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Sydney Contemporary announces largest fair to date
Published 20 June 2025
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Sydney, Australia: Sydney Contemporary, in partnership with Principal Partner MA Financial Group, today unveiled the first details of the Fair’s most ambitious edition to date, including the premiere of the new dedicated section for photography titled Photo Sydney. Presented from 11 - 14 September 2025 at Carriageworks the longstanding Presenting Partner of the Fair, the ninth edition features 114 exhibitors and more than 500 artists, alongside a wide range of curated programs including Installation Contemporary, Performance Contemporary, Talks and Kid Contemporary.

In a major new development for 2025, the inaugural presentation of Photo Sydney will offer visitors a dedicated sector showcasing the breadth and vitality of contemporary photography, alongside Works on Paper, Future, and Galleries sectors. Created in direct response to collector demand, Photo Sydney will provide a focused and commercial platform to the photographic medium, with inaugural exhibitors including Alexia Sinclair (Bowral), Australian Galleries (Sydney | Melbourne), Blender Gallery (Sydney), Caterina Pacialeo + Tina FiveAsh (Sydney), Christopher Ireland (Sydney), Head On Photo Festival (Sydney), John Marmaras and John Gollings (Sydney), OCULI Collective (Sydney), OLSEN (Sydney), Paul Blackmore (Byron Bay), Photo Access (Canberra), sandyprints (Sydney), Simon Harsent (Sydney) and Toby Burrows (Sydney).

Advising the development and curation of Photo Sydney is Sandy Edwards (Photographer and Former Director of Stills Gallery), and inaugural exhibitors have been selected by the Photo Sydney Selection Committee: Margot Riley (Curator, State Library of NSW), Merilyn Fairskye (Artist and Former Board Member, Australian Centre for Photography), Gael Newton (Australian Art Historian and Curator), and Alasdair Foster (Writer, Researcher, and Award-Winning Curator).

Sydney Contemporary Founder and Co-Owner Tim Etchells said: “We’re thrilled to announce our largest fair to date and thank our exhibitors both old and new as Sydney Contemporary couldn’t happen each year without their support.

“We’ve long wanted to broaden the Fair’s focus on photography, and we’re delighted to finally bring Photo Sydney to life. This new sector is a direct response to the many collectors who’ve visited the Fair over the years, asking to see a wider representation of photographic work. As Australasia’s premier art fair, we are constantly evolving to reflect trends in the market and provide access to the best contemporary art in the region and beyond across all mediums.”

Since its foundation in 2013, Sydney Contemporary regularly attracts over 25,000 visitors at each edition, recording a total of over $138million in art sales since its launch.

The 2025 lineup solidifies the Fair’s place as Australasia’s leading platform for contemporary art, showcasing galleries from across Australia and New Zealand, as well as international exhibitors from Hong Kong, USA, UK, Korea and Indonesia. Highlights across the Galleries sector include 1301SW | STARKWHITE (Melbourne | Sydney | Auckland | Queenstown), Ames Yavuz (Sydney | Singapore | London), COMA (Sydney), Fine Arts, Sydney (Sydney), Flowers Gallery (Hong Kong), Gow Langsford (Auckland), Hugo Michell Gallery (Adelaide), MARS Gallery (Melbourne), Michael Lett (Auckland), N.Smith Gallery (Sydney), Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (Sydney), STATION (Sydney | Melbourne), Sullivan+Strumpf (Sydney | Melbourne | Singapore), Two Rooms (Auckland), The Renshaws’ (Brisbane) and Utopia Art Sydney (Sydney), as well as 27 new exhibitors such as Benda Colahan Fine Art (Sydney), FHE Galleries (Auckland), Gallery LNL (Sydney), Jonathan Smart Gallery | Emily Gardener Projects (Auckland), La Loma (Los Angeles) and Pontone Gallery (London).

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, New Zealand, China, South Korea, India, Mexico, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Poland and more.

Installation Contemporary and Performance Contemporary 2025 programs will be curated by Director of UNSW Galleries, Chair of University Art Museums Australia and Exhibitions Editor of The Art Newspaper José da Silva. Returning curators of the Talks program are Curator of Contemporary Art at the Sydney Opera House Micheal Do and Design Editor of Australian Financial Review Stephen Todd. Details will be announced in the coming months.

Sydney Contemporary Fair Director Zoe Paulsen said: “Sydney Contemporary continues to set the benchmark as the leading art fair in Australia, and this year’s edition marks an exciting evolution and significant step forward with the launch of Photo Sydney. Our dynamic new sector will bring critical focus to the richness and diversity of contemporary photography, offering a dedicated platform for established and emerging voices in the medium. With the return of our flagship curated sectors and programs, including an expanded Works on Paper presentation, we’re proud to present a truly global platform for contemporary art and look forward to welcoming audiences back to Carriageworks this September for the largest edition of Sydney Contemporary to date.”

Sydney Contemporary is proud to be presented in partnership with ASX-listed financial services firm MA Financial Group, a company that shares the Fair’s values of integrity and excellence, along with a passion for contemporary art. MA Financial Group Managing Director and Head of Asset Management, Andrew Martin said: “As long-time supporters of contemporary art, we believe a vibrant arts community is a vital part of a dynamic and forward-thinking society. Sydney Contemporary continues to set new benchmarks each year, and we’re proud to support its exciting evolution in 2025 with the introduction of Photo Sydney and the expansion of its world-class program. We look forward to partnering once again with the team to help deliver Australasia's premier contemporary art fair.”

The ninth edition will see an expanded Works on Paper sector with 30 exhibitors, following its most successful year in 2024. One of the most highly anticipated sectors within the fair, presented in association with The Print Council of Australia Inc and curated by its Director Akky van Ogtrop, Works on Paper showcases 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 introduce PARC Editions (Seoul), Megalo Print Studio (Canberra), Kaleidoscope Editions (Sydney), to the Fair for the first time and see the return of highlight exhibitors Krack Studio (Yogyakarta, Indonesia), PARKER Contemporary (Brisbane), Tiliqua Tiliqua (Sydney), CBD Gallery (Sydney), Ames Yavuz (Sydney, Singapore, London) , CHALK HORSE (Sydney), N. Smith Gallery (Sydney), and Nanda\Hobbs (Sydney).

Sydney Contemporary is pleased to welcome new galleries Animal House Fine Arts (Melbourne), Nasha Gallery (Sydney) and VELVET LOBSTER (Sydney) to the FUTURE sector of the Fair in 2025, alongside returning galleries C. Gallery (Melbourne), Minerva, (Sydney), Five Walls Gallery (Melbourne), and Jennings Kerr (Robertson, NSW).

Tickets to Sydney Contemporary are available to purchase here.

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