Mapping New Currents: ART SG and S.E.A. Focus Anchor Southeast Asian Voices

Southeast Asian and Philippine galleries and artists alike find renewed visibility as ART SG and S.E.A. Focus come together for the 2026 edition.

In January, Singapore once again becomes the region’s gathering point for contemporary art, but next year marks a shift in scale and intention. ART SG, now in its fourth edition, will co-present S.E.A. Focus for the first time; a partnership that not only strengthens the city’s position as a regional hub, but brings Southeast Asian narratives into sharper relief. The collaboration folds two distinct platforms into a single fair while allowing each to retain its curatorial identity, expanding what audiences can expect to encounter across Singapore Art Week.

Held from January 23 to 25, 2026 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, the fair returns with 106 exhibitors from over 30 countries and territories. Its ambitions are clearly global, but the lens is regional. As Magnus Renfrew, co-founder of ART SG, said, “We are delighted to present the fourth edition of ART SG, which continues to grow as the leading platform for contemporary art in Southeast Asia and beyond… Through expanded programming, innovative curatorial initiatives, and strengthened partnerships, ART SG reinforces Singapore’s role as a vibrant hub and gateway to the region, amid the rising prominence of Southeast Asian and Indo-Pacific contemporary art on the global stage.”

For Filipino audiences, the strengthened Southeast Asian focus is especially palpable. Philippine galleries remain a vital presence, with Silverlens, The Drawing Room, Artinformal, and Gajah Gallery among the participants in S.E.A. Focus. Their presentations join those of other regional counterparts, mapping a shared visual language that has long existed but rarely been given this scale of collective visibility.

Artists from the Philippines also surface across the programme. Nicole Coson is featured in S.E.A. Focus’ curatorial selection, while performance artist Joshua Serafin appears in the Rockbund Art Museum collaboration the Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait; featuring works by Stephanie Comilang, Ho Tzu Nyen, Martha Atienza, Wantanee Siripattananuntakul, Ming Wong, Robert Zhao, Dawn Ng, John Clang, and Bhenji Ra. The immersive exhibition staged within the heritage Warehouse Hotel is a rare moment where Asian artists span both the curated fair platform and offsite institutional programming, suggesting the growing interest in practices that articulate the complexities of island identity, migration, and the archipelagic imagination.

This year’s S.E.A. Focus carries the theme “The Humane Agency,” curated by John Z.W. Tung with artistic consultation by Emi Eu of STPI. The focus is on artists as agents of empathy, responding to conflict, ecological fragility, and shifting communities. Eu notes, “STPI is proud to have established S.E.A. Focus as a vital platform for Southeast Asian art, and this collaboration with ART SG opens an exciting new chapter. S.E.A. Focus 2026 will continue to highlight the richness of the region’s artistic narratives, creating opportunities to amplify the unique voices of Southeast Asia to a global audience.”

Tung expands on this, saying, “In these unprecedented times, artists play a vital role in responding to global challenges and imagining alternative pathways toward a more compassionate and peaceful world,” he explains. “I encourage audiences to look to artists as agents of change, and to remain open to the questions, provocations, and possibilities that their practices bring forth.”

These perspectives align with ART SG’s own expanded curatorial program. The fair introduces a dedicated Performance Art sector, develops new collaborations with institutions like Rockbund Art Museum, and launches the ART SG FUTURES Prize presented by UBS, furthering support for emerging artists. And beyond the fair halls, Singapore’s cultural calendar grows even denser. Offsite exhibitions, museum partnerships, and public programmes unfold across the city, extending the fair’s narrative beyond its venue. For Filipino practitioners, many of whom work between Manila and other centers, this ecosystem strengthens pathways for collaboration, collection, and institutional dialogue.

Shuyin Yang, Fair Director of ART SG, echoes this widening scope: “We are thrilled to welcome both returning and new galleries to ART SG, which continues to grow as a dynamic platform for Singaporean and Southeast Asian art… ART SG brings a wider array of regional voices to the forefront, fostering cross-regional dialogue and expanding the fair’s global reach.”

As Southeast Asia’s artistic networks deepen, ART SG’s partnership with S.E.A. Focus suggests not just an alignment, but a shared commitment to building a more cohesive regional artscape: one where Manila, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, and beyond meet on equal footing. For Filipino galleries and artists, the 2026 edition opens another chapter in a conversation long in motion, one that positions the region not as a periphery but as a site of influence, experimentation, and new cultural agency.

ART SG will be held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from January 23–25, 2026, during Singapore Art Week, the city’s annual celebration of the visual arts. For more information, visit their official website.