuan Li, Pure Yichun Chen, and other anonymous donors, with advisory guidance from ART SG Fair Director Shuyin Yang, the Fund enables SAM to acquire works of significance that resonate locally and internationally. 

Following acquisition, the artworks will be available for public viewing through SAM’s exhibitions and programming, supporting visual arts education and broadening public access to contemporary art. 

Eugene Tan, CEO and Director, Singapore Art Museum, said: “This initiative will grow the breadth of SAM’s collection and strengthen our commitment to collecting works by international artists that engage meaningfully with global and regional discourses. We thank our patrons and partners for supporting the growth of our collection to benefit our audiences.”

Shuyin Yang, Fair Director, ART SG, added: “We are honoured to realise the SAM ART SG Fund launching at the third edition of ART SG, through the generous support of our patrons. This initiative will significantly broaden the fair’s impact within Singapore’s art and culture landscape, fostering connections between artists, galleries and institutions, and supporting the expansion of Singapore Art Museum’s collection of international art, alongside its world-class Southeast Asian permanent collection.”

Magnus Renfrew, Co-Founder, ART SG, said: “The inauguration of the SAM ART SG Fund is an important indicator of Singapore’s increasing importance as a cultural hub within Asia Pacific. ART SG is thrilled to see this ambitious project come to fruition, and eagerly support its role in bolstering the local ecosystem and create a legacy for generations to come.”

The inaugural 2025 Fund supported the acquisition of three key works: Kim Yun Shin, Add Two Add One Divide Two Divide One 2023–6 (2023), presented by Lehmann Maupin; Kapwani Kiwanga, Magma (2024), presented by Goodman Gallery; and Lêna Bùi, Breathing no.2 (2024), presented by Galerie Urs Meile.