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The Future of Art is Here: The Highlights of ART SG 2025!

ART SG 2025 wasn’t just your average art fair – it was a nexus for art from all over the world, right here in Singapore! This year, the region’s largest art showcase pulled together a global roster of artists and galleries, each bringing something extraordinary to the table. From the deeply emotional to the unapologetically experimental, ART SG 2025 was a celebration of creativity that doesn’t shy away from asking the tough questions. 

This year’s lineup included galleries and artists from all over the world, showcasing a myriad of different forms of art! From textured canvases reflecting the imperfections of love, chandeliers made of flowers dissecting social inequality, or surrealist paintings that drum to the rhythm of Bahamian culture, each artist and gallery offered a unique lens on life. So what’re you waiting for? Buckle up, and prepare to be blown away by what ART SG 2025 had to offer!

GALLERIES

ART SG 2025: Zilberman Gallery
I’ve got my eye on you.

Step into the Zilberman Gallery’s booth at ART SG 2025, and you’ll quickly realise this isn’t your typical white-walled art space! From provocative ceramics to boundary-pushing multimedia works, Zilberman’s curated lineup is an absolute feast for the eyes! It’s a celebration of voices that revel in the unconventional. One such artist of note is Carlos Aires, whose works, I only have eyes for you V, and In the mood for love, from “Love Song For Time of Crisis” Series (Hong Kong Banknote) were two pieces that really stuck out!

The former work is made from porcelain glassed plates, forex and magnets, and displays the stern gaze of world leaders ripped straight off various banknotes from around the world. That’s Carlos Aires for you – taking something traditional and flipping it on its head, all while making you question the very idea of authority,

STPI

ART SG 2025: STPI
Classic STPI – mind-bending art!

We’re certainly no stranger to STPI, and they’re back at ART SG 2025! With a lineup that reads like a who’s who of contemporary local  art, this homegrown powerhouse brought the heat! Headlining the booth was none other than Goh Beng Kwan, a Cultural Medallion recipient and one of Singapore’s most celebrated post-war artists. His works – think vast seas, lush terrains, and pure emotional energy – are a masterclass in turning humble materials into visual poetry. 

But STPI didn’t stop there. They stacked the roster with some of Singapore’s finest: Hong Zhu An, Heman Chong, and Genevieve Chua. They also tapped into international talent, featuring works by Natee Utarit (Thailand), Aaron Curry (USA), and the ever-dynamic duo Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan (Philippines). For more on STPI, you can check out our articles on one of their recent exhibitions here!

Gazelli Art House

ART SG 2025: Gazelli Arts House
Does anyone else see a dragon?

If ART SG 2025 were a sci-fi epic novel, Gazelli Art House would be the chapter where the main character stares into the void of the future – and the void stares back. For their 2025 presentation, Unknown & Uncontained, Gazelli brought together six pioneering artists who blur the lines between digital media, emerging tech, and the organic chaos of life itself. 

One standout in this stellar lineup was 00 Zhang, whose work feels like the love child of a neural network and an existential philosopher. Known for crafting surreal, immersive experiences that sit somewhere between dystopia and ecstasy, 00 Zhang’s pieces often explore the fragile connections between humans, machines, and the natural world. For the piece at ART SG 2025—a work from her Prototype series—00 Zhang conjures themes of the organic mixed with the artificial, brought to life through an amalgamation of steel and resin.

PLATFORM

Miya Ando

ART SG 2025: Miya Ando
Being able to walk through it was the coolest!

At Sundaram Tagore Gallery’s booth at ART SG 2025, you’d find yourself in the quiet orbit of Miya Ando’s latest installation, Moon Ensō (Engessō 円月相) – a celestial symphony of silk chiffon and lunar phases that feels like a whisper from the cosmos. 

