European Union Delegation to Singapore Honoured with Prestigious National Arts Award

This is a triumph for #CulturalDiplomacy and a testament to the EU’s continued and sustained efforts to deepening the EU-Singapore and EU-ASEAN partnership through arts and culture.

The award was presented at Singapore’s esteemed Patron of the Arts Awards, where Minister for Culture, Community & Youth Mr Edwin Tong, was the guest of honour.
 

On 20 August 2024, EU Ambassador to Singapore Iwona Piórko received the award for the impactful SEA AiR (Studio Residencies for Southeast Asian Artists in the European Union) project. This collaborative #TeamEurope project,  was funded by the EU’s Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), Asia-Pacific #EUForeignPolicy, and jointly developed by the EU Delegation to Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University’s Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU CCA).

Ambassador Piórko says: "It is an honour to receive the Friend of the Arts award and to be able to strengthen ties in creative and sustainable ways through this made-in-Singapore programme. SEA AiR was launched in 2022 to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the EU and ASEAN partnership, and it is fitting that it concluded in 2024, marking 20 years since the establishment of the EU Delegation to Singapore."

The SEA AiR project has received significant international acclaim for its innovative programming approach, empowering Southeast Asian artists by providing them the opportunity to embark on residencies in six EU countries. Artworks created in response and inspired by their travels to Europe were presented at two specially curated exhibitions that were part of two editions of Singapore Art Week, the region’s most significant contemporary arts event. This pioneering initiative not only facilitated artistic exchange and collaboration but also bolstered cultural diplomacy and strengthened ties between the EU and the vibrant arts community of Southeast Asia.
 

SEA AiR, role has been credited for strengthening ties and driving further the development of Southeast Asia’s contemporary art scene as well as facilitating dialogue between European art institutions and Southeast Asian artists. Singapore has been the thriving engine and beginning and end point of this very inspiring project.
 

The Patron of the Arts Awards, instituted in 1983, celebrate and recognise organisations and individuals who have significantly contributed to the arts’ development. The EU’s receives this esteemed award for the first time in Singapore. This underscores the commitment to fostering artistic exchange and promoting cultural understanding for #CulturalDiplomacy in Singapore and ASEAN.
 

SEA AiR Artists & Institutions

Cycle 2

• Priyageetha Dia (Singapore – residency at Jan van Eyck Academie, Netherlands)
• Ngoc Nau (Vietnam – residency at Rupert, Lithuania) 
• Saroot Supasuthivech (Thailand – residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien Germany)

Cycle 1

• Hoo Fan Chon (Malaysia - residency at HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme, Finland)
• Citra Sasmita (Indonesia - residency at WIELS Brussels, Belgium)
• Vuth Lyno (Cambodia - residency at Villa Arson Nice, France)
• SEA AiR Cycle 2 Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S40ggZZquvc
• SEA AiR Cycle 1 Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrJJ-nb793U

Read more