MALAYSIA may not be at the centre of the global art explosion, but Asia is. Much of the action has been generated by China, of course, which is on its way to being the biggest market in the world.
Southeast Asia is catching up too, in terms of money spent, if not global exposure. It's unfortunate how few Malaysian artists have made a showing on the world stage at all. Five years ago, there was Latiff Mohidin at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, among the most important venues anywhere, and a splendid display of the late Syed Ahmed Jamal's work in the less-visited city of Zagreb.
So, what is there to look forward to in 2023?
HIGHLIGHTS AND SPOTLIGHTS
As art fairs have taken over as the hub of global collecting, we should start with these. Kicking off the year is something new and exciting, and almost in Malaysia. The title of the event gives some clues about its precise location.
The inaugural edition of ART SG is from Jan 12 to Jan 15 and the electricity is already in the air — in Singapore at least. It is being marketed as Southeast Asia's most important cultural happening. Being Singapore, the organisers have generated a lot of international attention. It also happens to coincide with Singapore Art Week.
Big names will be present. At the top of that Olympian list is David Zwirner. If you haven't heard of this king-making outfit, its worldwide network of galleries should impress: Paris, Hong Kong, London and New York.
Before despair sets in over the Malaysian presence, it has been announced that Richard Koh Fine Art (of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok) will be holding a very serious show. Never mind that the artists are mainly from what used to be called Indochina. Selangor-born Mandy El-Sayegh gets prime position.
Malaysia's southern neighbour seems to be hogging all the action this year, especially this month. At the same time as the most heavily marketed new art fair, there will also be S.E.A. Focus, an old timer with four previous editions under its belt. Taking place from Jan 6 to Jan 15, it is another ingredient in the magical Singapore Art Week mix.
The organisers of this event are getting truly cellular about their vision: "It considers how a tree grows from a tiny seed; how an ocean's waters comprise just three conjoined atoms; how our DNA is composed of just four letters." We're definitely on the brink of something.
There to see that the something achieves self-realisation are 25 galleries. The gladdest tidings are that three Malaysian galleries have taken up the vanguard. A+ Works of Art and Wei-Ling Gallery are joined by Richard Koh Fine Art, which appears to be moonlighting from ART SG. The not-so-glad news is the presence of NFT artists and plentiful use of the "blockchain" word.
ASIAN PRESENCE
Away from Singapore, the world's two major "Asian art weeks" are inevitably in New York and London. Don't expect any exhibitors from Southeast Asia though. The contents, on the other hand, owe a huge debt to the region. Asia Week New York is from March 16 to March 24 and is very proud of its international coverage.
So far as Asian representatives are concerned, this comes down to Japan. There is another one this year, to add to those who are already present. At least Southeast Asia is present in spirit if not in person. There is lots of art, mainly of the antique variety, from all corners of the region.
The same can be said of Asian Art in London, from Oct 21 to Nov 5. Once again, Japan looms large. This feels like a continuation from 2022, which was also very Japan-centric, including an exceptional exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, plus Japanese shows happening in places as distant as Edinburgh.
At least Southeast Asia is accorded its very own category. Joining the London-based specialists in Southeast Asian art are what is called "Overseas Participants". These are dominated by Hong Kong and, more surprisingly, some dealers from India who are going international, including Chatterjee & Lal of Mumbai.
Of course, Hong Kong, Europe and the United States will also have the high-end contemporary allure of Art Basel and Frieze, usually with a small showing from Southeast Asia. For those who prefer Paris in the autumn, there is Asia Now. Into its ninth year, it's a short hop across the Channel. Last year the Sarawakian artist Syahbandi Samat attracted attention.
ARTFUL RESOLUTION
If all these art fairs feel a bit commercial, there are always museum and gallery exhibitions to look forward to. Or maybe not. This new year looks like being another letdown for the region. Even an institution with as clear a mandate as the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco is letting down the Southeast side.
There is, however, something to offer a new perspective: an American artist of Chinese descent who made a massive splash in the USA from the 1950s onwards. You may never have heard of Bernice Bing, but she was a hidden gem of America when that location was pretty much all that mattered for contemporary art. She did all the right things, like hanging out with the Beat elite and using Zen calligraphy.
Sadly, Bing had no connection with Southeast Asia. At the same time as her San Francisco niche is being promoted, there are so many organisations pushing their own art niches in major centres around the world.
These include Iran Heritage, Indian Art Circle, Korean Cultural Centre, Japan Society and countless others. Southeast Asia has the ASEAN Gallery, a location with no obvious address and which asks visitors to make a booking. Maybe Asean's New Year's resolution should be to push the regional agenda a bit harder in the international forum.
Follow Lucien de Guise at Instagram @crossxcultural.