ART SG, the leading international art fair for Southeast Asia, opens today with a VIP Preview at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore. Organised by The Art Assembly and presented by Founding and Lead Partner UBS, ART SG opens to the public from 17 to 19 January 2025. The fair presents 105 galleries from 30 countries and territories around the world.

Magnus Renfrew, Co-Founder, ART SG said: “As we open the third edition of ART SG, we celebrate the consistent growth of Singapore’s art scene. An acknowledged cultural hub across the Indo-Pacific, the city’s ecosystem boasts new arts and cultural enterprises, exciting exhibitions and private foundations, as well as growing numbers of new buyers bolstering an existing and dedicated collector base. Singapore’s unique location and rapidly widening market continues to render the city an important focus for international and local collectors alike – and, within it, ART SG continues to inspire through its outstanding artistic offering. Building momentum on two successful previous editions and current high market confidence in the region, this year’s fair further strengthens its ties to Singapore and the Indo-Pacific, championing local artistic practices and engaging in stimulating international dialogue.”

Young Jin Yee, Co-Head UBS Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific and Country Head UBS Singapore: “The 2024 Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting reveals that Singapore collectors ranked amongst the highest in favouring art fairs to purchase art works, and we anticipate strong attendance at ART SG this year. As the Founding and Lead Partner for the third consecutive year, UBS is proud to support this premier international platform that highlights Singapore’s growing prominence as a cultural and artistic capital, connecting art enthusiasts, collectors, and the wider public across the region. Our offerings at the fair include a solo presentation by renowned contemporary artist Mit Jai Inn at the UBS Lounge and UBS Art Studio, commissioned by the UBS Art Collection. His immersive new works aim to inspire exploration, movement, and a heightened awareness of space and perspective. In commemoration of Singapore’s 60th year of independence, we are also proud to unveil a 60-meter-long woven tapestry at a separate section of the UBS Art Studio. The tapestry has also entered the Singapore Book of Records, further celebrating the spirit of community and collaboration in this milestone year. This marks the launch of “Art for All”, a year-long community program dedicated to making art accessible to all while encouraging creativity and dialogue.”

Jean Ng, Assistant Chief Executive, Experience Development Group, Singapore Tourism Board said: “ART SG is a key highlight of the Singapore Art Week (SAW). In its third edition this year, ART SG continues to draw new audiences and collectors from Southeast Asia and beyond, further cementing Singapore’s position as an attractive lifestyle destination with a vibrant art scene, and as a gateway to discover Southeast Asian and international art. We look forward to welcoming the international art community, art lovers and enthusiasts to Singapore, where they can enjoy the unique and memorable experiences presented by SAW and Singapore.”

Shuyin Yang, Fair Director, ART SG said: “This year, ART SG is proud to spotlight the best of Singapore and Southeast Asia’s artistic production within a wonderful line up of local, regional and international galleries. Showing diverse and intergenerational artists across solo, duo and group booths, this edition of the fair proposes an engaging display of painting, sculpture, installation, photography, film, performance and more, each exploring relevant and pressing cultural issues. A varied and stimulating talks series, organised in collaboration with Delfina Foundation Director Aaron Cezar, will see panels and discussions by artists and industry professionals, while an exciting film programme curated by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, Director of the Bangkok Kunsthalle, will offer visitors a chance to experience pioneering creative practices.”

Beyond its dynamic gallery line-up, ART SG presents a curated program of large-scale, site-specific installations and a series of engaging talks in the fair’s public spaces. Additionally, films, video and moving image artworks will be screened daily in collaboration with ArtScience Museum.

