ART SG, the leading international art fair for Southeast Asia, closed the second edition of its 2024 show in Singapore with galleries reporting solid sales to collectors from around the world. Held across four days, the fair featured a dynamic lineup of 114 galleries from 33 countries and territories from around the world. This year’s edition has shown once again that ART SG is able to play a vital role in developing audiences for contemporary art in the region whilst deepening Southeast Asia’s connection to the international art world.

Presented over two floors of the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre and organised by The Art Assembly, ART SG gathered collectors, galleries, institutions, artists, organisations, and art lovers alike advancing new and crucial opportunities for dialogue, discovery, and exchange. With 45,303 visitors in attendance at the fair alone, ART SG’s second edition has reaffirmed its position on the international cultural and events calendar.

Magnus Renfrew, Co-Founder, ART SG said: “We are delighted by the response to the second edition of ART SG – the first major art fair of the year and a must-see on the cultural calendar. A significant number of collectors and institutions from the region and further afield attended the fair demonstrating the appeal of both the fair as well as the city’s abundant cultural offerings. Our participating galleries reported swift and robust sales at this buzzy and energetic edition. In addition, we are also proud of the city’s arts scene and how it has embraced ART SG for Singapore Art Week 2024. This year has shown once again that ART SG is able to both burnish and support Singapore’s increasingly influential role as a hub for the Indo-Pacific’s growing art market and its world-class visual art ecosystems.”

Shuyin Yang, Fair Director, ART SG said: “We are thrilled to report a strong second edition of ART SG and immensely grateful and honoured by the participation and commitment of our galleries to the fair. It was gratifying to see Singaporeans and many others from around the world turn out in force for ART SG. Singapore has truly shown its ability to appeal to many different audiences with its dynamic arts scene. I am truly excited to see how its story unfolds over the years to come.”

Jin Yee Young, Co-Head UBS Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific and Country Head UBS Singapore: “It was great to see such strong attendance of collectors, curators, institutions, and artists at this year’s fair, showing that ART SG has quickly established itself as a major moment for contemporary art in Singapore and Southeast Asia. The fair brings together a diverse community from the region as well as visitors from further afield. A highlight was the public response to the interactive project by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho, commissioned by the UBS Art Collection and presented at the UBS Art Studio, which addresses plastic waste production and served as a reminder of the power of art to inspire and spark conversation.

Leading private collectors from around the world attended the fair including Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as Europe and the US as did directors, curators, and patrons from international museums and institutions, including: Chisenhale Gallery, UK; Delfina Foundation, UK; Museum; MACAN, Indonesia; UCCA, China; Director of National Gallery Singapore and Director of Singapore Art Museum, Singapore; Toledo Museum, USA; Director of International Programmes for Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE; Director, GyeonGi Cultural Foundation and Gyeonggi Province Museum, Korea; Director, Mori Art Museum, Japan; The Whitworth, Manchester, UK; Bangkok Kunsthalle, Thailand; LACMA, USA; Yuz Museum, China; Gasworks and Triangle Network, UK; Bangkok Art Biennale, Thailand; Bangkok Kunsthalle, Thailand; M+ Hong Kong; The Eight Foundation, Singapore; Delfina Foundation, London, UK; Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai, China; The Outpost Art Organisation, Hano, Vietnam; in-Tangible Institute; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Samadhi Ventures, Singapore; Han Nefkens Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.

As part of Singapore Art Week 2024, ART SG’s rich cultural programming like others unfolded alongside the activities of leading cultural institutions, private art foundations and galleries across the city which hosted exhibition openings and special events as part of Singapore Art Week (SAW) demonstrating an impressive showing of the city’s diverse and flourishing visual arts scene to local and international visitors.

Throughout the fair’s four days, galleries reported speedy and sustained sales, with works placed in major private and institutional collections. Galleries highlighted an enthusiastic response from both established and emerging collectors from all corners of the world, with many noting that ART SG had provided a great platform for meeting new collectors.

