ART is not just a powerful tool for sharing stories and emotions, it also helps to shine a light on our world in creative ways. Together with art lovers from the region and beyond, I am looking forward to seeing how travels, cultural exchanges and the realities shaping our world have impacted and shaped the art practices of three talented artists from the region who are part of the second cycle of SEA AiR (Studio Residencies for Southeast Asian Artists in the European Union).

For me, experiencing the art in this truly inspiring project and setting is an unforgettable journey. This is reflected in the exhibition title of SEA AiR Cycle 2. Passages references the artists’ journeys across geographical and cultural boundaries from one continent to another; the cultural exchanges that take place during this time; and the continuous development of ideas as they return to their home countries to create the thought-provoking artworks you will get to see in this exhibition.

This week (the exhibition opened on Tuesday, Nov 28) I will be experiencing the artworks in the presence of the artists: Priyageetha Dia from Singapore who did her residency at Jan van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands; Ngoc Nau from Vietnam who did her residency at Rupert in Lithuania; and Saroot Supasuthivech from Thailand who did his residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Germany.