This panel discussion will reflect on the past ten years of SAW, discussing Singapore’s position as a vibrant arts hub in a regional context. From a commercial perspective, three leading art professionals will share their insights on what makes a successful art week. Who benefits most from Art Week; how do we strike a balance between quality of art versus quantity of programmes; is the current model sustainable? In this pandemic-era, how will Art Week evolve and what can we look forward to in future?

This talk is both streaming live on SAW Digital & happening physically at Mandela Club. For the physical talk, please register for a free ticket here.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Emi Eu has been an important member of STPI from 2001. Since becoming Director in 2009 and now Executive Director, she has led the organisation towards global expansion, introducing exciting collaborations with renowned artists both within Asia and from the West.

Under her directorship, STPI became the first gallery from Singapore to participate in the prestigious art fair, Art Basel in Basel, back in 2013. To date, it is the only gallery from Singapore to participate in all three editions of the Art Basel fairs. She is a member of the Selection Committee for Art Basel Hong Kong. Since 2019 she has been heading S.E.A. Focus, an initiative led by STPI which brings together a curated selection of some of the finest artists and galleries from across Southeast Asia to showcase contemporary art in and of the region. Eu is also on the 2020 jury of the Queen Sonja Print Award, one of the most prestigious international prizes in the field of graphic art presented by the H.M. Queen Sonja Art Foundation, Norway. Since February 2020, she has been serving on the Advisory Council of The Rubin Museum of Art, New York.

Eu previously held the position of Programme Director at Fondation d'entreprise Hermès Aloft in Singapore from 2007 to 2019. She also served as the Vice President and President between 2012 and 2018 for Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS). She was an Adjunct Faculty for the course Art History; Civilisation: East & West at the Singapore Management University from 2001 to 2017.

Low Eng Teong was trained as a visual artist and graduated from art colleges in New Zealand and Australia. He holds a Masters in Art and Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Eng Teong joined the education service in 1995 and served as a teacher, senior curriculum specialist and principal. In 2015, Eng Teong joined the National Arts Council as Director, Visual Arts Development where he oversaw the review of the visual arts sectoral plan and the management of Gillman Barracks visual arts precinct.  He is currently the Deputy Chief Executive for the Sector Development Group overseeing the Literary, Visual and Performing Arts sectors, as well as Arts Education in schools and Capability Development for the arts industry . He also serves on the board of Singapore Art Museum, STPI Gallery & Creative Workshop and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

Magnus Renfrew is a leading art fair organiser, an author, and Founder of the ARTHQ Group. Renfrew is co-founder of ART SG, a major international art fair for Southeast Asia which will have its inaugural edition in January 2023. In 2019 Renfrew co-founded the art fair - Taipei Dangdai - which has rapidly established itself as a key fixture on the international art calendar.

Renfrew was founding director of Art Basel in Hong Kong - serving as one of three members of Art Basel’s global Executive Committee, and founding director of the fair’s predecessor ART HK: Hong Kong International Art Fair, which inaugurated in 2008. Renfrew has been recognized for his contribution by industry media and has been named twice in the ArtReview ‘Power 100’ as one of the 100 most influential figures in the art world. In 2013 he was honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Ning Chong has fifteen years of experience working in the professional Art world. With a degree from LSE, Ning studied Modern and Contemporary Art at Christie’s Education in London. She immersed herself in London’s commercial art scene, interning at auction houses including Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Phillips de Pury and White Cube. Ning returned to Singapore and joined the National Arts Council where she led the organization of high-profile projects such as Singapore Art Week (2013 – 2015) and Singapore Pavilion at Venice Biennale (editions 2013 and 2015). Ning has built up a wide network across public institutions and the commercial art market. In 2017, Ning founded The Culture Story as a boutique art advisory to share her passion for art, promote art appreciation and connoisseurship.

Co-Presented with S.E.A. Focus