Set out to ‘reinterpret the concept of an art fair’, Art & Bali will unveil its inaugural edition in just under a week. The island’s first international art fair will open from 12-14 September in Nuanu Creative City, with a full lineup of 17 galleries now announced.
Art & Bali – quick links:
In an earlier ArtsHub interview with Fair Director Kelsang Dolma, she said Art & Bali’s ambition is focused on ‘bringing the international art community to Bali to engage in constructive dialogues’ that supports local contemporary practice.
Dolma adds, ‘Art & Bali is an invitation to connect, collaborate and shape a growing art ecosystem in Bali, while building meaningful exchange between culture and commerce.’
Participants including Santrian Art Gallery, Asia Pacific Print Club, Feb Gallery Tokyo, Art Agenda and LAKU Art Space will bring together works by artists from Indonesia and beyond, stretching to Japan, Korea, Singapore and even Spain.
Art & Bali programming: beyond the booths
A centrepiece will be Heri Dono’s major installation, Trokomod (Trojan Komodo), originally presented at the Indonesian Pavilion at 2015 Venice Biennale.
Switzerland-based Indonesian curator Mona Liem has shaped Art & Bali’s concurrent exhibition, Terra Nexus, featuring 31 artists. The exhibition explores the intersections of art, science and environment. The pieces will span the immersive, the virtual, and the experimental, with many artists given the opportunity to work with new media for the first time.
Art & Bali’s focus on the local ecology is highlighted in the launch of the Art Collectors Pass, giving every Nuanu homeowner free access to the fair plus $2000 to spend in art credit, funded by Nuanu Real Estate.
Making art collecting accessible appears to be part of the central ethos, with general admission starting at IDR 175K (AU$16) and artworks from IKR1.5M (AU$140). A quick comparison: general admission to Sydney Contemporary, also opening next week, start at $35.
Read: Art for art’s sake – how the creative city of Nuanu lives up to its brief
In addition, the fair also prides itself on its family-friendly offerings, with 50 special programs throughout its duration, including hands-on workshops, light shows and DJ sets. Visitors can also look forward to the unveiling of the second phase of Nuanu’s 30-metre high THK Tower, designed by Arthur Mamou-Mani in collaboration with Balinese artist Chiko. The landmark will come alive through a custom web application that allows visitors to interact with the work.
ArtsHub will be providing on the ground coverage of Art & Bali next week.
Art & Bali runs from 12-14 September; tickets.
ArtsHub is a media partner of Art & Bali 2025.
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Also on ArtsHub: Curator Ellie Buttrose explains theme for her 2026 Adelaide Biennial
Announced today (3 September) the theme for the 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art is Yield Strength.
Curator Ellie Buttrose – who was responsible for curating Australia’s Golden Lion winning pavilion at the Venice Biennale last year – said that she is interested in ‘what it means to transform materials, to yield to them, and not be able to go backwards.’
Buttrose has chosen 24 artists to explore her theme, among them Archie Moore, who she took to Venice.
The exhibition will be presented at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) from 27 February to 8 June 2026 as part of the 2026 Adelaide Festival.
Ellie Buttrose on understanding ‘Yield strength’
Buttrose explains simply: ‘Yield Strength will reveal how materials, selfhood and society are tested – and transformed – under pressure.’
The word yield in itself has a duplicity of meaning. ‘It’ll be played on in different ways in the show,’ Buttrose tells ArtsHub. ‘What I liked about Yield strength, is that it does have a meaning as a phrase, but then also it could be played upon in different ways. And, I think one of the strengths of Australian art is the diversity of practice.’
