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The Institutum is the non-profit foundation behind one of the most talked-about exhibitions at last year’s Singapore Art Week. Curated by Dr. Zoé Whitley, Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics brought together more than 100 works by African, Asian, and diasporic artists across multiple spaces at Gillman Barracks. Whitley described the show as a rare opportunity to “rethink who gets heard and what types of conversations could be had [in the art world].”
This approach characterises much of the Institutum’s work. Malaysian-born collector Andreas Teoh and his late friend Tan Boon Hui, a veteran art administrator, founded the non-profit in 2019 to address gaps in the region’s art ecosystem.
“As its name suggests, the Institutum positions itself in a semi-institutional role—connecting artists and contemporary art professionals from the region with a wider international community and discourse,” says Teoh. “Our aim is to promote meaningful dialogue and mutual learning between Southeast Asia and the world.”
Teoh is particularly passionate about supporting emerging and underrepresented artists. Among the initiatives he backs is London-based art organisation Gasworks’ studio residency program. Each year, the Institutum holds an open call for Southeast Asian artists. Among the previously selected artists is Malaysian textile artist Cheong See Min. Her residency inspired a series of intricate works drawing on the colonial histories of plants and textiles, such as pineapple-leaf fibre and gambier.
This year, the Institutum collaborated with Hampi Art Labs in Karnataka, India, funding research trips for New Delhi-based artist Atul Bhalla and Singaporean artist Robert Zhao Renhui to spend time in the South Indian city. Engaging closely with the natural landscape—including a bear sanctuary—the two artists have created new works for a special project curated by Yasufumi Nakamori, to be shown at ART SG.
In October, the foundation announced a new partnership with NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts. It will be establishing The Institutum Series on Southeast Asia Fund, which will support research and programming on Southeast Asian art, both historical and contemporary. As part of the inaugural program, acclaimed Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen will lead a curatorial workshop and deliver a public lecture titled Between China and the Ocean: Southeast Asia’s Role in Trade and Art next spring.
Barely a year old, the Tanoto Art Foundation (TAF) has already accomplished a great deal. Belinda Tanoto—daughter of Indonesian tycoon Sukanto Tanoto—founded the not-for-profit organisation with the aim of nurturing the city’s burgeoning art scene. Under the leadership of artistic director Xiaoyu Weng, a former Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum curator, TAF launched with an ambitious program of activities.
In January, it opened Soul Song of a New Organization, an impressive symposium attended by more than 250 people. Beyond the usual international art crowd, the audience also included members of the public and young students. Alongside lectures by esteemed speakers such as art historian Joan Kee, the event featured a series of dramatic performances by veteran Indonesian performance artist Melati Suryadarmo.
Since then, TAF has held other talks in the city as well as in other cultural hubs such as São Paulo and Hong Kong. “By working across these nodes, we hope to foster dynamic exchanges of ideas and strengthen the visibility of artists and curators from these interconnected regions,” says Tanoto.
Most recently, TAF has supported several commissions for the Singapore Biennale 2025, including work by Ayesha Singh, Gala Porras-Kim, Cui Jie, and Eisa Jocson. In January, the foundation will open a group exhibition at New Bahru’s School Hall exploring ideas of slowness, repetition, and the intimate dialogue between embodiment and material.
Looking ahead, TAF plans to open a permanent space that will serve as an anchor for ongoing research, residencies, and exhibitions: “We see it as both a gathering point and a launchpad,” says Tanoto. “It’ll be a place where ideas can be exchanged freely, and where Singapore can play an even greater role in shaping conversations around the art of the Global Majority.”
Tucked away in an unassuming shophouse in River Valley, Kim Association is a new project space launched by Hong Kong-Singapore-based patrons Yenn and Alan Lo. The couple established their eponymous foundation in 2023, and have since been dedicated to supporting transnational Asian artistic practices.
When visitors first enter the space, they are often surprised to find a thick layer of soil below their feet. Entering deeper into the space, they are enveloped in a soft neon-green glow and encounter fruits, rocks and plants—part of a sacred offering. An immersive installation by New York-based artist Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), the work honours both her heritage and the histories of marginalised communities.
“Puppies Puppies embodies everything Kim Association stands for,” says Artistic Director Christina Li. “As a Japanese and Puerto Rican (Taino) artist, her practice bridges multiple transnational identities and speaks directly to our mission of cultivating exchange among those with roots in Asia.”
The permanent space builds on the couple’s first contribution to Singapore’s art scene: their sponsorship of a three-year art fund, established by the SEA Focus art fair and Singapore Art Museum, to acquire works for the museum’s collection.
“Singapore has strong museums and commercial galleries, but there’s always a need for smaller spaces that can respond to emerging practices,” says Li of the decision to open the space. “Private initiatives can move with agility that larger institutions sometimes cannot.”
Going forward, Kim Association plans to commission one to two new works annually. The space also aims to spark dialogue with the artistic community in Singapore and the region through various programs such as talks and performances. Most recently, it partnered with T:>Works, an independent arts company based in Singapore, and its fellowship platform Per°Form Open Academy to stage a keynote by Puppies Puppies.
Li says that funding from the foundation allows Kim Association’s program to remain artist-centered rather than market-driven. She cites their upcoming exhibition of Berlin- and Wuyi-based artist Shuang Li, which opens in January 2026, as an example. Whether it’s introducing local audiences to rising talents or exposing them to experimental performances, this project space is injecting new energy into Singapore’s cultural landscape.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PAYAL UTTAM
Payal Uttam is a freelance journalist who has been covering art and design across the globe for more than a decade. Her work has appeared in publications including: CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Quartz, Artsy and The Art Newspaper among other titles. She divides her time between Hong Kong and Singapore.
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