S.E.A. Focus Gets a Boost from Art SG, But Questions About Identity Remain

Singapore Art Week, spearheaded by Art SG, the first major art fair on the Asian art world calendar, often sets the tone for the months that follow, shaping perceptions about where the market is heading and how art scenes are being built. But this year, it was the coming together of the large-scale international Art SG and the regionally oriented S.E.A. Focus that inspired many collectors and dealers to question what the consolidation might mean for the arts in Southeast Asia.

In the past few years, the two fairs have operated as complementary events, each at a different scale and with distinct rhythms. Initially, S.E.A. Focus was born to fill a gap left by the abrupt disappearance of Singapore’s leading art fair, Art Stage. However, over the years, it evolved, functioning more like a curated platform that highlighted local artists and narratives than a conventional art fair.

In 2025, Art SG and S.E.A. Focus shared an organizational framework, opening under one roof. “We very much wanted to retain the individual character and the curatorial drive and feel of S.E.A. Focus,” Magnus Renfrew, co-founder and director of Art SG alongside Shuyin Yang, told Observer, describing the move as pragmatic. In 2026, Art SG organized the satellite fair, though S.E.A. Focus maintained a distinctive curatorial theme, “The Humane Agency,” which showcased Southeast Asian contemporary art and artists as agents of compassion.

S.E.A. Focus’s small scale and low-profile locations—first the gallery cluster Gillman Barracks and later in the new art district Tanjong Pagar—has traditionally allowed for more “glocal” forms of engagement. Art SG, on the other hand, since its very inception, has been the face of Singapore on the international fair circuit, drawing major galleries from around the world and attracting a collector base spanning Asia, Europe and the United States.

The idea of concentrating resources and audiences, creating events capable of serving several layers of the ecosystem at once, also points to a broader trend across the global art-fair landscape, where the proliferation of fairs and satellite events that characterized the 2010s has given way to tighter calendars, closer scrutiny of costs and more strategic travel from both galleries and collectors. The consolidation reconsiders—perhaps in a positive way—how Southeast Asian art is encountered by international collectors, but there is a real risk that the boutique fair will be swallowed by its bigger sister.

The galleries’ point of view

Marie-Pierre Mol, founder of Intersections Gallery, who this year participated only in S.E.A. Focus, had a generally positive experience but also voiced some concerns. She observed that the consolidation has brought more visitors to her booth, which presented “an opportunity to reach international collectors who primarily come for Art SG and international art and discover Southeast Asian art… However, some collectors, both local and international, complained about the reduced visibility of S.E.A. Focus in the communication,” she said. “The risk I see with the merger is the fading of its identity.”

Richard Koh, a Singapore-based gallerist with one foot in Singapore and the other in Bangkok who has participated in both fairs since their early editions, sees the consolidation as largely positive. “The fairs are both very different in terms of vibe and attract different crowds, even now with the merger,” he told Observer. “There is a lot of support for S.E.A. Focus from the region. Over the years, it has been a launchpad for us for up-and-coming regional or Singaporean artists.”

Kevin Troyano Cuturi, founder at Cuturi Gallery, which has spaces in Singapore, London and Paris, is no stranger to Art SG but participated in S.E.A. Focus only last year, drawn to “the boutique feel and the advantages of being part of a more petite environment.” Now, he’s watching closely to see how the format will evolve before committing again.

“The merger signals a shift from parallel conversations to a more integrated one,” added Audrey Yeo, founder of Yeo Workshop, which participated at Art SG in 2026 but is a veteran of both fairs. “Southeast Asian art is no longer being framed as a side narrative or a regional add-on. It’s increasingly positioned as central to understanding contemporary art from this part of the world.”

Implications for collectors

The coming together of Art SG and S.E.A. Focus reflects a shift in Singapore’s collecting culture amid its growing importance in the global art market. Renfrew emphasized the geography and its role as a gateway to Southeast Asia, but he also pointed to concrete shifts in demographics. “There has been, over the last few years, a big influx of affluent people from around the world who’ve moved into Singapore, as is often talked about in terms of the family offices rising dramatically in number,” he explained. “Collectors and also institutions are planning trips to Singapore and afterwards going off to Indonesia, Thailand or the Philippines. The fair can act as this gateway that really serves Southeast Asia and provides an opportunity to discover the great things that are happening all around.”

Koh has also noticed more risk-taking among collectors, along with a conscious focus on supporting regional art, even as some continue to buy broadly. “There is more awareness as the region has developed its own ecosystem and the local fairs are becoming stronger,” he said. Cuturi concurred: “Art appreciation is constantly growing. I see collectors primarily buying art that speaks to them, and then gradually being more mindful of what they actually collect.”

The Art SG and S.E.A. Focus collaboration could serve as a mediator between these trajectories of mindfulness and risk-taking, catering to art collectors who want to support regional talent without giving up access to broader global offerings. Renfrew emphasized that institutional collaborations, acquisition funds and private patronage all help build a more diversified ecosystem. Programming expands alongside the commercial fair, with prizes, performance, film and off-site projects.

“Collectorship has become more layered,” Yeo, who still sees strong interest in Southeast Asia and local artists from local collectors, with galleries focusing on developing this market, told Observer. “Many are asking better questions, about market trajectories, yes, but about context, legacy and why certain practices matter now. That said, risk-taking is uneven. Some collectors are genuinely adventurous, especially those who have lived or worked across the region. Others are still cautious and influenced by global validation.”

If the consolidation signals anything beyond logistics and scale, it is perhaps a gradual shedding of the language that has long framed the region as peripheral. “What’s driving change in collectorship in the region, I think, is access to knowledge,” concluded Yeo, who brought work by Citra Sasmita to the Platform showcase of Art SG, along with a group presentation of primarily Southeast Asian artists in the main gallery section.

Citra Sasmita’s practice feels particularly urgent right now. “Her work speaks to feminism, mythology, power and resistance, but it does so through a visual language that is deeply rooted in local Balinese histories rather than borrowed from Western frameworks,” Yeo added. “We wanted to foreground that spirit: art as something shared, lived with and given back.”

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