This June, documenta opens in Kassel. The 15th edition of one of the art world’s most significant events is helmed by Indonesian collective ruangrupa, and is premised on the idea of collaboration and shared resources. ART SG speaks to artists in Singapore whose practices and spaces revolve around these ideas of collaboration and collectivity.
ART SG speaks to Russell Storer as he debuts as Head Curator for International Art at the National Gallery of Australia, after previously serving as Director of the Curatorial and Collections department at the National Gallery Singapore, and overseeing Asian and Pacific art at QAGOMA, Brisbane. In our conversation, Russell discusses the relevance of Southeast Asian art to Australian audiences, lessons from his curatorial practice in both regions, and how art might define and reconstruct prevailing cultural and historical narratives.
The Venice Biennale returns this year after a pandemic-induced postponement. The 59th edition of the world’s oldest and largest art biennale will run from 23 April to 27 November 2022, with Cecilia Alemani helming the curated International Art Exhibition titled “The Milk of Dreams”. ART SG looks back at some highlights from previous editions of the Biennale, featuring art and artists from Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Sandy Angus, Tim Etchells and Magnus Renfrew are delighted to present their joint initiatives under the banner of The Art Assembly. The Art Assembly is an affiliation of major international art fairs comprising some of the most vibrant and influential art events in the Asia Pacific region. These include Taipei Dangdai, India Art Fair, Sydney Contemporary, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai and the forthcoming ART SG (Jan 2023).
Pinaree Sanpitak is an internationally acclaimed artist who works across various mediums such as painting, drawing, sculpture and installation. A recurring motif in her art is the ‘breast stupa’, which brings together the sacred Buddhist icon with a universal symbol of femininity, fertility, and sensuality. Distilled into abstractions of vessel and mound, each iteration is expressively different in form and tenor, suggesting the multi-faceted narratives around these familiar symbols. ART SG visits Pinaree in her Bangkok studio, and speaks to her about her practice and upcoming projects, including her participation at the Venice Biennale.
Currently on show at the Silpakorn University Art Centre in Bangkok is Natee Utarit’s solo exhibition “Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West”. ART SG’s Tan Siuli walks us through the exhibition, which imagines Buddha’s hypothetical journey to the West, and the possibilities arising from this exchange of cultures.
Arin Rungjang revisits lesser-known events in Thai history, deftly drawing together distant events across time and space to find their intersections with the present. His practice spans different media and often involves video and site-responsive installations. In this photo-feature, Arin brings ART SG on a journey through Bangkok to the Democracy Monument and Wat Borom Niwat, places that have inspired his work.
ART SG interviews pioneering Myanmar artist Htein Lin and curator Louis Ho, in conjunction with ‘Another Spring’, a solo exhibition of the artist’s latest works, which runs until 19 March at Richard Koh Fine Art Singapore. ‘Another Spring’ marks the first presentation of contemporary Burmese art in Singapore since the 2021 military coup. In our conversation, Htein Lin and Louis Ho speak about making art amidst the country’s ongoing conflict, and what we can look forward to from new waves of contemporary artists in Myanmar.
MCH Group (Basel/Switzerland), the parent company of Art Basel, announced it is taking a 15% stake in Art Events Singapore, the organizer of ART SG, the new art fair for Southeast Asia. Taking place during Singapore Art Week, ART SG, whose lead partner is UBS, will be launched on 12-15 January 2023 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. It will present some 100 leading international galleries, as well as installations, films, talks and performances.