ART SG: South east Asia’s Contemporary Art Fair

Singapore Art Show: Why ART SG Is Fast Becoming Asia’s Most Compelling Art Destination

At the start of 2026, Singapore finds itself at the centre of one of the most important shifts in the global art world. Once viewed primarily as a regional hub, the city has rapidly matured into a cultural capital where international galleries, collectors and institutions converge and nowhere is this more visible than at ART SG.

Photography, Bingyi Installation, View 1.

Now in its fourth edition, ART SG returns to Marina Bay Sands from 23–25 January 2026 (with VIP preview on 22 January), presenting its most ambitious iteration yet. With more than 100 exhibitors from over 30 countries and territories, expanded curatorial programming and the debut of S.E.A. Focus, the fair signals Singapore’s arrival as a global gateway for contemporary art from Southeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

For travellers, collectors and design-minded cultural explorers, ART SG has become one of the most compelling reasons to visit Singapore in January, perfectly timed with Singapore Art Week, when the city transforms into a curated circuit of exhibitions, performances, private collections and museum openings.

Photography Left, Art SG venue, Marina Bay Sands

A Fair in Expansion Mode

ART SG’s growth has been both deliberate and discerning. Presented by Founding and Lead Partner UBS, the fair has steadily expanded its scope while maintaining a strong curatorial backbone. The 2026 edition introduces new sectors, deeper institutional collaborations and an increased focus on performance, film and cross-disciplinary practices.

A key milestone this year is the launch of the ART SG FUTURES Prize presented by UBS, awarding USD 10,000 to an outstanding emerging artist. This signals not only market confidence, but a long-term investment in the region’s next generation of artistic voices.

Alongside this, the SAM ART SG Fund returns for a second year, allocating SGD 150,000 toward acquisitions for the Singapore Art Museum, reinforcing ART SG’s role as both a commercial and institutional catalyst.

S.E.A. Focus: A Defining Debut

For the first time, ART SG will co-present S.E.A. Focus, Singapore’s homegrown platform championing contemporary Southeast Asian art. Integrated seamlessly into the fair with a single-ticket format, S.E.A. Focus retains its distinct curatorial identity while benefiting from ART SG’s international reach.

Photography, S.E.A. Focus 2025 Visitors

The 2026 edition is curated by John Z.W. Tung, with artistic consultation by Emi Eu of STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, under the theme The Humane Agency. The exhibition foregrounds artists as agents of compassion, responding to global challenges such as conflict, ecological crisis and migration through deeply personal and politically resonant practices.

This curatorial lens reflects a broader shift: Southeast Asian artists are no longer peripheral to global conversations — they are shaping them.

International Galleries, Asian Voices

ART SG 2026 brings together a blue-chip roster of international galleries alongside leading Asian names, creating a dialogue between global market confidence and regional specificity.

Returning international heavyweights include White Cube, Thaddaeus Ropac, neugerriemschneider, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Annely Juda Fine Art, Goodman Gallery and Ota Fine Arts. Newcomers such as Castelli Gallery and Ashvita’s further expand the fair’s geographic and cultural reach.

Photography, left Johyun Gallery, Lee Bae, Brushstroke-29, 2024, Bronze, 285 x 180 x 160cm. Right, Johyun Gallery] Lee Bae, Brushstroke-No5, 2025, 260 x 170cm 2025.

At the same time, ART SG continues to offer one of the most authoritative surveys of Southeast Asian contemporary art, with returning regional galleries including Ames Yavuz, STPI, Richard Koh Fine Art, Gajah Gallery and Haridas Contemporary.

For collectors, this convergence reflects a wider trend: growing global confidence in Asian artists, driven by strong institutional support, maturing collector bases and increasing visibility across international biennales and museums.

 

Performance, Film and the City as Stage

One of the most significant developments at ART SG 2026 is the introduction of a dedicated Performance Art sector, curated by X-Zhu Nowell of Rockbund Art Museum.

A standout highlight is Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait, an immersive exhibition staged within The Warehouse Hotel on Robertson Quay. Blurring the boundaries between exhibition, performance and hospitality, the project transforms the hotel into a living, breathing cultural environment, an approach that feels uniquely aligned with Singapore’s design-driven urban fabric.

Citra Sasmita, installation view, Timur Merah Project XI: Bedtime Story, 24th Biennale of Sydney 2024, Chau Chak Wing Museum. Photo: David James.

SG & The International Art Scene

ART SG’s rise mirrors a larger cultural recalibration. According to the Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting, Asian collectors, particularly in Singapore are increasingly focused on emerging talent, with strong optimism about the global art market’s near-term future.

In this context, ART SG functions not only as a marketplace, but as a cultural signal: that Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific are no longer future markets, they are present-day forces.

For visitors, ART SG offers more than access to art. It offers entry into a city where architecture, design, gastronomy and culture intersect with precision and ease. Paired with Singapore’s exceptional hotels, dining scene and walkable cultural districts, the fair becomes a cornerstone of a deeply considered travel experience.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel

artsg.com