Situated throughout the fair, PLATFORM showcases site-specific installations, large-scale sculptures and performance art. This year, the section will present five works by a group of artists from diverse backgrounds and generations. The section will include Miya Ando’s Moon Enso (2024), an installation of 29 panels of printed silk chiffon, representing a complete lunar cycle; Khairulddin Wahab’s The Lands Below the Winds (2024), which explores historical geography and maritime history through the deep connection between the Malay Archipelago and its surrounding seas; Shavonne Wong’s Meet Eva Here (2024), a social experiment and performance artwork that explores the complex and evolving relationships between humans and AI companions; Promenade Chambord (2022), two sculptures from Pablo Reinoso’s acclaimed ‘Spaghetti Bench’ series, which plays with the familiar yet anonymous public bench; and Mella Jaarsma’s performance piece Surat Terakhir / Last Letter (2014) which reflects on colonial relationships, obsolete modes of communication, and the intensely personal stories held in hand-written letters. Jaarsma’s artwork will be performed at the fair at 4.30pm on Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 January, on Basement 2.

Screened daily from 17 to 19 January, the FILM program is curated by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, Founding Director of Bangkok Kunsthalle and Khao Yai Art Forest, and Artistic Director of St Moritz Film Festival. Showcasing new artistic practices and highlighting ground-breaking names working in film, video and moving image, FILM will comprise an innovative, curated section titled ‘By Artists, On Artists’, offering fresh insight into contemporary art practices across different histories and disciplines, and celebrating the synergy between visual and cinematic arts.

On offer will be a selection of film and video works created by artists, showcasing filmmaking as a medium of exploration, transcending conventional cinematic language and formats, and shown in juxtaposition to a series of films recounting the lives and careers of well-known artists. From intimate portraits to historical surveys these films offer rare insights into the complexity of creation while shedding light on the human stories behind iconic works of art. The section will develop across three chapters, ‘Constructing Landscapes’, exploring the profound connections between art, nature, and the environments—both physical and conceptual—that artists create or inhabit; ‘Voices and Whispers’, focusing on the intimate, transformative, and deeply personal journeys of artists as they navigate the intersections of life, society and history; and ‘Ruins and Prophecies’, delving into the interplay between historical legacy and visionary imagination, exploring how artists face and cope with the radical transformation of society and draw from the past to reshape the future.

ART SG PEREPECTIVES, supported by AXA XL, presents a diverse series of thought-provoking discussions exploring a range of stimulating and contemporary themes, and spotlight art from Singapore and Southeast Asia. The Delfina Foundation (London) has collaborated with ART SG on two panel discussions. The first, titled Delfina Foundation Presents: Collecting with Purpose, will explore the evolving role of collectors in developing the arts eco-system in Asia. Drawing on Delfina Foundation’s renowned Collecting as Practice programme, this panel explores the politics, philosophy and psychology of collecting through the ‘origin stories’ of collectors Daisuke Miyatsu (Japan), Quynh Nguyen (Vietnam) and Tony Lyu (South Korea). Each of their personal journeys reveal a common purpose and aspiration to transform their private passion for the arts into public impact. The conversation will be moderated by Aaron Cezar, Founding Director, Delfina Foundation. Talks are free to all fair visitors and are held daily in the Talks Theatre on Level 1. To view the complete schedule, visit the website here

Delfina Foundation Presents: What is the Role of an Institutional Director Today? will explore in a time of escalating economic, environmental, and political precarity, how can/should leaders of arts organisations respond? The audience will hear from 3 directors of institutions with varying histories, programs, and contexts, including Renan Laru-an, Artistic Director – SAVVY Contemporary, Berlin, Miwako Tezuka, Art Director, Dib Bangkok, and Xiaoyu Weng, Artistic Director, Tanoto Art Foundation. The discussion will be moderated by Wong Binghao (Bing), Curator, Editor, and Writer.

Context/Network: Korakrit Arunanondchai and Ghost2568 will bring together artist Korakrit Arunanondchai and curator Amal Khalaf. The discussion will take Ghost, a series of video and performance exhibitions in Bangkok, as a case study to discuss how local and regional contexts align or diverge from international networks. Co-founded by Arunanondchai, Ghost will launch its third and final edition in late 2025, curated by Amal Khalaf, Co-Curator Sharjah Biennale 16, Director of Programmes Cubitt Gallery, London, who will join the panel, moderated by Wong Binghao (Bing), Curator, Editor, and Writer.

