With S.E.A. Focus joining the fair, ART SG 2026 expands its regional impact, spotlighting Southeast Asian artists, new curatorial directions, and a growing culture ecosystem.
January in Singapore is becoming more a pilgrimage than a destination for Southeast Asia’s culture crowd with every new edition of ART SG. Now in its fourth year, the art fair returns to Marina Bay Sands from January 23 to 25, 2026, this time arriving with a significant evolution: S.E.A. Focus, a leading platform for Southeast Asian art within the region that’s officially joining ART SG for the very first time, bringing its distinct curatorial identity to the table.
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Amplifying A Regional Moment
The timing couldn’t be more apt. Across the region, young Filipino collectors, design-forward audiences, and culture enthusiasts are widening their lens beyond Manila’s vibrant art ecosystem and toward other flourishing landscapes in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Jakarta, and Bangkok.
“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,” shares ART SG Co-founder Magnus Renfrew. He notes that the fair arrives amid a period of rapid growth, adding: “With the region’s collector base and cultural ecosystem maturing significantly, we are especially excited to welcome the debut of S.E.A. Focus at ART SG, showcasing the region’s most compelling voices… 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.”
Centering Southeast Asian Perspectives
S.E.A. Focus enters ART SG with a clear thematic direction for 2026: The Humane Agency, a curatorial exploration of compassion, conflict, climate, and community.
“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,” expresses Emi Eu, the Executive Director of STPI and Artistic Consultant for S.E.A. Focus.
Curator John Tung expounds: “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. 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.”
ART SG Turns The Spotlight On Emerging Artists
This year also introduces something new for young collectors and rising talent: the ART SG FUTURES Prize presented by UBS, awarding US$10,000 to an emerging artist. UBS executive Jin Yee Young underscores the growing optimism driving the region’s art economy, noting that “81% of HNWI’s surveyed in Singapore are optimistic about the outlook for the Global Art Market in the next six months.”
Expanding The Fair’s Creative Landscape
ART SG 2026 further broadens its offerings with the launch of a dedicated Performance Art sector, together with an expanded film program and new collaborations with major Asian institutions, including the Rockbund Art Museum.
“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,” Fair Director Shuyin Yang shares, highlighting Art SG’s increasing dynamism.
This year’s edition brings new performance-driven formats and major cross-regional partnerships to the forefront as well. Yang adds: “With the debut of the TVS Initiative for Indian and South Asian Contemporary Art and collaborations with Rockbund Art Museum and The Institutum, ART SG presents a wider array of regional voices,” Yang adds.
A New Creative Era For Southeast Asia
With S.E.A. Focus now integrated into ART SG, Singapore Art Week is positioning itself as a must-attend moment for anyone engaged with culture in the region.
As more culture-driven Filipinos begin expanding their interests to encompass fashion, design, craft, and contemporary art, the 2026 edition of ART SG represents more than an annual event. It signals a shifting landscape, one that opens the door for the region’s next generation of artists, creatives, and collectors to step onto a larger, more interconnected stage.
ART SG 2026 will run from January 23 to 25, 2026 (with a VIP Preview & Vernissage on January 22) at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. Get your tickets at artsg.com/tickets. For more updates, follow its official Instagram at @art.sg, and S.E.A. Focus at @seafocus.
Photos courtesy of Blah Blah Inc.
