Dating back about two thousand years, the Silk Road is famed for being the series of transcontinental trade and communication routes that linked traders from China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Commodities such as silk, spices and gold, as well as religious philosophies and artistic influences, were exchanged via these lengthy – and often perilous – courses.

Next month, a new art fair provides art lovers with the opportunity to revisit the Silk Road in a creative and hazard-free way. Billed as the first modern and contemporary art fair in Asia focusing on Middle Eastern, North African, South and South-east Asian art, the Singapore Art Fair will bring together more than 60 galleries from these regions. Established and emerging names will be showcased in the exhibition, with the former including the likes of Indonesian artist Angki Purbandono, who specialises in scanography – the scanning of objects to create photographic images, which are then displayed as light boxes. Pictured below, his work, Toy Series, will be one of the highlights to watch out for.

Elaborating on the fair’s unusual geographical coverage, its French-born and Lebanon-based founder Laure d’Hauteville explains: “We are all familiar with the journeys many took on the Silk Road and how it was a symbol for trade and artistic influence. We want to draw attention back to this historic route and, yet, do it with a touch of modernity.”

The Singapore Art Fair will be held at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre from Nov 27 to 30.