Ando’s installation consisted of 29 panels of printed silk chiffon, each representing a phase of the moon over a complete lunar cycle. Beginning and ending with the new moon, the work captures the poetry of time, light, and transformation. But this isn’t just about pretty moonscapes. The imagery comes from Ando’s Moon Almanac, a series of 1,345 indigo-dyed drawings on washi paper that she created daily over 2.5 years during the pandemic in New York City. You can read more about her in our previous article featuring ART SG here!

At its heart, Ando’s work is rooted in the Zen concept of Ensō (円相), the circular form that represents the universe, enlightenment, and the void (Mu). The moon, in its endless cycle of waxing and waning, becomes a living Ensō – a reminder of impermanence, liberation, and the quiet beauty of emptiness. The Japanese word Engesso literally means “moon circle,” and Ando captures this with an elegant simplicity that feels both ancient and utterly contemporary.

Walking through Ando’s installation was like stepping into a series of frozen moments – equal parts meditative and awe-inspiring. It’s definitely a must-see if you get the opportunity to see it in person!!

Pablo Reinoso 

ART SG 2025: Pablo Reinoso
I have no idea how this is even possible.

In the hands of Pablo Reinoso, a bench isn’t just a bench. At ART SG 2025, Reinoso’s celebrated Spaghetti Bench series made its Singapore debut with an installation under the PLATFORMS section titled Promenade Chambord.

Here’s the concept: take a standard-issue public bench, the kind that sits in parks and bus stops, and filter it through a whole other dimension! In Reinoso’s world, benches don’t just hold you, they grow, stretch, and twist into whimsical, noodle-like tendrils that seem to have a life of their own. 

Reinoso’s benches aren’t just Instagrammable eye candy, they’re a playful yet profound exploration of design’s boundaries. What happens when an object decides to defy its purpose and go rogue? It’s a question Reinoso has explored across the globe, from the River Thames in London to the Elysée Palace in Paris. And now, Singapore gets to join in on the fun!

Whether you’re an art nerd, a casual observer, or someone who just really loves spaghetti, Promenade Chambord is a must-see. It’s not just about benches, it’s about breaking free from expectations, one curl of spaghetti at a time!

Shavonne Wong

ART SG 2025: Shavonne Wong
Say hi!

Step aside, ChatGPT; Shavonne Wong’s Eva is here to show us what a real AI-human connection looks like. At ART SG 2025, Shavonne Wong invited us to engage with Eva, a 3D virtual character who’s less about automation and more about emotion. You could communicate with her through a mic, and she’d listen and understand you, with fully animated and rendered lip movements mimicking speech!

Here’s where it got interesting: every interaction with Eva gets uploaded onto a public Instagram diary, creating a collective snapshot of our emotional landscape in real-time. Think of it as a mood board for everyone who talks to her, but curated by a sentient algorithm. The question Wong asks is both simple and profound: how do we connect – with each other, with ourselves, and with the technology we’ve created to keep us company?

But don’t let Eva’s glossy 3D rendering fool you. Beneath the sleek design is a deeply philosophical experiment about the future of relationships. Can AI fill the gaps in human connection? Should it? And what does it say about us that we’re spilling our secrets to a digital character who doesn’t even have a pulse?

Wong’s work is equal parts art installation, social experiment, and existential mirror. Whether you’re here to chat with Eva, critique the future of AI, or just see what humanity’s collective Instagram feed looks like, this is the kind of art that sticks with you long after you’ve logged off. One thing’s for sure: Eva isn’t just listening – she’s making us listen to ourselves.

FUTURES

ART SG 2025: YUMEKOUBOU GALLERY
I thought they were eggshells at first glance.

Some people break the rules to achieve artistic greatness. Furutani Kazuya instead breaks pottery – and somehow makes them even more beautiful in the process! Represented by the eclectic YUMEKOUBOU Gallery, Furutani’s work at ART SG 2025 isn’t just pottery; it’s tradition, rebellion, and artistry rolled into one. His creations, from tea bowls steeped in the history of Shigaraki ware to flower vases that feel like poetry in clay, are more than functional – they’re alive with meaning.

