Artists of S.E.A. Focus 2024: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Tan Zi Hao and more

Discover the works of these Southeast Asian contemporary art sensations during Singapore Art Week, from 20 to 28 January.

As the anchor event of Singapore Art Week, S.E.A. Focus offers the opportunity to experience some of the most exciting works from the best contemporary artists in the region. Happening from 20 to 28 January, the sixth edition of the homegrown annual showcase will explore the interplay between humanity, technology and art — a topic that has generated massive discourse in this past year.

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Tan Zi Hao. Image courtesy of the artist and A+ Works of Art.

Over 40 regional artists will be showcasing their works at the exhibition titled Serial and Massively Parallel. One name to watch is Malaysian artist, writer, researcher and educator Tan Zi Hao. Represented by Kuala Lumpur’s A+ Works of Art, Tan’s piece, The Mercurial Inscription, was selected for acquisition into the Singapore Art Museum’s (SAM) collection in the previous edition under the SAM S.E.A. Focus Art Fund.

Inaugurated in 2023 with the support of founding sponsor Yenn and Alan Lo Foundation, the SAM S.E.A. Focus Art Fund serves to recognise outstanding works of contemporary Southeast Asian art presented at S.E.A. Focus and facilitate their entry into SAM’s collection. For the upcoming second edition of the initiative, Mami Kataoka, Director of Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, has been invited as a guest juror on the selection panel.

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Mella Jaarma. Image by Yudha Feng, courtesy of the artist and ROH.

Another established name in the realm of contemporary Southeast Asian art is Mella Jaarsma. Born in the Netherlands, Jaarsma studied visual art at Minerva Academy in Groningen, before relocating to Indonesia to further her studies. She gained recognition as an Indonesian artist with her involvement in the local art scene, and in 1988 co-founded the Cemeti Art House with husband and fellow artist Nindityo Adipurnomo, carving out one of the first contemporary art spaces for young artists in the country.

Jaarsma is known for her complex costume installations, often commenting on the racial and cultural diversity embedded within clothing and the body.

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Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Image by Harit Srikhao, courtesy of the artist and BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY.

Independent filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul is perhaps the most well known Thai director in the world. Breaking into the mainstream with his Palme d’Or winning film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010), he has gained a cult following by the time of his latest feature Memoria (2021), starring Tilda Swinton.

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Apichatpong Weerasethakul, “A Conversation with the Sun (Installation)”, 2022, Installation view at S.E.A. Focus 2024. Image courtesy of S.E.A. Focus, photographed by Darren Soh.

Unlike other filmmakers, the 53-year-old auteur and artist is undaunted by artificial intelligence, utilising it in A Conversation with the Sun (2022). The video installation with moving curtain backdrops features footage that Weerasethakul has captured over several years.

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"Butiran Dari #01 - #05 (Particles of From)", Alexander Sebastianus Hartanto. Image courtesy of ISA Art Gallery.

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"Hypselodoris Apolegma II", Goldie Poblador. Image courtesy of Corning Museum of Glass Studio.

"#2e3a42", Aiman. Image courtesy of Art Porters Projects.

S.E.A. Focus also serves as a platform for younger Southeast Asian artists and their emerging practices. This year, discover Alexander Sebastianus Hartanto’s pentaptych of batik prints on pixelated archive photographs, Goldie Poblador’s captivating blown glass works, and Aiman’s dynamic landscape paintings.

Check out the works of these artists and more at S.E.A. Focus 2024. Tickets and information are available online.

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Entrance Facade of S.E.A. Focus 2024. Image courtesy of S.E.A. Focus, photographed by Darren Soh.

S.E.A. Focus 2024

20 to 28 January

Tanjong Pagar Distripark

39 Keppel Road

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