Singapore shows off bumper crop of its artists at Venice Biennale 2024

[VENICE] Singapore has achieved record representation at the Venice Biennale 2024, with works not just by Singaporean artists, but also South-east Asian ones. Drawing from its vast collection of over 8,000 modern artworks from the region, National Gallery Singapore is showing eight iconic portrait paintings executed by important artists from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, at what is widely regarded as the greatest art show on earth, visited by half a million people.

The eight established artists are Chua Mia Tee (China/Singapore, reflecting birthplace and chosen home), Georgette Chen (China/Singapore), Affandi (Indonesia), Hendra Gunawan (Indonesia), Lai Foong Moi (Malaysia/Singapore), Le Pho (Vietnam/France), Emiria Sunassa (Indonesia) and Lim Mu Hue (Singapore).

But that’s not all. Three younger Singaporeans have also been included in the main exhibition. Robert Zhao Renhui, a 41-year-old artist investigating the relationship between humans and nature, has been chosen by Singapore as its representative in the “art world Olympics”, where some 87 countries are vying for prestigious prizes.

In the non-competitive exhibition featuring 332 artists from around the world, two Singaporean artists, Charmaine Poh and Sim Chi Yin, have been selected for their works. Poh is showing two videos centred on queer women, while Sim explores in a video the present lives of former Malayan guerilla fighters who took on the British in the anti-colonial war between 1948 and 1960.

Works by two other Singapore artists feature elsewhere in Venice: Priyageetha Dia is showing a work themed on ancestral migratory movements from India to the Malay Peninsula, and Deepa Khanna Sobti is displaying a work themed on the challenges of global migration and national identities.

Reflecting on the bumper crop of Singapore artists in Venice, Eugene Tan, chief executive and director of Singapore Art Museum and National Gallery Singapore, said: “The fact that so many Singapore artists are participating in this year’s Venice Biennale speaks to how our artists are having more extensive networks, and how their works are being more acknowledged and known outside Singapore… I hope that this is a trend that shows the growing profile of our artists and art scene.”

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong on Wednesday (17 April) officiated at the opening of the Singapore Pavilion, where Zhao’s works are on show.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the arts, Tong said: “The Venice Biennale is a very important platform to showcase the best of Singapore visual arts, and for our artists to be connected to the pulse of the international arts scene… The Singapore government will continue to do its part to support artists, in efforts to bring Singapore arts to an international audience.”

This year’s biennale is its 60th edition, and carries the theme of “Foreigners Everywhere”, to reflect on the current global dynamics of migration, identity and belonging. It also explores a deeper philosophical notion that, no matter where one is, one can feel like a foreigner.

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Artists from countries such as Spain, Australia and Austria, have taken the opportunity to examine issues of migrants, refugees, indigenous populations, stolen land and decolonisation. Those from Bulgaria and Poland depict the heartbreaking legacies of war, violence and displacement.

Meanwhile, anti-war sentiment spilled into real life: The artist representing Israel, Ruth Patir, refused to open her exhibition unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages; various pro-Palestine protests also broke out across Venice on Wednesday.

At the Singapore Pavilion organised by the Singapore Art Museum and commissioned by the National Arts Council, Zhao depicted the “foreigners” theme by suggesting in his works that humans are the invaders of the natural world.

The biennale runs from now till Nov 24.