Sydney Contemporary art fair unveils initial details of its eighth edition 

Sydney Contemporary, in partnership with Principal Partner MA Financial Group, has released details for the art fair’s eighth edition which includes an initial list of 81 galleries and the curators for Installation Contemporary, Performance Contemporary and Talk Contemporary.

Presented from 5th – 8th September 2024 at Carriageworks, this edition marks the first under the direction of new Fair Director Zoe Paulsen.

Sydney Contemporary regularly attracts over 25,000 visitors at each edition. Last year, art sales exceeded $21million, recording a total of $121 million in art sales since its launch in 2013.

The Fair program for Sydney Contemporary 2024 caters for collectors and the art-loving public alike, presenting engaging activities alongside the extensive artworks on show. Senior Curator at Artspace Talia Linz will curate Installation Contemporary, the section of the Fair dedicated to large-scale artworks, and Director of Friends with Strangers Samantha Watson-Wood will curate Performance Contemporary. Talk Contemporary will have two strands, one focused on architecture and design curated by Design Editor of Australian Financial Review Stephen Todd, and another on art curated by Curator of Contemporary Art at the Sydney Opera House Michael Do. Further details are soon to be announced.

Sydney Contemporary Fair Director Zoe Paulsen notes “as Australia’s premier art Fair, we provide a significant boost to the art market annually and take our role of further developing and supporting the sector seriously. We’ve brought together industry leaders to curate our dynamic programs for Installation Contemporary, Performance Contemporary and Talk Contemporary, and we’re also bringing back the popular Kid Contemporary for our younger visitors. We can’t wait to welcome collectors and art lovers to enjoy the Fair this September, which truly will be one not to miss.”

Sydney Contemporary Founder and Co-Owner Tim Etchells added “Sydney Contemporary has been firmly established as the most influential art fair in the region, providing the most concentrated week of art sales annually in Australia. We’ve also just overseen our first Aotearoa Art Fair earlier this month, New Zealand's premier event for contemporary art, which was a great success with strong sales and attendance. Together the two Fairs are key to the region’s art market, attracting collectors from across New Zealand and Australia which is part of the DNA of Sydney Contemporary.”

MA Financial Group Managing Director and Head of Asset Management, Andrew Martin shared “as a long-time supporter of contemporary artists we believe a vibrant arts community is an important pillar of our dynamic culture. We received amazing feedback from our guests and staff after last year’s event and are looking forward to again partnering with the team to help deliver Australasia’s premier contemporary art fair.”

The 2024 Galleries List features an impressive line-up of the most diverse contemporary art galleries, with 14 galleries presenting at the Fair for the first time, including CASSANDRA BIRD (Sydney), Gajah Gallery (Jakarta | Singapore | Yogyakarta), MAGMA Galleries (Melbourne), Lennox St. Gallery (Melbourne), NAP CONTEMPORARY (Mildura), Praxis Art Space (Adelaide) and The Renshaws (Brisbane).

Gallery highlights include 1301SW | STARKWHITE (Melbourne | Sydney | Auckland), Alcaston Gallery (Melbourne), Ames Yavuz (Singapore | Sydney), Australian Galleries (Sydney | Melbourne), COMA (Sydney), CHALK HORSE (Sydney), Fine Arts, Sydney (Sydney), Flinders Lane Gallery (Melbourne), Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert (Sydney), Gow Langsford (Auckland), Jacob Hoerner Gallery (Melbourne), Martin Browne Contemporary (Sydney), Michael Reid (Sydney | Berlin), N.Smith Gallery (Sydney), Neon Parc (Melbourne), Niagara Galleries (Melbourne), OLSEN (Sydney), PAULNACHE (Gisborne, NZ), Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (Sydney), STATION (Melbourne | Sydney) and Sullivan+Strumpf (Sydney | Melbourne | Singapore).

The Galleries will showcase the best of Australian, Indigenous, and international art, and are a significant drawcard for high profile collectors and visitors in the region. The presentations will feature artists from countries around the world including Australia, China, Cuba, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States of America.

A fair within the Fair, PAPER, presented in association with The Print Council of Australia Inc, is a dedicated sector showcasing the best of national and international contemporary works on paper, printmaking, watercolours, drawings, artists’ books, photographs, and zines, ranging from $100 to over $5,000. The presentation will include first time exhibitors CBD Gallery (Sydney), Gallery East (Perth), PARKER Contemporary (Brisbane), Riverside Studios (Melbourne) and Tiliqua Tiliqua (Sydney).

Sydney Contemporary welcomes new galleries ACAE Gallery (Melbourne), Five Walls Gallery (Melbourne) and Minerva, (Sydney) to the FUTURE sector of the Fair in 2024, alongside returning galleries Jennings Kerr (Robertson, NSW) and LON Gallery (Melbourne).

Sydney Contemporary is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Tickets to Sydney Contemporary are available to purchase 

Image. Credit: Sydney Contemporay 2023