Report on the Opening of 'ART OSAKA 2026'. What New Attempts Bring to Market Prospects
The modern art fair 'ART OSAKA 2026' opened in Osaka, exploring market prospects through new initiatives.Summary
The modern art fair 'ART OSAKA 2026', a representative contemporary art fair in the Kansai region, opened at Grand Green Osaka (May 29-31) and CCO Osaka (May 28-June 1). Since its founding in 2002, 'ART OSAKA' has been based in Kansai and is one of the longest-running contemporary art fairs in Japan. The 24th edition of the fair consists of two sections: 'Galleries' and 'Expanded'. The 'Galleries' section was held at Grand Green Osaka in the Umeda area to improve accessibility and attract a wider audience. Fifty-two galleries from home and abroad participated, exhibiting works across four sub-sections: 'Galleries', 'Focus', 'Wall', and 'Screening'. This restructuring aims to shift from a uniform booth format to one that better highlights the curation and worldviews of galleries. For instance, TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY, based in Osaka, introduced four mid-career artists and emphasized the 'temporal continuity' of their works. The Tokyo-based Nishimura Gallery displayed works by David Hockney and others, while √K Contemporary introduced artists Nelson Ho (Malaysia) and Liao Yuen Yi (Taiwan). The 'Focus' section featured a solo or duo exhibition by Ueda Kana, winner of the 'Sakuya no Hana Prize', displaying her 'particle' series. The 'Wall' section featured six galleries, including Yu Harada, who introduced works by Maeyama Yasutaro exploring new expressions of 'light'. The 'Screening' section, dedicated to video media, featured gallerychosun from Seoul, introducing works by Bona Park. Additionally, an exhibition titled 'Another 90s - Kansai Artists Beyond Time' was held at the entrance, curated by Yoshiro Kato, reviewing the art trends rooted in Osaka from the 1990s.
(Source：美術手帖)