We Will Assemble: Mandy El-Sayegh on Her Artwork asks how do we sit with violence? In this conversation, the influence of words and images on the unconscious will be shared, exploring how their presence in media, technology and ritual shape our bodies and minds in ways that only art can perhaps begin to unravel. Mandy El-Sayegh, Artist, UK / Malaysia will be joined in conversation with Zoe Butt, Curator, Writer and Founder of in-tangible institute, Chiang Mai.

In conjunction with Singapore Biennale 2025, a panel discussion titled Manifesting Singapore: On City as Hope and City as Trope will examine diverse perspectives on the city of Singapore, moving beyond its aspirational narrative. It brings together practitioners from academia, film programming, and curatorial practice to explore how Singapore as a site of cultural production has been conceptualised and manifested, and to discuss approaches to recontextualise lived experience in the city through decentralising, rewinding, and unearthing. Speakers are Dr Hsu Fang-Tze, Curator, Singapore Art Museum, Dr Imran bin Tajudeen, Senior Lecturer, Department of Malay Studies and Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Natalie Khoo, Programmes & Outreach Executive, Asian Film Archive and Teow Yue Han, Co-founder, Hothouse. The panel will be Moderated by Mok Cui Yin, Head, Biennale, Singapore Art Museum.

Bodies on Screens: Reimagining Connection in the Age of Artificial Forms will bring together two artists and two curators exploring the aesthetics and imagination of artificial life and forms: artists Shavonne Wong and 00 Zhang, along with curators Isaiah Cheng , Programmes Manager, DECK, and moderated by Clara Che Wei Peh, Curator and Arts Writer.

Performing Subjects, Performing Objects brings together two artists who played pivotal roles in Southeast Asian art history, and considers some of their iconic performance works and the socio-cultural contexts they navigated: Mella Jaarsma, Artist, Indonesia / Netherlands and Suzann Victor, Artist, Singapore / Australia, moderated by Tan Siuli, Contributing Editor, ART SG and Independent Curator.

The UBS Art Collection has commissioned Thai artist Mit Jai Inn to create artworks for the UBS Art Studio at ART SG 2025. Mit Jai Inn’s commissioned artworks invite the viewer to engage actively with their surroundings, urging them to move through, walk behind, and look beyond what is immediately visible. In a separate part of the Art Studio, UBS celebrates Singapore’s 60th anniversary of independence through the craft of weaving with an initiative to create a 60-meter-long tapestry woven by UBS employees, community partners and the public. This initiative marks the launch of UBS’s new community program “Art for All” which seeks to make art more accessible to everyone and enrich the local community through the transformative power of art. The Hour Glass returns for its third year as ART SG’s Associate Partner. For the 2025 edition, visitors can explore the creative world of renowned Swiss clockmaker L’Epée 1839, a prominent Maison in clockmaking for 185 years. The brand reimagines timekeepers into kinetic sculptures that tell time, crafting entirely in-house mechanical art pieces that blend watchmaking and design. L’Epée 1839 creations aim to evoke, inspire, and shock, continually pushing the boundaries of conventional horology.

Porsche continues its tradition of blending art and innovation in Singapore by becoming the Official Automotive Partner of ART SG for the first time. To mark this milestone, Porsche will unveil a newly commissioned artwork by globally acclaimed artist Red Hong Yi at ART SG 2025. Known for creating art using materials and objects from everyday life, Red Hong Yi creates a multi-layered, thought-inspiring installation “The Red Thread: Past, Present, Future” that invites viewers to reflect on the interplay of time, identity, and legacy. View the commissioned art installation and meet the artist Red Hong Yi at Porsche’s space on B2.

AXA XL reaffirms its commitment to the Asian art scene by supporting ART SG PERSPECTIVES. Beyond safeguarding works of art—central to their role as an insurer specializing in art—AXA XL demonstrates a lasting dedication to the arts. This is evident through partnerships with prestigious art fairs, funding for scientific and academic research, and support for the conservation of cultural heritage. Additionally, AXA XL nurtures young talent through initiatives like the AXA Art Prizes in the UK and the USA.

