Art Fairs: With Covid shackles almost a distant memory…

Sydney Contemporary, with more than 90 participating galleries included in its unique and immense space at Carriageworks, dove[1]tails well into emulating Sydney’s reputation as an international city. Melbourne’s Alcaston Gallery will show Betty Kuntiwa Pumani and late artist Sally Gabori, among others. It will also show a rare seminal large format painting by Gabori that was recently seen at Fondation Cartier and Triennale Milano, Italy, 2023. Alcaston’s director Beverly Knight shares that, “an important and equally exciting aspect of participating at Sydney Contemporary each year is the opportunity to present our artists to a wide and diverse national and international art audience… the event acts as a meaningful platform for increasing visibility and reaching a broader spectrum of individuals who appre[1]ciate and admire art in its various forms.”

A momentous development at this fair is the coupling of collector Konfir Kabo and art adviser John Cruthers, decking out a space with their shared passion and sapient understanding of the Indonesian art scene. Kabo is Australia’s largest collector of Indonesian art and with his wife Monica Lim, through Project Eleven, has supported innumerable exhibitions and artist grants in drawing attention to the cultural and artistic richness shown by our Indonesian counterparts. Cruthers, with a legacy as a preeminent art adviser and whose family has donated the largest collection of women’s art to the University of Western Australia, now runs a space named 16albermarle that focuses on contemporary art from southeast Asia, in particular Indonesia.

As Cruthers observes, “Indonesian art is little known in Australia – surprising since we are neighbours and the art scenes in Jogjakarta, Bandung and Jakarta are flourishing, sophisticated and show artists working at a high level of creativity. 16albermarle and Project Eleven were both established to make Indonesian art better known in Australia, and to help connect Australia with our closest neighbour.” They will enthral audiences with the sculptural and paper-based works of Arwin Hidayat.

Hidayat’s work is inspired by folktales told to him by his father of mythical happenings wherein people and animals change into each other to form imaginary creatures. He will also paint a mural at the fair, conduct a workshop, and host an artist’s talk. It will be an interactive spectacle not beholden to just what’s on the walls. Cruthers and Kabo will also launch a new portfolio of limited-edition prints made by some of Indonesia’s leading visual artists, in association with Devetru Print Studio in Bali. Cruthers sees the clear benefits of being at Sydney Contemporary as, “five days in the company of people equally obsessed with art as we are, and having very good art that very few Australians will be aware of. We hope that by the end of the fair, many more Australians will be converts to Indonesian art.”

David Hagger, director of Blackartsprojects, has been a part of Sydney Contemporary since its inception, seeing it as a vital outlet to promote his stable of artists. Robert Fielding, Beth Thornber, Billy Bain, and Tristan Chant will be included this year. Fielding’s work almost defies description, traversing canvas, photography and handmade objects amongst other forms of media. The National Portrait Gallery of Australia recently procured a whole suite of captivating Aboriginal elder states[1]men photos by him. The common thread is Fielding’s passion for his Aboriginal heritage, which effortlessly resonates throughout his highly accomplished oeuvre. Hagger opines that “…we look forward to returning every year to reconnect with interstate clients, colleagues, and institutions. While we spend a lot of time meeting new people at the fair, the most valuable work is done outside fair hours over studio visits, meetings, and dinners.”