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Joseph Koh

The Art Jakarta fair in early October was a testament to the resilience of the Indonesian art market, proceeding without a hitch despite a turbulent backdrop.
Just weeks before the fair, Jakarta was rocked by widespread protests against a government decision to grant generous allowances to lawmakers, resulting in 10 deaths, thousands of arrests and the deadliest unrest in Indonesia for over two decades.
Yet, from October 3 to 5, the 15th edition of the fair was buzzing, with no sign of the political turmoil.
Overall attendees numbered 37,899, roughly the same number as the previous edition. This turnout was impressive amid weakening international market signals, which saw global art market sales decrease by 12 per cent in 2024, according to the latest Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report. Auction sales also declined in the first half of 2025.
Fair director Tom Tandio said that given the “time of uncertainty and economy”, the sales actually “went above expectations”. In addition, none of the 75 participating galleries – including 15 new international players, among them Esther Schipper, TKG+ and Kaikai Kiki Gallery – pulled out.

This was the first showing in Indonesia by Esther Schipper, which has galleries in Berlin, Paris, Seoul and New York. Earlier this year, in January, the gallery decided not to attend Southeast Asia’s biggest fair, Art SG.
For Art Jakarta, the gallery focused on a selection of artists with Asian heritage, such as Anicka Yi, Simon Fujiwara and Hyunsun Jeon, underscoring the fair’s regional focus.
In addition to Yi’s intriguing “Post Classical” series, featuring tempura-fried flowers encased in resin, and Fujiwara’s Picasso-inspired pieces following his participation in the Picasso exhibition at Hong Kong’s M+ earlier this year, the gallery also left a strong impression with Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s striking 2.9-metre (9.5ft) Green Yellow Nun (2020) sculpture.
Muchi Shaw, Esther Schipper’s associate director for Asia, said: “I’m not choosing one [fair] over the other, but right now I’m really focused on the Indonesian market.”
Having been involved with the Southeast Asian art scene since 2015, the gallery veteran has borne witness to the Indonesian market’s steady growth.
“Now we also have serious business relationships, and the reaction to our first edition, while not quite like the offers at [Art] Basel and Frieze, has been good. We’ve had a lot of interesting conversations,” he said.
He was tight-lipped about sales, but shared that Esther Schipper had “definite plans” to return to Art Jakarta next year.

Local players like Laksamana “Jun” Tirtadji, founder of ROH Projects, were equally pleased.
“We really got a lot of support, from both our local and international collectors, so it was a very good fair,” said the Indonesian gallerist, who sold artworks worth US$80,000.
Besides the business-as-usual vibe at the fair, galleries also tended to choose art that shied away from the recent political turmoil, with no hint of the pink-and-green symbols of the protest movement or other direct references.
Among the few galleries that pushed the envelope was Ara Contemporary, a new gallery founded by long-time friends Megan Arlin, Fiesta Ramadanti and Fredy Chandra in April. For its Art Jakarta debut, Ara Contemporary presented works from an ambitious slate of 21 regional artists and took in up to US$40,000.
These included Irfan Hendrian’s Dodecagon Corrugated Metal Fences (2024), a large, 12-sided structure made ahead of Indonesia’s 2024 general election. It represented the “limited, constructed set of political options”, according to the artist. Featuring actual campaign materials, including those for President Prabowo Subianto, this “voting station” prompted visitors to ponder on what has transpired since ballots were cast.
The gallery also brought Yogyakarta-based printmaker Ipeh Nur’s large-scale installation, The Waves Haven’t Slept (2024). It is a powerful video installation that brings together ancient myths and contemporary experiences and is housed in a structure partly made with indigo paste, turmeric and eggshells on canvas. This was the first time the work was shown in Indonesia since it clinched the special prize at the 2024 Future Generation Art Prize. The gallery ended up selling it to a private foundation.

Other exhibitors that similarly channelled the political atmosphere included Baik Art, which presented the “Not Just A Pistol” series by veteran artist FX Harsono, a consistently critical voice against political and social oppression. It featured pistols adorned with newspaper clippings with messages such as Stop Pelibatan Anak dalam Unjuk Rasa (stop involving children in demonstrations).
Meanwhile, emerging gallery Sewu Satu showcased the works of young Yogyakarta artist Prakadetto Alansa, whose paintings featured ordinary citizens with eyes smeared with paint, alluding to government censorship. Gallery co-founder Raihan Rafi Prabowo embraced this necessary “streak of rebellion”, saying Alansa’s work represented “a year full of strife, struggle and chaos. I’m so glad that he had the bravery to express what he wanted to say about his own country.”
Ultimately, Art Jakarta’s long-term success depends on the support of its collector base. Sullivan + Strumpf’s Singapore-based associate director Mariia Zhuchenko met many new collectors from China, South Korea and Japan. “Little did we expect to see a collector from China purchasing a work here in Jakarta,” she said.
“We’re overwhelmed by the support from the community,” said Ramadanti of Ara Contemporary. “Sales were great and we had many inquiries from institutions.”
Part of the community’s growth can be chalked up to Tandio’s dedication and intention to build the ecosystem. He is a co-founder of One Piece Club, which helps people start art collections.
“Art Jakarta embraces these collectors not only during the fair, but also outside it,” he said. “All year long, we give them access to studio visits and art fairs abroad.”

He is also launching a sister fair called Art Jakarta Papers in February 2026, aiming to attract younger art enthusiasts with its dedication to more affordable paper-based art forms.
Indeed, there are signs that the average age of art lovers in the world’s fourth most populous nation is getting younger.
“We noticed an interesting shift when we reviewed our audience demographics,” said Venus Lau, director of Museum Macan in Jakarta. “We’ve got a very strong young audience, and it has moved from millennials to Gen Z.”
With its efforts to build the audience pipeline, Art Jakarta seems poised to be a bright spot for years to come.


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Art Jakarta fair defies weak market and recent social unrest with impressive turnout

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Art Jakarta 2025, the 15th edition of the fair, held from October 3 to 5. Photo: Joseph Koh

Tom Tandio, director of Art Jakarta, says the event “went above expectations”.

Green Yellow Nun (2020), by Ugo Rondinone, seen at the Esther Schipper booth at Art Jakarta 2025. Photo: Joseph Koh

Artist Ipeh Nur in front of her work The Waves Haven’t Slept (2024). Photo: Joseph Koh

Dodecagon Corrugated Metal Fences (2024), by Irfan Hendrian, presented by Ara Contemporary at Art Jakarta. Photo: Joseph Koh

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Lifestyle

Arts

The Art Jakarta fair in the Indonesian capital was unaffected by recent protests in the city, with 75 international galleries taking part


The Art Jakarta fair in the Indonesian capital was unaffected by recent protests in the city, with 75 international galleries taking part.


Indonesia

Art Jakarta fair defies weak market and recent social unrest with impressive turnout

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Art Jakarta fair in the Indonesian capital was unaffected by recent protests in the city, with 75 international galleries taking part

The Art Jakarta fair in the Indonesian capital was unaffected by recent protests in the city, with 75 international galleries taking part