SINGAPORE — Three Southeast Asia-based galleries, Sundaram Tagore, Gajah Gallery and 2902 Gallery will be heading to Art13 London, the new art fair opening this weekend. 

Art13 London is pitched as “a global art fair for a global city”, and about 15% of the 129 participating galleries are from Asia. It runs March 1 - 3, at Olympia.

Among the Southeast Asian contingent is Gajah Gallery, which will be showing the monumental works of prominent Indonesian artists, most of them measuring 2m x 3m. The most notable work in the stable is “Godlike,” by I Nyoman Masriadi, depicting one of the top Indonesian painter’s iconic black figures. Two other veteran artists featured are Masriadi Handiwirman, presenting three turquoise acrylic-on-canvases that portray a dotted figure of a man, and Yunizar, who is showing his playful textured abstracts.

Lastly, a work by Barbados-born, Bali-based Ashley Bickerton will also be showcased. The artist was prominent in the 80s as one of the members of the Neo-Geo group, which included Peter Halley, Meyer Vaisman and Jeff Koons. His work, “Mitochondrial Eve Silver,” a mixed media portrait of the first woman from which all human beings descended, will be on display.

Over at 2902 Gallery, which specialises in Southeast Asian photography, an exhibition called “Promised Land” will feature the work of eight artists from the region. They are: Singaporean artists Ang Song Nian, Heman Chong, John Clang and Robert Zhao Renhui, Malaysia’s Eiffel Chong and Sherman Ong, Indonesia’s Edwin Roseno, as well as Thailand’s Miti Ruangkritya. 

From the political satire in Ruangkritya’s “Thaksin Where are you?” series, where the exiled former Thai prime minister is photoshopped into humorous situations, to the dreamy, poetic urban scapes of New York-based Clang, the show promises a cross-section of Southeast Asian artists, whose work is informed by their domestic environments as well as wider art trends. 

Singaporean artist Joel Yuen, who is represented by 2902, will present a piece at Art13 Performances, a platform for the presentation and discussion of performance art. His work “Anthem” will see him dressed in a pair of black running shorts with his body covered in red paint, as a critique on the political indoctrination in Asia and Southeast Asia.

Finally, Sundaram Tagore Gallery will curate an East-meets-West booth comprising of top roster artists such as Japanese painter Hiroshi Senju, Korean artist Kim Joon and late Indian painter Sohan Qadri.

Art13 London is organised by Art Fairs London, which has been set up by two of the original founders of ART HK: Hong Kong International Art Fair, Tim Etchells and Sandy Angus.

Art13 London runs at Olympia Grand Hall from March 1 to 3. Tickets are available here.