S.E.A. Focus 2025 blurs the line between modern and contemporary art – Art & Culture
nside a serene warehouse by a busy port in Singapore, artwork from countries across Southeast Asia stand still and unmoving in time.
Just like the bustling region, these pieces of art vary in style and interest — one talks of dead creatures, another of borders, buildings, meats and bones.
But their differences are tied under one prominent theme: the ever-ticking clock, which leads to either decay or permanent scars.
Time is of the essence in this year’s showcase of S.E.A. Focus, a heralded Singaporean contemporary art boutique focusing on the rich tapestry of Southeast Asian artists in our modern world. S.E.A. Focus is led by Singapore’s creative workshop and gallery STPI and, this year, involves 21 exhibitors across eight SEA countries.
A central highlight during the annual Singapore Art Week (SAW), the weeklong 2025 edition of S.E.A Focus held at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, will conclude Sunday.
A gallery attendant turns a page in Indonesian artist Agan Harahap’s The Border Line, an artwork featuring a massive photo book containing fictional depictions of a village in Sumatra that challenges photography’s often overlooked place in art, during the S.E.A. Focus 2025 contemporary art showcase in Singapore. (JP/Radhiyya Indra)
This year, the SEA-championing showcase appears to veer away from general art themes and wades into a meta commentary on itself, questioning the line that separates “modern” art from “contemporary” art.