MORNING is a Singapore-based coffee tech company established in 2018, dedicated to elevating the coffee experience at home. Known for pioneering the world’s first specialty coffee capsule machine, the MORNING Machine is a Red Dot award-winning design equipped with precision-brewing features that optimize specialty coffee pods available on their online marketplace. Visit MORNING at L1 located near ART SG’s VIP Lounge, to discover how coffee can taste different when brewed on MORNING’s premium machines or enjoy a unique coffee pairing experience, featuring a flight of coffees specially curated for ART SG.

The Glendronach, a cornerstone of Scotland’s Single Malt distilleries for nearly 200 years, serves as the Official Whisky Partner of ART SG 2025. Recently, the distillery debuted a new visual identity for its core range, featuring an elegant design that reflects its commitment to excellence. The reimagined packaging includes a curated brand pattern depicting bramble and rooks, honoring its namesake—’Glendronach,’ meaning ‘Valley of the Brambles’ in Scots Gaelic. Visitors are invited to sample its exceptional sherry cask whisky collection at The Glendronach’s space on B2.

Ruinart is pleased to announce the Ruinart Art Lounge on B2 at Art SG 2025, returning as the fair’s Official Champagne Partner for the third consecutive year. Ruinart is set to present a facet of Conversations with Nature spotlighting Marcus Coates – one of the six visionaries fronting Ruinart’s Carte Blanche. Designed as a welcoming space featuring a pop-up bar and chic seating, the lounge located at B2, invites visitors to indulge in Ruinart’s Blanc de Blancs cuvée, while immersing themselves in intriguing artworks from Marcus Coates’ famous ‘Nature Calendar’.

LG Electronics Singapore brings art to life for the first time at ART SG by providing its signature digital OLED screens for multiple galleries presenting digital art, in line with its vision to enrich people’s lives with smart technologies and innovative designs. In addition, experience art in every pixel at ART SG’s PLATFORM installation on L1, featuring Singaporean artist Shavonne Wong’s digital artwork on LG’s iconic 75″ screens using the LG gram SuperSlim and LG gram Pro 2in1, presented by The Columns Gallery.

Art Outreach will spotlight the works of local artists through a curated pop-up showcase as part of their sustainable exhibition series, Off The Wall. This series emphasises collector-focused, eco-conscious practices, and at ART SG, Art Outreach presents fine art prints by Charmaine Chen, Lee Wan Xiang, and Wu Yanrong. Visitors to ART SG can explore and purchase these prints, with proceeds directed towards sustaining the artists’ creative journeys and funding Art Outreach’s non-profit educational and artist development programmes. This dual focus on supporting both creators and the broader art community reflects Art Outreach’s unwavering commitment to fostering artistic excellence and creating a lasting impact.

Sovereign Art Charity will showcase the Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) Students Prize at ART SG this year, celebrating the vital role of art in education. Since its inception in Hong Kong in 2012, the annual awards have expanded globally, recognising exceptional artworks by secondary school students from various regions. Teachers nominate their top art students to submit their works online, which are then shortlisted by a panel of art professionals. The exhibition features the top 20 artworks, with one receiving the Judges Prize and another honored through the Public Vote. Winning students and their schools benefit from cash prizes and grants supporting creative initiatives.

Marina Bay Sands will present an elevated slate of artistic experiences from 16 to 26 January, with the third edition of ‘Where Art Takes Shape’. Visitors will be invited to explore a thoughtfully curated array of offerings that highlight the richness and diversity of artistic expressions. From Southeast Asia’s premier art fair, ART SG, elevated dining experiences, a specially curated edition of Marina Bay Sands’ Spectra light show, the expanded Masterpieces Art Trail throughout Marina Bay, the Behind the Canvas Series 1: Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition, to immersive exhibitions at ArtScience Museum. These experiences are designed to engage and inspire, captivating both art enthusiasts and the broader public alike.

ART SG 2025 runs from 16th to 19th January 2025. Tickets and more information available here.