With the weight of Shigaraki’s centuries-old tradition and a father who was a master potter, Furutani’s journey wasn’t just about perfecting his craft—it was about breaking free. And break free he did. In 2024, at his solo exhibition 破 – BREAK at the Kyoto Antique Fair, he explored the genre of “broken bigger pots,” crafting monumental works that push pottery beyond its utilitarian roots into the realm of pure art. These fractured-yet-perfect pieces, only achievable by someone who truly understands clay and fire, will take centre stage at ART SG.

Haridas Contemporary 

ART SG 2025: Haridas Contemporary
Who would’ve thought that this could come out of Singapore?

If you think contemporary art is all about abstract squiggles and vague metaphors, Haridas Contemporary is here to prove you wrong. Founded by Christiaan Haridas, this gallery isn’t just a space, it’s a launchpad for Singapore’s most exciting contemporary artists and a rallying cry for the rich local talent we have here!

At ART SG 2025, the gallery brought its A-game with a showstopper: Melissa Tan’s finest works – laser-cut metal and resin, part of her iconic metal sculpture series! One notable work in this lineup is her 2024 piece, The Fates: Klotho, Lachesis & Atropos, with this monumental piece being the crown jewel of a project that started in 2018. Inspired by the Fates from Greek Mythology, Tan’s work weaves mythology, womanhood, and data into a single, breathtaking sculpture.

But don’t be fooled by its beauty – there’s a quiet resistance here too. Camouflaged in the intricate patterns are references to classical paintings, sculptures, and antiquities. And the shapes of the folds? They aren’t random. They’re mapped to the trajectories of asteroids named after the Fates, currently orbiting our solar system. Mythology isn’t just a story here; it’s a living, breathing cycle, much like the asteroids: moving far away, looping back, and offering fresh perspectives on life every time they return.

ART SG 2025: Soto Gallery
Oddly beautiful.

When was the last time you looked at a humble rice bag and thought that it could be art? Probably never. But Uchay Joel Chima, one of the featured artists at ART SG 2025, isn’t here to see the world as it is.

Uchay’s art style is a masterclass in turning the overlooked into the unforgettable. Using materials like woven rice bags, strings of varying thickness, wax, and sand, his works are tactile, layered, and deeply resonant. The strings, painstakingly layered and painted over, represent the connections between people. 

Different threads, different tensions, but all part of the same intricate web. It’s art that holds its weight in texture while packing an emotional punch. At its heart, his work is about how we’re all connected at the end of the day, whether it be by culture or common experience.

Representing Uchay is Soto Gallery, a Lagos-based gem! Soto isn’t your typical white-wall gallery trying to look smarter than you; it’s a community-centred space that asks big, age-old questions about art and philosophy while offering fresh, contemporary answers.

FOCUS

ART SG 2025: SAC Gallery
Speaking to the artist was incredible!

Flowers are a lot of things: Beautiful, fragile, and to Naraphat Sakarthornsap, representative of the socio-economic hierarchy! At ART SG 2025, one doesn’t just stop to smell the roses, you’re supposed to interrogate them, question their privilege, and ask why one bloom gets to sit on a royal garland while another ends up wilting at the bottom.

Presented by SAC Gallery, Naraphat’s solo exhibition, A Hopeless Hope, was equal parts stunning and gut-punching. At its heart is a chandelier of traditional Thai garlands made entirely of fresh flowers sourced from Singapore. But don’t let the ceremonial beauty distract you – this isn’t just about aesthetics. Each flower in the garland represents hopes and dreams, with the arrangement reflecting the brutal realities of social inequality. 

The expensive marigold blooms sit proudly on top, representing the aspirations of the wealthy, while the cheaper jasmine flowers – a nod to the working class – are relegated to the bottom. And as a final, poignant touch, all of these flowers, no matter how beautiful, are destined to decay and fall to the ground.

