'New ways of recognising the world around us': Curator John Tung on Singapore's art exhibition S.E.A. Focus

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — Fans of contemporary art headed for the Lion City should definitely make a pit stop at S.E.A. Focus 2024.

As a leading platform for Southeast Asian contemporary art, S.E.A. Focus makes it sixth appearance and runs till January 28 at Tanjong Pagar Distripark in Singapore.

It is an anchor event of the Singapore Art Week (SAW), an initiative led by STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery and commissioned by the National Arts Council. It is also a key event in the SAW calendar which marks the city’s signature visual arts season.

With technology playing an increasingly important role, the 2024 exhibition explores the intriguing interplay between humanity and technology, as well as what gives distinctiveness to being human in the midst of an impending technological confluence.

Titled Serial and Massively Parallel, the showcase sees a curated assembly of artworks from 22 galleries and more than 40 artists from around the world responding to the theme.

Curating S.E.A. Focus for the first time is John Tung, a curator with extensive experience. — Picture courtesy of Art Outreach Singapore

Curating S.E.A. Focus for the first time is John Tung, a curator with extensive experience through his work with the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore Biennale, Singapore International Photography Festival and numerous other independent engagements.

His selection of works for S.E.A. Focus poses questions about the nature of creativity, the evolving landscape of artistic expression in an increasingly digital age and the experience of art as a uniquely human endeavour and phenomenon.

Speaking on his curatorial approach, Tung said: “As digital technologies and artificial intelligence increasingly makes its mark on our lived experiences, S.E.A. Focus offers an opportune moment to think of its role and function amidst the contemporary arts ecology.

“That is not to say that the presentation is focused on the digital, but rather, locating its place amidst a breadth of practices and mediums arising from the intrinsic human impulse to connect and to create.

“In doing so, I hope audiences will find opportunities for reconnecting with shared experiences and see new ways of recognising the world around us,” he added.

Tung was attracted to this project as he relished the opportunity 'to work with an incredible range of artists'.

“For me, S.E.A. Focus is an important barometer of practices that are emerging across the region. To be able to know these practices better was definitely an appealing point for me,” he added.

In regard to the overall design and layout of the exhibition space, Tung wanted a good mix of wall-bound works as well as free standing and suspended installations. “It's to create a sense of wonderment to share with people, new ways of encountering the world around them.”

Asked what challenges he faced in curating the exhibition, Tung replied: “The scale .... when you have 200 works, it's very challenging to fit in all of the works seamlessly.

“It was a case of always trying to find the best fit. It involved a lot of moving parts and constant state of revisions as it was very important to present a cohesive show to the audience,” said Tung, who worked closely with the artists on the development of the displays.

Malaysian artist Tan Zi Hao is featuring his work 'Bags of Stories, no. 9', as part of his 'Casebearer' series. — Picture courtesy of S.E.A. Focus

He is full of praise for Malaysian artist Tan Zi Hao, who is featuring his work Bags of Stories, no. 9, as part of his Casebearer series. Over the years, Tan paid attention to an insect popularly known as 'household casebearers' (Phereoeca spp.).

Pervasive in domestic spaces, they live in the most inconspicuous corners, clinging on to the most marginal fringes like droplets of grey. As the name suggests, a household casebearer survives as a larva bearing an oval case before metamorphosing into a moth.

“The macro photography that Zi Hao did really pulls into focus some of these organisms that we share the planet with,” said Tung.

“Humanity spends a lot of time thinking they are at the centre of universe, so for him to zoom into something so small ... is absolutely poetic.”

As a curator, how does Tung gauge the success of an exhibition?

“For me, success is all about whether people enjoy the visiting experience, and whether they take away the key message,” said Tung, adding that he hopes the audience comes with 'an open mind'.

Meanwhile, S.E.A. Focus has unveiled its selection of Southeast Asian contemporary artworks to be added to the Singapore Art Museum (SAM)’s collection through the SAM S.E.A. Focus Art Fund.

'2 seconds before revolution in a leaf' by Nawin Nuthong of Thailand.— Picture courtesy of S.E.A. Focus

The selected artworks are 2 seconds before revolution in a leaf by Nawin Nuthong (Thailand), Pro Se - Vivarium Air 2, Pro Se - Composition 2, Pro Se - Vivarium Air 1, Pro Se - Composition 1 by Phi Phi Oanh (the United States) and River Kwai: This Memorial Service was Held in the Memory of the Deceased by Saroot Supasuthivech (Thailand).

The Yenn and Alan Lo Foundation committed a seed amount of US$25,000 (RM118,175) per edition for the SAM S.E.A Focus Art Fund from 2023 to 2025.

For this edition, the artworks were selected by a panel of jury comprising guest juror Mami Kataoka (Director, Mori Art Museum), Dr Eugene Tan (Director, Singapore Art Museum) and Ong Puay Khim (Deputy Director, Collections and Public Art, Singapore Art Museum).

S.E.A. Focus 2024 is held from now till January 28 at 39 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore. For more information, visit http://www.seafocus.sg