S.E.A. Focus, a prominent platform and marketplace for Southeast Asian contemporary art, is gearing up for its seventh edition, set to take place from January 18 to 26, 2025, at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore. This highly anticipated event, commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC) with Bank of Singapore as the main sponsor and organised by STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, forms a cornerstone of Singapore Art Week (SAW), an annual celebration of visual arts that positions Singapore as a regional arts hub.
John Tung
Curator of S.E.A. Focus 2025
Image courtesy of S.E.A. Focus.
Curated for the second consecutive year by John Tung, the theme for this year's edition, “Disconnected Contemporaries,” explores the complex intersections between traditional and contemporary artistic practices in Southeast Asia. It brings together up to 40 artists from across eight Southeast Asian nations, represented by 21 exhibitors, to engage in a dialogue that challenges the conventional narrative of art history. Tung’s vision seeks to spark conversations on how global influences and local traditions coexist, intermingling in ways that invite audiences to rethink their understanding of contemporary Southeast Asian art.
“Within the shifting landscape between the Modern and the Contemporary, we encounter fragmented narratives that challenge our understanding of time and cultural relevance,” Tung says, encouraging viewers to consider the nuances of how we label and interpret art. “I urge audiences to question the very definitions of contemporary art and to embrace the multiplicity of experiences that shape our collective narrative.”
S.E.A. Focus 2025 Exhibition View. Courtesy of S.E.A. Focus, Photographed by Darren Soh.
A Reflection on Art History and Global Influence
One of the key aspects of S.E.A. Focus 2025 is its ability to showcase the evolution of artistic practices in the region, a point emphasized by Tung, whose experience spans curatorial, editorial, and pedagogical roles. With a BA in Arts Management from Goldsmiths, University of London, and an MA in Cultural Management from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tung has been instrumental in facilitating significant dialogues in the art world. His work, which has seen the realisation of nearly 100 artwork commissions and site-specific adaptations across 50 exhibitions, aligns closely with the exhibition’s theme.
Tung reflects on his time as a curator at the Singapore Art Museum, when the divide between modern and contemporary art was often unclear. “The collecting remits of the Singapore Art Museum and the National Gallery were divided according to the modern and the contemporary, but this caused confusion—what if an artist who was active before the 1990s continues to work into the contemporary era? How does this distinction impact how we perceive their work?” This blurring of lines, Tung believes, is something that S.E.A. Focus 2025 seeks to address. The exhibition, he explains, “plays with the idea of art history—how we shape our understanding of art through the labels we assign even before people see the works.”
S.E.A. Focus 2025 Exhibition View. Courtesy of S.E.A. Focus, Photographed by Darren Soh.
Exhibition View of Rajinder Singh’s presentation at S.E.A. Focus 2025. Courtesy of S.E.A. Focus, Photographed by Darren Soh.
The show features a wide range of artists, from younger talents to established figures, with ages spanning from 20s to 83. This diversity is intentional, Tung says, as it “tracks the evolution of Southeast Asian art within a singular presentation.” He adds, “I work very closely with galleries and artists to select, and at times even develop, works that resonate with the theme, ensuring diversity of media, styles, and age groups.”
The exhibition’s title, “Disconnected Contemporaries,” points to the tension between global influences and local traditions that characterizes Southeast Asian art. Tung acknowledges the impact of Western influences, particularly in the 1990s when Southeast Asian artists began travelling more extensively to study abroad. “Western influences in Southeast Asian art started even before the contemporary era, even in the modern period,” he explains, referencing the manyang style in Singapore, which blends Chinese and Western painting techniques. Artists such as the renowned Wong Keen, who spent years in America, bring this confluence to the forefront by combining calligraphy with large-scale installations.
However, despite globalization and the inevitable influence of global trends, Tung believes that Southeast Asian artists remain deeply connected to their cultural roots. “There is still a very strong focus on local and regional issues,” he says. “What we are doing at S.E.A. Focus is bringing together artists to find common ground and explore what makes us unique as a region.”
Reimagining the Art Fair Experience
Another distinguishing feature of S.E.A. Focus is its emphasis on innovative presentation formats. Tung reveals that this year’s exhibition will challenge conventional expectations of what an art fair should look like. “Last year, we had a cinema inside the presentation hall, and this year we’ve taken a radical departure from typical rectangular walls,” he says. Instead, the layout mirrors the archipelago of Southeast Asia, with triangular walls representing islands, allowing visitors to feel “adrift in the sea” as they explore the artworks.
This unique approach encourages deeper reflection on the distinctions between modern and contemporary art and how these labels shape the audience’s perception of artworks. Tung hopes that the exhibition will inspire visitors to think more critically about how we categorize art, and in doing so, “define new and refreshing ways to look and think about the artworks that we see.”
Bank of Singapore Lounge at S.E.A. Focus 2025. Courtesy of S.E.A. Focus, Photographed by Darren Soh.
Ultimately, Tung is optimistic about the future of Southeast Asian art on the global stage. “Many people ask me if Southeast Asian art is booming, and I always say it has always been exciting,” he notes. S.E.A. Focus provides an opportunity to see some of the most captivating works from the region, offering visitors the convenience of experiencing them in a central location.
As S.E.A. Focus 2025 approaches, it promises to be a pivotal moment in the celebration of Southeast Asian art, challenging traditional narratives and offering a fresh perspective on the region’s artistic evolution.
S.E.A. Focus
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