Naraphat’s personal story adds even more weight. Growing up in a low-income family, he watched his mother offer garlands and prayers, wishing for him to study abroad, a dream that seemed impossible due to financial barriers. For him, the garlands became a symbol of class disparity: in Thailand, expensive jasmine flowers dominate, while in Singapore, it’s marigolds. The hierarchy shifts, but the inequality remains.

Through this chandelier installation and an accompanying performative video, Naraphat reflects on the way cultural traditions and religious offerings mirror social divides. Hopes and dreams may be universal, but their fulfilment? Not so much.

Mestre Projects

ART SG 2025: Mestre Projects
Look at all those colours!

If you’ve ever wondered what Bahamian culture, African heritage, and Surrealism would look like if they collided on a canvas, Stan Burnside has the answer, and it’s nothing short of extraordinary! Represented by the ever-bold Mestre Projects, based in Nassau, Burnside’s works at ART SG 2025 took you on a visual journey that was as vibrant as it was reflective, as joyful as it was unapologetically honest.

Burnside’s paintings are a celebration of culture and identity, but don’t mistake them for mere decoration! His work digs deep into human rights, freedom, and the struggles of marginalized communities – especially Black people and women of all ethnicities. If art is a mirror to society, Burnside’s mirror doesn’t just show you the good angles; it shows you the cracks, the resilience, and the beauty that shines through anyway.

His style? Surrealist with a Bahamian twist. Think figuration layered with thought, symbolism, and a clear invitation to reflect. Elements of Junkanoo, a trademark Bahamian style – pour into his art, not just in the palette but in spirit. You’ll find repeated motifs and rhythmic patterns that feel like a visual drumbeat, a reminder of the resilience and vibrancy of Bahamian identity.

Seojung Art

ART SG 2025: Seojung Art
What is love?

Love, heartbreak, and human connection. Those aren’t the most straightforward concepts in the book for anyone to figure out, as I’m sure most of you know. Enter Simon Ko, an artist whose work unpacks the beautifully messy realities of relationships, connection, and self-discovery. Ko’s emotionally charged paintings at ART SG 2025 reminded me that perfect love is a lie – and it’s a lot like his textured canvases: layered, imperfect, and impossible to replicate.

Ko’s process is a marriage of intention and intuition. He starts with writing and sketching, sometimes working with a model, but don’t expect photorealistic figures. His paintings lean into abstraction, using symbols like bubbles, flickering candles, and fractured textures to tell their stories. A bubble rising to the surface? That’s a memory of a past connection. A dying candle? The slow decline of a once-burning love. It’s the kind of art that doesn’t just ask for your attention, it demands your emotional participation.

Backing Ko’s work at ART SG 2025 is Seojung Art, a powerhouse gallery that’s been shaking up the contemporary art scene since 2015. From championing emerging talents to fostering cross-continental dialogues, this gallery has a knack for spotting the next big thing in both domestic and international markets!

ART SG

As the curtain falls on ART SG 2025, one thing is clear: This wasn’t your average art fair! It’s a reminder that art has the power to connect, provoke, and inspire. From Simon Ko’s explorations of love and imperfection to Naraphat Sakarthornsap’s garlands of inequality, the works on display weren’t afraid to ask the big questions!

Whether you walked in as a seasoned collector or someone who just came for the Instagram-worthy moments, ART SG 2025 offers a little something for everyone. But more than anything, it showed us that great art doesn’t just sit on a wall, it sparks conversations, shifts perspectives, and lingers long after the last gallery light is switched off.

If you’re excited to check out next year’s edition of ART SG or see more of what happened this year, you can find out more about what’s on offer at their official website. Additionally, be sure to date with the latest information by following them on Instagram!


Photos by Kristen Ong of the DANAMIC Team. Additional visuals courtesy of ART SG.

Ethan Yeo

If I'm not at my laptop writing, you can catch me cafe-hopping or in an MMA gym!

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