The sixth edition of S.E.A. Focus running from 20 to 28 January 2024 promises a compelling showing of the best works from Southeast Asia, coupled with the welcoming of Bank of Singapore as Main Sponsor. Visitors can expect to see more large-scale works and installations, including a designated screening room featuring artists’ video works, all within the walls of the exhibition ground at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

Commissioned by the National Arts Council, Singapore (NAC) as a key event in the Singapore Art Week (SAW) calendar, this expanded scale is backed by the support of many stakeholders and partners, both new and returning. For the first time, Bank of Singapore comes on board as Main Sponsor for S.E.A. Focus 2024.

“Bank of Singapore is proud to sponsor this extraordinary art platform celebrating Southeast Asia’s rich cultural heritage and artistic diversity. By contributing to the region’s flourishing arts scene through our sponsorship of S.E.A. Focus, we hope to foster and cultivate creativity, providing a unique opportunity for diverse artists to showcase their talents,” expressed Jason Moo, Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Singapore.

With much to anticipate is also the fresh spin that first-time S.E.A. Focus curator John Tung puts to this leading Southeast Asian contemporary art platform, where an assembly of works from 22 galleries and over 40 artists from the region will be presented to an international audience during Singapore Art Week. Themed Serial and Massively Parallel, the showcase explores the interplay between humanity and technology in this increasingly digital age through art pieces that contemplate the human distinctiveness in creativity, artistic expression and the experience of art.

A key highlight of the exhibition is the staging of “A Conversation with the Sun (Installation)” – the brainchild of acclaimed Thai artist and auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul – by BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY for the first time in Singapore. This interdisciplinary artistic endeavour will encompass a video installation with large moving curtain backdrops, mechanised by the design team of DuckUnit. Featuring selected footage documented by the artist over several years, it was first presented in Bangkok alongside a published book of his conversations with spectres of people and entities including prominent figures and the Sun – made possible with Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform GPT-3. Weerasethakul’s bold exploration of new technologies in his artistic journey is also evident in his other framed works showing at S.E.A. Focus 2024 which incorporated text-to-image AI generation.

Another must-see masterpiece is “Traces of Historical Journey” by revered Indonesian artist FX Harsono (Baik Art), a 2.5-metre long installation of a boat with LED neon flex, embroidered textile, old wood carvings and filled with red electric candles. Visitors to the exhibition can also spend uninterrupted time at the designated screening room to view the video works of artists like Wu Chi-Yu from Taiwan (TKG+) and Anida Yoeu Ali from Cambodia (Wei-Ling Gallery).

Central to S.E.A. Focus’ commitment is the support for younger Southeast Asian artists and their practices, leveraging its position as a conduit and platform that propels artists onto the international stage. Some of these emerging artists to watch at S.E.A. Focus 2024 include Alexander Sebastianus Hartanto from Indonesia (ISA Art Gallery) who is showing a pentaptych of batik prints on pixelated archived photographs that beg a closer look; Goldie Poblador from the Philippines (MONO8) who is presenting a body of captivating blown glass works; and Singaporean artist Aiman (Art Porters Gallery), whose series of paintings depicts dynamic landscapes with a delicate balance of both pristine grandeur and underlying chaos.

Sharing the same dedication, Sàn Art – a non-profit, independent artist-led space from Ho Chi Minh City – joins S.E.A. Focus for the first time. Co-founded by internationally acclaimed Vietnamese artist Dinh Q. Lê in 2007, it has now grown into a leading arts organisation in the region supporting critical discourse, educational initiatives and artistic experiments. The recognition of the region’s artistic talents doubles down at S.E.A. Focus with the second iteration of the SAM S.E.A. Focus Art Fund, an initiative that kickstarted in 2023 with the support of founding sponsor, the Yenn and Alan Lo Foundation. For this edition, Mami Kataoka, Director of Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, has been invited as guest juror alongside two other representatives from Singapore Art Museum (SAM) to identify notable pieces to be added to the SAM collection.

Complementing the main exhibition is the signature SEAspotlight Talks, a curated series of conversations by art professionals and thought leaders. The line-up dovetails with the curatorial theme and looks at efforts in the region to create, critique, curate and collect art in the current landscape. Among the speakers will also include artists such as Yee I-Lann (Silverlens), Heri Dono (The Columns Gallery) and Dinh Q. Lê (STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery).

Another returning programme is OFF Focus, a film screening programme which will be hosted at The Projector’s newly-opened space at Cineleisure Orchard. Curated by Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film, ticket-goers will be treated to a continuous screening of 9 short films created by renowned Thai artist-filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul on 21 January. These films reflect and ponder about humanity and our consciousness – some of which are rarely featured in Singapore. The screening will be bookended with an online Q&A session with the artist himself.

“This is the second year that Objectifs is partnering with S.E.A. Focus for OFF Focus, where we continue our dedication to showcase Southeast Asian art and film. As one of the most original voices in contemporary cinema, Apichatpong Weerasethakul needs no introduction to the film and art world. We are extremely elated to present a series of short films for this upcoming screening, selected by Apichatpong himself. It will be an experience for the audience to encounter these films,” said Leong Puiyee, curator for OFF Focus 2024 and Assistant Programme Director at Objectifs.

The strategic partnership continues with Artsy, the largest global online marketplace for buying, selling and discovering art by leading artists. It provides a unique opportunity for exhibiting galleries to showcase and promote their artists’ artworks to Artsy’s global audience online. Collectors can also experience S.E.A. Focus 2024 on Artsy to discover artists, save favourite works, view works on their home walls using the AR mobile tool and directly purchase work from galleries – all at the click of a button.

Featured Image: Apichatpong Weerasethakul – A Conversation with the Sun (Installation) – Photo” Image courtesy of Apichatpong Weerasethakul and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY

S.E.A. Focus 2024 runs from 20th to 28th January 2024 at 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Tickets and more information at www.seafocus.sg. Tickets for “OFF Focus” on 21 January 2024 are available for purchase here.