Galleries concerned about costs, duplication as art fair S.E.A. Focus moves to MBS alongside Art SG

SINGAPORE – A major move to streamline two art fairs during Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2026 has led to puzzlement among some gallerists, who are now waiting with bated breath for more information from organisers.

South-east Asian art fair S.E.A. Focus had for the past seven editions been staged by print and paper gallery and workshop STPI. The fair began at Gillman Barracks before growing to become an anchor SAW event at Tanjong Pagar Distripark from 2021.

Come January 2026, it will move to Marina Bay Sands (MBS), alongside international art fair Art SG.

Asia-Pacific art fair curator The Art Assembly, which runs Art SG, will also take over organising S.E.A. Focus, which has always put South-east Asian work in the spotlight.

The National Arts Council, Art SG and STPI said in a joint statement on Sept 15 that this was to create a “mega-anchor” for SAW, while “enabling Singapore to grow the South-east Asian art market on a global scale”.

Attracting over 41,000 visitors in 2025, Art SG has a bigger and more international collector pool, drawn to its reputation for blue-chip art and density of over 100 galleries.

Visitors in 2026 can use a single ticket to access both fairs, with the price still to be set. For continuity, project director Emi Eu and curator John Tung remain as artistic consultant and curator respectively for the 2026 edition.

Amid worries that this could hollow out Tanjong Pagar Distripark – traditionally a second centre of activity during SAW – galleries also cautioned that this move could erode S.E.A. Focus’ proven recipe for success.

Over its lifespan, STPI has transformed S.E.A. Focus from a pop-up at Gillman Barracks in 2019 to a staple boutique fair with 21 regional exhibitors and more than 400 artworks in 2025. It has become so popular that STPI had to turn away regional galleries due to space constraints.

Artcommune Gallery founder Ho Sou Ping asked: “We have invested so much effort and resources into building the S.E.A. Focus brand. Have we just given it away?”

For him, S.E.A. Focus differentiated itself with its tighter thematic curation – possible because it was smaller – and its affordability. Both elements are now at risk with its transplantation to MBS.

Organisers told The Straits Times that vendor fees will not be increased for S.E.A. Focus participants, but galleries remain concerned over costs for future iterations.

Mr Ho said it is also unclear how S.E.A. Focus fits into Art SG’s strategy of attracting top Western galleries and competing alongside mega Asian fairs like Art Basel Hong Kong.

Art SG’s predecessor, Art Stage, tried this approach but abruptly folded in 2019 as gallery participation declined.

“It highlighted that the region is not yet ready for big-ticket purchases, and local buyers have a lower price tolerance. It remains to be seen if Art SG truly understands the nuances of the Singaporean market,” Mr Ho added.

The Art Assembly also organised the Taipei Dangdai fair, which cancelled its 2026 edition in July. While no official reason was given for the cancellation, it came on the back of a drop in gallery participation and weaker sales.

The number of fairs in Asia has increased in recent years, with Frieze opening in Seoul and Gendai Art Fair in Tokyo, forcing fairs to carve out their own niches and to compete in a still-developing collecting market.

Mr Ho expressed a bigger worry, namely whether Singapore should maintain control over its art industry to protect its longer-term “cultural narrative and interests”, especially as Singaporean gallery STPI has proven itself a worthy steward.

“If the Government views the commercial art industry as vital to building Singapore’s historical narrative, it makes sense for Singaporeans to lead the creation of an art fair. How can we ensure that the art fair serves our interests unless it is managed by Singaporeans?”

He said it is now “improbable” that Artcommune Gallery, which has submitted its booth proposal for Art SG, will participate in S.E.A. Focus 2026, given the late date now and the fair’s still-vague programming.

Ms Liza Ho, who founded Kuala Lumpur gallery The Back Room, also said it was “unlikely” she would devote the resources to two booths at MBS. One of galleries’ perennial concerns is rent, which in Singapore is already one of the highest among art fairs and which has been rising.

“I was surprised to hear that S.E.A. Focus will be run by Art SG, especially since they’ve had quite different directions,” she said, though she leaves room to be proven wrong. “But maybe bringing everything together could turn out to be a good thing.”

Richard Koh Fine Art founder Richard Koh said he will try to support S.E.A. Focus as a regional and local brand, but that booth rental rates at MBS cannot be more expensive than those at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

He, too, has concerns over duplication, although he pointed to the retention of Mr Tung as a positive. “It doesn’t make sense if the format becomes the same as Art SG and becomes just another South-east Asian pavilion.”

Richard Koh Fine Art submitted its S.E.A. Focus proposal for 2025 around mid-August 2024. But the fair submission process has been delayed this year.

Observers said keener interest in emerging South-east Asian art, with their relatively lower price points, by Art SG collectors and S.E.A. Focus’ cachet among younger art viewers may have been push factors for the reorganisation.

Art SG already tries to situate itself in the South-east Asian context, with over 30 per cent of the 105 galleries in the 2025 edition operating spaces in the region. Those who do not have spaces in Singapore also tailored their offerings to fit, including showing Singapore artists like Sim Chi Yin and the late Kim Lim.

Some, like Singapore’s Cuturi Gallery and Australia’s Sullivan+Strumpf, which just inaugurated a new space in Tiong Bahru, are choosing optimism. They will consider having booths at both Art SG and S.E.A. Focus as this would still allow for different curatorial strategies.

Having both fairs under one roof would also benefit visitors, who can choose to see everything in one go.

Sullivan+Strumpf said in a statement: “The identity of S.E.A. Focus lies within the name, not the location – with the proximity to Art SG, we can only see the audience increasing, not decreasing.”

Cuturi Gallery founder Kevin Cuturi warned that it is difficult to pre-judge if anything will be lost until the fair is open to the public in January.

“I would want S.E.A. Focus to retain its boutique presentation, which makes it always a very refreshing and engaging platform. It has always been about quality,” he added.

Participants of SAW have said a bustling art week here also requires events across more diverse spaces in the country, rather than have them concentrated in one venue. For instance, Tanjong Pagar Distripark and Gillman Barracks had functioned as alternatives nodes.

S.E.A. Focus project director and executive director of STPI Ms Eu said people can look forward to a new STPI initiative, to be held near its premises during SAW. This will focus on print and paper, including an exhibition and a symposium. More details will be revealed at a later date. 

She said S.E.A Focus’ latest move should also equip it with a much larger support infrastructure. “Galleries will also gain from Art SG’s worldwide VIP outreach, a global press campaign, an international press trip and a large-scale marketing initiative.”