State of the Art

Art world insiders share insights on the first edition of Art SG—and discuss the impact the fair, the largest in Southeast Asia, will have on Singapore and the region 

- Hashirin Nurin Hashimi

When we meet Michael Tay during the vernissage of Art SG in January, the Singaporean art collector had already made his way around the two levels of the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands during the VIP preview three hours earlier to survey the presentations from the more than 160 galleries from 35 countries exhibiting.

His first reaction: “I’m walking on clouds; it’s a surreal experience, and I say so only because it’s a moment I’ve been dreaming about for a long time—and it has arrived. We finally have a fair of international stature that’s appreciated by everyone.”

Concluding its five‑day run on January 15, the international art fair presented by UBS and organised by The Art Assembly was almost five years in the making, having been postponed several times since it was first announced in 2018.

“The opening day of the inaugural edition of Art SG exceeded all our expectations,” says Art SG co‑founder Magnus Renfrew. “Significant time and planning went into the launch and that’s reflected in the gallery presentations and the noteworthy attendance of collectors and institutions at the fair.”