ART STAGE also plays a pivotal role in developing and bridging various segmented art markets in the region. At the crossroads of Southeast Asia and the world, ART STAGE creates a singular and unified Southeast Asian market, positioned to be more competitive with the more developed global art markets in the West and China.

ART STAGE Singapore 2018In long-standing recognition of Asia’s dynamism and artistic excellence, ART STAGE Singapore remains committed in focusing its engagement on Southeast Asian art and strengthening the Fair’s Asian identity. In past editions of the Fair, ART STAGE Singapore builds up the prominence of different regional art scenes in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia with active promotions and engagements such as the highly successful launch of ART STAGE Jakarta 2016 and 2017. For the eighth edition, ART STAGE Singapore will feature a special focus on the new and vibrant art scene flourishing in the region – Thailand.

Looking beyond the Fair as Southeast Asia’s top art event recognised for its strong intellectual and academic approach, ART STAGE Singapore presents a more intimate engagement with art through the ART STAGE Experience. Driven by specially tailored programmes to provide local and international audiences with a more comprehensive outlook of the general art world, ART STAGE Singapore 2018 will ground the ART STAGE Experience in Interactions – an initiative to foster efforts on listening and sharing.

Interactions I:Southeast Asia Forum 2018ART STAGE Singapore 2018 will present the third edition of its successful Southeast Asia Forum, underscoring a trend in cross-disciplinary practices in art and design and how modernity and dynamism in Asia facilitate the development of these new practices. As a pillar component of the Fair, the Forum is a thematic programme comprising an exhibition and a series of lectures that offer more focused and in-depth views into global social, cultural, economic and political issues that have direct impact on Southeast Asia.

Moving beyond artistic discussions, the third Southeast Asia Forum adopts a broader approach on discussing art by exploring different ways of seeing, learning and interacting. The Forum seeks to bring about more inter-disciplinary understanding and collaboration across art and other creative industries through an increased engagement of key industry leaders and individuals from the design sector.

For ART STAGE Singapore 2018, the Forum will span over three days, comprising a series of six different talk sessions such as dialogues and panel discussions with local and international keynote speakers, and a two-part thematic exhibition.

In collaboration with The Artling, ART STAGE Singapore 2018 will present Singapore’s first Asian-focused showcase on Collectible Designs. The exhibition features a curated selection of the best contemporary Asian designers and studios in response to the theme of the Southeast Asia Forum 2018.

Interactions II:Signature Collectors’ VisitsInaugurated at ART STAGE Jakarta, the Signature Collectors’ Visits showcases the collections of the country’s collectors in their private residences and highlight the importance of the role of the art collector in encouraging and developing a more robust local art scene.

In response to the huge success at ART STAGE Jakarta 2016 and 2017, and strong encouragement from local collectors, the Fair will be introducing the Signature Collectors’ Visits for the first time in Singapore at ART STAGE Singapore 2018. These Singapore-based and Singaporean collectors will be opening up their homes and presenting their extensive private collections in support of the Fair’s initiative as well as Singapore’s art scene and artists. Positioned as a platform to bridge the collectors and the public, the Signature Collectors’ Visits fosters a dialogue and exchange of insights between local collectors and visitors and contribute to the discourse on contemporary art in Singapore and the region.

Interactions III:Partnerships and CollaborationsThrough the numerous partnerships and collaborations ART STAGE Singapore establishes for each edition, the Fair extends its reach to initiate discourse and cooperation across different markets and develop a more extensive and inclusive network among various industries. For its eighth edition, the Fair continues to connect with many international as well as local partners and focuses on coordinating with partners from affiliated creative industries to boost networking opportunities for key opinion leaders, collectors and audiences.

ART STAGE Singapore brings on founder and creative director Chris Lee of Singapore-based creative agency Asylum as the returning spatial designer for the hospitality spaces at the Fair’s eighth edition. After the first successful collaboration in ART STAGE Singapore 2016 for the design of the Fair’s VIP Lounge, titled Celebrations, Asylum was appointed to create ART STAGE’s new brand identity and revamp the brand logo earlier this year. For ART STAGE Singapore 2018, Chris Lee will be taking on the conceptual design of the Fair’s Hospitality Lounges.

ART STAGE – The Definitive Meeting Point Between Regional and Global Art ScenesBuilding on the Fair’s strong commitment to develop an active art ecosystem for the region, ART STAGE Singapore continues to boost exchange and dialogue about contemporary art not only between Asia and the West but amongst the countries of the Asian region as well. Featuring a diverse range of carefully selected galleries from across Asia and the world, the Fair will foster a culture of curiosity and cultivate interest in contemporary art in Southeast Asia.