A snapshot of reported sales include: Thaddeaus Ropac sold a work by Anselm Kiefer for EUR 1.1 million, alongside works by Lee Bul, Miquel Barceló, Jules de Balincourt, Alex Katz, Oliver Beer, Mandy El-Sayegh, and James Rosenquist; Sundaram Tagore sold a range of works by Hiroshi Senju, Jane Lee, Miya Ando, and Zheng Lu for a combined total of over USD 1 million; White Cube sold works by Tracey Emin, Jessica Rankin, and Darren Almond, among others for a combined total of GBP 1.5 million; Waddington Custot sold two sculptures by Barry Flanagan, including a work sold for USD 680,000 to a Chinese resident of Singapore, an installation featured as part of PLATFORM by Ian Davenport sold for USD 360,000 and two sculptures by Yves Dana, including a work sold for USD 92,000 to a collector based in Singapore; Lehmann Maupin sold a number of works, including a painting by David Salle sold for USD 250,000 to a prominent family collection in Singapore, alongside multiple works by Lee Bul and Kim Yun Shin for prices within the range of USD 200,000 – 300,000 and USD 60,000 – 90,000 respectively; Johyun Gallery sold a number of works, including a painting by Park Seo-Bo for USD 250,000 and multiple works by Lee Bae for prices in the range of USD 50,000 – 180,000 each; The Back Room placed an installation by Marcos Kueh featured as part of PLATFORM to an institution in Singapore with a price range between SGD 50,000 – 100,000.

First-time participant Sabrina Amrani sold three works by Carlos Aires within a price range of USD 27,000 – 60,000 to private collectors in Singapore; Asia Art Center sold a number of key works by Li Chen and three works from Ju Ming’s Tai Chi Series, all of which have been acquired by private collectors, with a total value of around USD 600,000; Waterhouse & Dodd sold four works by Duncan McCormick to private collectors in the UK, South Korea, Italy and Hong Kong for a combined total of USD 150,000; albertz benda reported a sold-out presentation of three new paintings and four mixed-media watercolours by Australian painter Del Kathryn Barton to a Chinese collector on the opening day; Carl Kostyál reported a sold-out booth of Indonesian artist Atreyu Moniaga, with works priced at USD 18,000 each; Harper’s sold a painting by Eliot Greenwald for USD 40,000 and a painting by Marcus Brutus for USD 32,000; and MAKASIINI CONTEMPORARY sold works by Nir Hod and Jacob Hashimoto for USD 68,000 and USD 40,000 to private collectors in Singapore and Belgium respectively.

ART SG’s participating galleries across the fair’s three main sectors showcased ambitious solo, duo, and group presentations featuring outstanding artworks by artists from throughout Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world. The main GALLERIES sector showcased outstanding presentations by leading international and regional galleries; FOCUS highlighted in-depth solo or duo artist programs, or curated thematic presentations; FUTURES focussed on nurturing young galleries established within the last ten years showcasing never-before-exhibited work by rising talents.

Galleries reported success across all sectors. “We are thrilled to be participating in ART SG for the second year in a row. We achieved significant sales of many primary and secondary market works, including prominent placements in Singapore itself. The palpable energy and enthusiasm during the VIP preview made clear that the local market has been rapidly developing and the number of international visitors from across Asia was equally impressive. Gagosian is very grateful to the many local institutions and individuals whose obvious efforts during the past year have ensured the success of the second ART SG,” says Nick Simunovic, Managing Director, Asia, Gagosian (New York, London, Paris, Geneva, Basel, Gstaad, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong).

