Art & Bali in Nuanu Draws 10,000 Visitors, Nearly 300 Works Sold

RRI.CO.ID, Tabanan - The Art & Bali 2026 event at Nuanu Creative City, Tabanan, Bali, recorded approximately 10,000 visitors over its three-day run from September 11 to 13, 2026. The art exhibition also logged sales of nearly 300 works from 23 exhibitors, with attending collectors hailing not only from Indonesia but also from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Korea, and India.

More than 300 artists from Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and various other countries presented works at this second edition of Art & Bali. Nuanu Creative City CEO, Lev Kroll, said Art & Bali serves as one effort to create a space that brings together artists and creators with audiences and collectors from various countries.

"Indonesia has extraordinary artists and creators, but there are still too few spaces that connect their work with the world. This is the space we want to create through Nuanu, and Art & Bali is one way we realize this," he said.

Art & Bali 2026's achievements came one year after the inaugural edition in 2025. The growth in visitor numbers and transactions shows increasing attention to contemporary art in Bali, from both local and international collectors.

Art & Bali Founding Director, Kelsang Dolma, said the second year's organization also demonstrates a shift in public response to the presence of international art fairs in Bali. According to her, while questions arose in the first year about Bali's ability to host an international art fair, attention this year has shifted to the event's sustainability.

"Last year, many people asked whether Bali could host an international art fair. This year, the question has changed. Collectors returned, galleries recorded sales, and even before the event ended, people started asking me about Art & Bali 2027," she said.

Art & Bali 2026 carried the theme Bridging Dichotomies, bringing together various art practices and creative perspectives in one space. In addition to the main exhibition, the event also presented Nuanu Future Talks: Fashion & Art, featuring 21 global speakers to discuss the future development of fashion and art.

Nuanu Real Estate Director and Art & Bali Lead Partner, Anastasia Sinberg, said Nuanu's involvement in Art & Bali was driven by the desire to make art part of daily life in the creative space. "Buildings give shape to a place, but programs like Art & Bali give people reason to feel connected and care about it," she said.

On opening day, Deputy Minister of Indonesia's Creative Economy, Irene Umar, participated in a panel titled Where Are the Next Creative Capitals? alongside Nuanu Creative City CEO, Lev Kroll; Founder and Creative Director of Ong Cen Kuang, Budiman Ong; and Jia CURATED Co-Founder. The discussion was moderated by Kelsang Dolma.

Irene Umar said creative economy growth requires spaces that bring together artists, designers, artisans, and buyers so Indonesian creative works can reach broader markets. "Indonesia's creative economy grows when artists, designers, and artisans have spaces to meet buyers and introduce their work to the world," she said.

She assessed that Art & Bali's organization shows Bali has the talent, audience, and platform to bring discussions of Indonesian contemporary art and culture to broader spaces. Art & Bali 2026 also received support from the Tabanan Regency Government, where Nuanu Creative City is located.

One Bali-based collector, Tatiana Azarkh, also returned to participate in Art & Bali after purchasing her first artwork at the 2025 edition. At Art & Bali 2026, Tatiana bought nine works from Tonyraka, G13, and Agung Rai Fine Art Gallery. She said the experience gave her the opportunity to know the works more closely while hearing the stories behind the pieces she purchased.

Meanwhile, G13 Gallery from Kuala Lumpur was the only Malaysian gallery participating in Art & Bali 2026. G13 Gallery founder Kenny Teng said that the event opened opportunities to reach new collectors and audiences.

"Art & Bali offers a fresh and engaging platform for G13 Gallery through high visitor numbers. This event presents a unique blend of collectors, art enthusiasts, international tourists, and the creative community," he said.

Meanwhile, Sangkring Art Space from Yogyakarta utilized Art & Bali 2026 to reach new collectors and audiences in Bali. Sangkring Art Space Programme Manager, Jenny Vi Mee Yei, said participation also formed part of preparations ahead of their Bali space opening planned for late December.

"Participating in Art & Bali is a very valuable opportunity for us to understand the Bali market more closely, meet new collectors, and recognize audience interests here," she said.

Beyond the art fair series running September 11-13, several exhibition programs remain accessible to the public. The main exhibition What The Body Remembers continues at Labyrinth Art Gallery, Nuanu Creative City, until November 29, 2026. Curated by Bandana Tewari with Assistant Curator Brina Paska, the exhibition brings together 26 artists, designers, and studios from Indonesia and India. The displayed works sit at the intersection of contemporary art, fashion, textiles, and crafts.

What The Body Remembers Lead Curator Bandana Tewari said one impressive aspect of Art & Bali was the diversity of people gathering and meeting in one space. "Seeing Bali's creative community with curiosity, diversity, openness, and generosity gather in one space to share ideas reminds us that culture continues to grow through encounters and exchanges," she said.

With achievements of approximately 10,000 visitors, nearly 300 works sold, 23 exhibitors, and involvement of more than 300 artists, Art & Bali 2026 forms part of the development of Bali's art and creative economy ecosystem. Art & Bali is scheduled to return to Nuanu Creative City for its third edition in September 2027. (Annaila Azzahra-EN)