UBS Spotlights Eko Nugroho at Art SG 2024
Exploring the power of community and environmental awareness through two presentations of the Indonesian artist's works.
This past weekend, Art SG kicked off Singapore Art Week 2024 with its sophomore showing at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre from 19 to 21 January. Presented by Founding and Lead Partner UBS, the region’s flagship international art fair once again gathered a stellar lineup of over 100 galleries worldwide to shape the narrative of contemporary art for art lovers on our sunny shores.
In particular, the UBS Art Collection spotlighted new commissions by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho. With his background in street art and community-based artwork, Nugroho presented two installations focusing on environmental awareness and collective effort. At the UBS Art Studio, his interactive project We Are Here Now(2023) addressed increased plastic waste, with public involvement to complete the installation. Visitors were invited to step into two vivid mask sculptures made of recycled materials for a Polaroid snapshot. The photos are then attached to a third blank sculpture, eventually finishing the piece.
Over at the UBS Lounge, Hands with Sunrise featured works created collectively by Nugroho and the local communities in Yogyakarta. On display were embroidered paintings like Guarding Sunrise in Mind (2023) and Love #2 (2019), radiating optimism and communal kinship. The latter returns to the UBS office following the fair, where it will be displayed alongside artworks by other regional artists like Christine Ay Tjoe, Lee Bul and Robert Zhao Renhui.
Nugroho’s impactful presentations embody the UBS Art Collection’s commitment to showcasing artists who explore the most pressing issues of the day. Most of these works are displayed in UBS offices globally, serving as inspiration and a platform for dialogue with the public.