“We have witnessed significant growth in the region, and ART SG plays a vital role in enhancing our connectivity across Southeast Asia. Participating in the fair is essential for us, as it allows for the cultivation of a stronger and deeper connection,” says Xavier Hufkens, Owner and Founder, Xavier Hufkens (Brussels)

“Delighted to be back at ART SG. The first day got off to a good start as we sold two works by established European artists to collectors from Southeast Asia, another by Australian artist Jessica Rankin and had a number of serious conversations, which converted into sales over the fair reaching a total of GBP 1.5 million,” says Wendy Xu, General Manager, Asia, White Cube (London, Hong Kong, New York, Seoul, Paris, West Palm Beach) .

“We are very content with the sales we made and the people we met. Collectors were engaged and the relaxed atmosphere makes it a pleasure to do business. Singapore is clearly emerging as a serious place for the modern art collector and we look forward to returning next year,” says Jacob Twyford, Senior Director, Waddington Custot (London) .

“The second edition of ART SG was amazing. We are thrilled to have had a successful fair, not only placing works in prominent Asian collections, but making new connections with collectors from Southeast Asia and beyond. The fair grounds are also wonderful, with spacious aisles that feel open and conducive for art. We cannot wait to return next year,” says Ken Tan, Director, Lehmann Maupin (New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, London).

“We’re happy to be back at ART SG to see how the fair is developing. It’s still a young fair but it’s growing in terms of attendance and drawing prominent collectors from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan. There’s also notably more energy and pace than last year, with clear intent to buy and sales happening more swiftly. We had strong sales during the fair, including works by Anselm Kiefer, Alex Katz, James Rosenquist, Lee Bul, Oliver Beer, Heemin Chung among others, affirming the evolving market here,” says Dawn Zhu, Director, Asia, Thaddaeus Ropac (London, Paris, Salzburg, Seoul).

“The number of sales we have seen within the first hours of the VIP days has proven that ART SG has come back even stronger in its second edition. By the end of the VIP preview, works by Abdul Abdullah, Pinaree Sanpitak and Manit Sriwanichpoom were placed with institutional collections. Even stronger sales continued on Day 2, with more than 20 works sold to local and international collectors by artists Alvin Ong, Nicholas Ong, Ayka Go, Karen Black, ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 40,000,” says Can Yavuz, Founding Director, Yavuz Gallery (Singapore, Sydney)

“Sales for this year’s ART SG have so far been very good; We have sold works by renowned artists such as Han Sai Por, the late I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih, and Jane Lee. It’s refreshing to see people from all over the world — from institutional curators, to new and veteran collectors — flying in for the fair. It makes for a truly rich and expansive experience, sharing with them how much our region has to offer,” says Jasdeep Sandhu, Director, Gajah Gallery (Singapore, Jakarta, Yogyakarta).

“We have very successfully connected with clients both old and new. We’ve had a gallery in Singapore for more than ten years, so we have a well-established collector base in Singapore,” says Sundaram Tagore, Founder, Sundaram Tagore Gallery (New York, Singapore, London)

“Returning to ART SG for a second time, we continued relationships that were initiated at last year’s fair and began new dialogues with collectors from the region. The fair provides a good entry point to a maturing collector base that would otherwise remain geographically remote,” says Thorsten Albertz, Founder, albertz benda (New York, Los Angeles).

“As first-time participants in an international art fair, we’re thrilled with the reception that our booth and PLATFORM public installation has received. We got to meet friends old and new, and many of our KL friends even travelled down to support us! The outpouring of support and genuine interest in our artists has been heartening – we hope this will lead to wider exposure for our artists and for Malaysian art in general,” says Liza Ho, Gallery Director, The Back Room (Kuala Lumpur).

“As the curtains draw to a close for ART SG, we find ourselves humbled and happy to play a small part in the growing art scene in Singapore, meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones. We hope we can continue to promote the beautiful art and culture of Asia Pacific to the world,” says Kevin Poon, Founder, WOAW Gallery (Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore).

ART SG 2024 ran from 18th to 21st January 2024. The next iteration of ART SG will take place 17th to 19th January 2025 (Preview on 16th January). Details on the third edition will be announced in due course. More information available here