This monumental 300 × 690 cm painting by Korean artist HYUNG KOO KANG titled Self Portrait (2010), presented by the Tiroche DeLeon Collection, is positioned by the exit at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre during Art Stage Singapore. All photos by Christina Arum Sok for ArtAsiaPacific.

Jan 26 2018

Highlights from Art Stage Singapore 2018

by Christina Arum Sok

With over 100 art events happening during Singapore Art Week, the island state is abuzz as Art Stage Singapore kicks off. Now in its eighth edition, the Southeast Asian art fair is back with a strong focus on art from Thailand, with outstanding showcases of works by Thai practitioners Natee Utarit, Kamin Lertchaiprasert, Manit Sriwanichpoom, Sakarin Krue-On and more, in line with the anticipation of the first Bangkok Art Biennale that will be held in the last quarter of this year.

With 80 participating galleries, 19 of which are from Singapore, this edition of Art Stage packs a punch with new platforms, including special selling exhibitions of the Tiroche DeLeon Collection, “Calder on Paper” and works by the event’s honorary invited artist, Fernando Botero. There are also the Signature Collectors’ Visits, a program that found success during Art Stage Jakarta, where collectors opened up their homes to share their favorite acquisitions with guests.

The fair’s organizers also hosted a series of talks that address topics relevant to the Southeast Asian region and its global outlook. Appropriately, the theme of this year’s fair is “Interactions,” reflecting the synergy within ASEAN as well as the interplay between art and design.

Here are some highlights from Art Stage Singapore 2018, which runs through January 28 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

Thai artist NATEE UTARIT’s In Rememberence of Théodore Rousseau “A Man Who is Tormented by Several Devils” (2017), presented by Kuala Lumpur’s Richard Koh Fine Art, was commissioned for presentation at Art Stage Singapore 2018.

Iconic Thai artist MANIT SRIWANICHPOOM’s Pink Men vs. Pink Buddha (2007) was brought as part of the Tiroche DeLeon Collection.

A few collectors mingle at the booth of Schuebbe Inc., a gallery from Mettmann, Germany.

At the booth of Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing / Hong Kong / Bangkok, was prominent Thai artist SAKARIN KRUE-ON’s lifelike severed head of a Schomburgk’s deer, which was a species once native to central Thailand and is now believed by many to be extinct. Titled A Talebearer’s Tale (2017), the artwork speaks of human greed and the destruction of nature that is often tied to sociopolitical agendas in an ever-changing world of globalization and development.

In Indonesian artist ENTANG WIHARSO’s Under Family Portrait (2012), we find a commonality of existence amid sociopolitical narratives that divide people based on political agendas, ethnicity, race and religion.

As part of The Artling Collectible Design Showcase, JINGGOY BUENSUCESO, a visual artist from the Philippines, presented his “Doodle” furniture series.

Japanese artist ICHITAKA KAMIJI used silicone, fiber-reinforced plastic, resin, horse hair and iron to make his Seshin #2 (2017) bust, shown at the booth of Gallery Kogure, Tokyo / New York.

Taksu Gallery, Singapore / Kuala Lumpur, brought Dutch artist JAN WISSE’s playful and erotic umbrella sculptures that are part of his “Character Cocoon” series (2003– ).

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