ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2026 Opening Report: Unique Charm That Brings Out the Individuality of Local Galleries
ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2026 opened at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, gathering about 100 galleries and highlighting unique Asian artist presentations.Summary
ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2026 opened at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center, running from October 2 to 4. This year's fair featured larger booth spaces than usual for each exhibitor and brought together about 100 galleries, including domestic ones and overseas galleries from Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, and elsewhere. The fair's signature "Feature" section introduced artists connected to Asia and Fukuoka: Cambodian-born artist Kuoy Samnang and Paris-based artist Miyamoto Hanako, winner of the 2025 VOCA Award. Samnang, represented by Tomio Koyama Gallery in Tokyo, confronts serious issues such as colonial-era power structures and memories of negative history with humor and poetry, showing video, three-dimensional, and sculptural works that provoke laughter while revealing complex aspects of contemporary society. Miyamoto, represented by EUREKA in Fukuoka, drew attention with a performance unusual for an art fair: she brought a caregiving bathtub into her booth along with furniture and small objects and lay in it herself in a simulated bathing performance. Recalling her grandmother being bathed with assistance and appearing comfortable, Miyamoto conveyed through her body that joy and pleasure can exist even in situations where someone needs care to live.
(Source：美術手帖)