Did you think that ART SG had reached peak performance in 2024? Well, think again! Come January 2025, the art fair that has single-handedly turned Singapore into the centre of art in Asia is back, bigger and better than ever!
What’s more, this year, it’s happening at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre – because if you’re going to host the art world’s elite, you may as well do it in style So, follow me as we take a deep dive into what makes ART SG 2025 an event you simply can’t miss!
Galleries: Where the World’s Best Art Comes to Flex
First up, the GALLERIES sector. Think of it as the main event, the headliner, the part of the fair where the biggest names in the art world come to show off their best! Featuring 56 leading galleries from across the globe, it showcases everything from contemporary paintings to digital installations that’ll make you question everything you know about art!
Zilberman (Istanbul, Berlin, Miami)
Zilberman’s exhibit is all about the connection between tradition, society, and the individual. It’s deep, complex, and designed to make you really think about your place in the world.
Featuring works by Carlos Aires, Isaac Chong Wai, Sandra del Pilar, Azade Köker, and Sim Chi Yin, this exhibit spans sculpture, video, and installation formats, exploring personal stories and societal power structures.
Waddington Custot (London)
Meanwhile, over at Waddington Custot, you’ll find works that celebrate the old and the new, with the late British sculptor William Turnbull and decorated Chinese painter Chu Teh-Chun taking centre stage. It’s the perfect blend of East meets West, with a touch of abstract expressionism that will leave you pondering the deeper meaning of life – and the meaning of the art you’re looking at. Also on display will be works by Ian Davenport and another British sculptor, Barry Flanagan!
FOCUS: Where the Future of Art Lives
If the GALLERIES sector is the big show, then FOCUS is where you can get a window into the future of the art world! Here, 36 galleries showcase solo or duo artist presentations, highlighting up-and-coming and mid-career talents who aren’t afraid to push art to the edge of the envelope, beyond the limits of convention.
From themes that broach red-hot issues to the usage of experimental techniques, if you’re looking for the weird and wonderful, FOCUS is for you!
SAC Gallery (Bangkok)
Ready to have your view of flowers forever changed? SAC Gallery’s Naraphat Sakarthornsap’s latest series, A Hopeless Hope, uses floral arrangements to critique social inequalities! Visually stunning yet deeply political, the display addresses hidden inequalities and societal power dynamics in ways that will make you question everything through the medium of a few stalks and petals.
HOFA (London)
Over at HOFA, the focus is on the intersection – whether it be conflict or cooperation – between human creativity and AI, a theme that’s more relevant now than ever. Featuring works by Sougwen Chung, Emily Xie, Wang Ziling, Eser Gündüz, Hannes Schauer and Vladinsky, this exhibit explores the redefinition of painting as an artistic medium.
Other aspects of HOFA broach ideas of how AI algorithms and humans collaborate to create artworks that are both visually stunning and texturally complex. Most of all, it’s a poignant exhibition for all artists, who now more than ever have to face up to the presence of AI in the art world.
FUTURES: The Young Guns of the Art World
If you want to know where the next big thing might come from, look no further than FUTURES! This sector is dedicated to galleries that are less than 10 years old, showcasing works created specifically for ART SG. It’s where the new blood of the art world are invited to flex their creative muscles, and they won’t disappoint!
Haridas Contemporary (Singapore)
Making their ART SG debut, Haridas Contemporary spotlights Melissa Tan’s monumental sculpture, The Fates: Klotho, Lachesis & Antropos. If you’re into mythology, womanhood, or just really impressive metalwork, this is the exhibit for you. Also on display are works by Esmond Loh and Jeremy Sharma, two of Singapore’s most exciting contemporary artists!
Warin Lab Contemporary (Bangkok)
Warin Lab’s joint exhibition, A World in Parallel, by artists Nakrob Moonmanas and Eri Imamura will challenge everything you think you know about history and memory.
Through their unique artistic lenses, these emerging artistic firebrands will make you question the historical narratives we’ve all been taught to accept as truth, making us contemplate the nature of memories and how malleable the truth can be.
PLATFORM: Go Big or Go Home
Sometimes, art needs to be larger than life to make a point. That’s where PLATFORM comes in. This sector is all about the big, bold, and beautiful, featuring large-scale, site-specific installations that will have you stopping in your tracks.
Miya Ando’s Moon Ensō (2024)
You’ll be over the moon when you see Miya Ando’s Moon Ensō – literally! Featuring 29 printed silk chiffon panels representing the phases of the moon, it invites visitors to reflect on the cyclical nature of life.
It’s derived from one of Ando’s earlier works, Almanac, which was a series of 1345 small drawings over the course of two and a half years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moon Ensō is a beautiful, calming piece of art that offers a break from the chaos of the rest of the fair.
Shavonne Wong’s Eva (2024)
Meanwhile, Shavonne Wong is taking things in a completely different direction with Eva, an AI-driven performance artwork that explores our evolving relationship with artificial intelligence! Part chatbot, part virtual influencer, Eva is a mirror reflecting society’s thoughts and feelings about AI. It’s interactive, futuristic, and it holds up an AI-tinted mirror to society’s thoughts and feelings on AI in our lives.
FILM: Art in Motion
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to watch art come to life, welcome to the FILM sector of ART SG 2025! Curated by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, founder of Bangkok Kunsthalle, this year’s film program promises to be an exciting mix of video art, documentaries, and short films that explore the relationship between moving images and contemporary art. It’s a deep dive into the minds of artists who see the world through a lens!
By Artists, On Artists
One of the main highlights of this year’s FILM sector is the series By Artists, On Artists. This program places the spotlight on films made by artists about other artists – because who better to understand the creative process than fellow creators? Expect documentaries and short films that give you a behind-the-scenes look into the lives, struggles, and creative journeys of some of the most influential artists in the world.
TALKS: Conversations That Matter
Of course, what would ART SG 2025 be without a few deep, thought-provoking conversations? The TALKS program, curated by Aaron Cezar from the Delfina Foundation, features an impressive lineup of speakers from across the art world. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just dipping your toes into the art scene, the TALKS program is designed to challenge your thinking and broaden your understanding of the art market!
Want to further challenge your perception of art? Talks from Southeast Asian rising stars such as Malaysian-born painter Mandy El-Sayegh and multifaceted Thai artist Korakrit Arunanondchai are available to attend!
ART SG 2025
And that’s a quick rundown of what to expect! ART SG 2025 is more than just a fair; it’s an experience, a chance to see the world through the eyes of some of the most creative minds on the planet right here in Singapore. Soak it all in, explore, and let yourself get inspired to make some art yourself!
🗓️Date: 16 January 2025 to 19 January 2025
📍Location: 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956, Floor 1 Marina Bay Sands Singapore
💲Price:
- Vernissage: S$80 (4 Day Pass) (Admit One)
- General Admission: S$19 (1 Day Pass)
⏰Time:
- Private View (by invitation only)
- Thursday, 16 January, 2pm – 5pm
- Vernissage
- Thursday, 8 November, 5pm – 9pm
- General Admission
- Friday, 17 January, 12pm – 7pm
- Saturday, 18 January, 11am – 7pm
- Sunday, 19 January, 11am – 5pm
To book your tickets and to get more details, hop on over to the official ART SG website! If you want to stay up to date with everything ART SG, be sure to check out their Instagram!
Visuals courtesy of ART SG
