ART SG TO ORGANISE S.E.A. FOCUS FROM 2026
This strategic consolidation expands access for Singaporean and international audiences to a dynamic range of art market segments and brings contemporary Southeast Asian art to the world stage.
Singapore, 15 September 2025 – S.E.A. Focus, a major contemporary Southeast Asian Art event in Singapore, will be organised by ART SG starting in 2026. This marks a new chapter for the event, which was founded and successfully delivered for seven years by STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery (STPI). Emi Eu, Executive Director of STPI, will remain as the artistic consultant alongside John Tung as the curator for the 2026 edition.
Commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC), S.E.A. Focus has been an anchor event of Singapore Art Week (SAW) since 2019. Founding organiser STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery (STPI), which successfully delivered seven editions of S.E.A. Focus, has nurtured a pivotal platform for established and emerging Southeast Asian artists to connect with a global audience comprising collectors, academics, dealers and enthusiasts.
S.E.A. Focus will continue to champion contemporary art from Southeast Asia on a regional and global scale. The event will also actively foster discourse and market development to deliver enriching experiences for galleries, artists and audiences with its strong curatorial format. This format represents another evolution for the event, which was conceived in 2019 as a pop-up gallery showcase at Gillman Barracks before its transformation into a curated exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.
Tay Tong, Director (Visual Arts), Arts Ecosystem Group, NAC, said, “We have seen the growth of S.E.A. Focus since its inception in 2019. With ART SG assuming stewardship of S.E.A. Focus, we look forward to ART SG building on the good work of STPI to continue to develop S.E.A. Focus as a major showcase dedicated to contemporary art in Southeast 1 Asia. Together with Emi, who stays on as the Artistic Consultant and John as the curator, there is much for artists, collectors and lovers of contemporary Southeast Asian Art to look forward to at SAW 2026. As commissioner, NAC is proud to work with our partners to surface high quality art works by Southeast Asian artists, and to deliver new and exciting experiences for all attending the annual SAW, Singapore’s premier arts and cultural event in the region.”
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