Art Jakarta 2023 finds newfound appreciation in new venue

Held from Nov. 17 to 19, Art Jakarta 2023 recorded 35,578 total visitors, an increase of more than 2,000 compared to the previous year. The figure also pointed to the resilience of Indonesia’s fine arts scene in a time of uncertainty, as well as public appreciation for the works of artists from 12 Asia-Pacific countries. 

The fair’s regular program this year involved 68 galleries from Southeast Asia and beyond, including 14 galleries participating for the first time from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. 

Art Jakarta fair director Tom Tandio said moving the event to a new venue aimed to enable better growth and a better environment for exhibitors to present and visitors to enjoy the best and latest in contemporary art. 

“The new venue at JIExpo allowed us to present this art fair in one integrated hall and in more spacious conditions. Visitors were able to find many larger installations in the open area. The flow of gallery arrangements, site-specific installations and other components of this art fair made the experience better and set a new standard," said Tom. 

Booking positive sales, Art Jakarta has maintained its position as one of the most celebrated art fairs in Asia. Its programs cover various segments and discussions, which have contributed to its success in providing an important platform for artists, art professionals and other stakeholders in the art scene.

 Art Jakarta 2023 presented award-winning works and special presentations by its partners from various industries. 

These included the works of the winners of the Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize 2023; the UOB Art Space presented by UOB Indonesia, featuring over 25 works by the winners of the UOB Painting of the Year from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam; and a presentation by Bibit.id of Memory Mirror Palace by Syagini Ratna Wulan, which was exhibited at the Indonesia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2019. 

 In addition, more than 100 children took part each day at Play by UOB, a commissioned piece by Farhan Siki displayed at the UOB Art Space. 

Visitors, including community leaders and celebrities, also enjoyed the Art Jakarta Scene, which offered an opportunity to young collectors to purchase the works of up-and-coming as well as established artists. 

Fredy Chandra of Mizuma Gallery, a long-time participant in the annual fair, expressed his belief that Art Jakarta was a very important forum in Southeast Asia. 

"This art week brought together actors from various parts of the fine arts ecosystem, not only introducing the artists' works to the wider community, but also becoming an important venue for exchanging information," he said. 

Biantoro Santoso of Nadi Gallery meanwhile noted that Art Jakarta had always been an important platform 
for the gallery to introduce its artists to the wider community. 

“We are very happy to be able to come back and interact with visitors, especially seeing the satisfying response. In this new location, Art Jakarta continues to show great support for galleries, especially from Indonesia,” he said. 

Art collector Natasha Sidharta expressed her view that rather than an art fair, Art Jakarta would be more aptly described as a platform of art appreciation. 

"What's more appropriate is that this time, we are using the Art Jakarta platform to recognize the art community so that more people will be able to know and appreciate artists and their work, as we do at Art Jakarta," she said. 

Art Jakarta will return for its 14th edition next year from Oct. 4 to 6, 2024 at JIExpo Kemayoran.