The Big Picture

Art SG returns for its second edition this coming January with an expanded programme anchoring Singapore Art Week 2024. Fair director Shuyin Yang shares what to expect from Southeast Asia's leading international art fair

-  Hashirin Nurin Hashimi

The inaugural edition of Art SG in January this year represented the beginning of a new chapter for the art scene in Singapore and Southeast Asia. "Apart from the content of the fair, it really is about the people, the experiences and the relationship-building," says fair director Shuyin Yang. "Art SG is designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences-and I think we delivered that with the first edition [of the fair]."

With a strong turnout of 43,000 visitors, the international event attracted art collectors and connoisseurs not just in Singapore, but also those from across Southeast Asia, the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. "The strong curation of the fair and the high-quality artworks presented by world-renowned leading galleries, alongside the best of Singapore and Southeast Asian galleries, created this diversity of art, engaging with everyone from established collectors to new art buyers, as well as art lovers," says Yang. "There's also a real desire to see a good balance between internationally recognised names and fresh discoveries. The audience also responded well to new disciplines and emerging practices that offer a fresh perspective on how to view contemporary art and the world through the eyes of artists."