Inaugural Edition of Art Jakarta Papers to Open This Weekend
Art Jakarta has announced the inaugural edition of Art Jakarta Papers, set to take place from February 5–8, 2026, at City Hall, Pondok Indah Mall 3. The art week will bring together 28 galleries from Indonesia and across Asia, presenting a range of exhibitions centered on paper as a medium. In addition to presentations by participating galleries, Art Jakarta Papers will also feature solo presentations in the form of installations and paper-based works by several Indonesian artists, alongside a series of specially curated discussions highlighting the role of paper in contemporary art practice.
Art Jakarta Papers emerges from a desire to give focused attention and sustained support to art practices that use paper as their primary medium. In the local context, paper-based works—encompassing drawing, printmaking, illustration, artist books, as well as experimental practices rooted in archives and research—are often positioned as secondary media, even though they in fact form a crucial foundation for artistic processes, the exploration of ideas, and the production of visual knowledge. Globally, however, paper-centered practices have seen significant growth, reflected in their presence at various art weeks, biennales, and institutional exhibitions that specifically celebrate the intellectual value, materiality, and accessibility of the medium, while also opening up an increasingly mature market for collectors and institutions. As one of the leading art weeks in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, Art Jakarta considers it important to respond to these developments by presenting Art Jakarta Papers—not as a separation, but as an expansion of its ecosystem that reaffirms its commitment to fostering deeper discourse, diverse practices, and the sustainability of the art industry. Through Art Jakarta Papers, paper-based works are positioned not only on equal footing as a medium that is historically, conceptually, and economically relevant, but also as art forms with distinct and inherent strengths.
In its first edition, Art Jakarta Papers will introduce the SPOT sector, featuring curated solo presentations of large-scale installations by participating galleries. SPOT is conceived as a curatorial and programmatic space designed to integrate with the character of the exhibition’s interior and to be placed contextually to build dialogue and direct connections with the participating galleries’ presentations as part of a single exhibition ecosystem. The SPOT sector will present works by Iwan Effendi, represented by ara contemporary, and by the photography collective Ruang MES 56, presented by kohesi Initiatives.
Extending the discourse on the role of paper in the art world, Art Jakarta Papers will explore a range of ideas and issues through six discussion programs to be held on Saturday and Sunday, February 7–8, 2026. The discussions will cover topics including the position of paper works within the art ecosystem, the challenges of conserving paper works in a tropical climate, international market opportunities for Indonesian paper-based artists, the “paper revolution,” paper as a space for experimentation, and paper restoration. The program is designed to engage a wide range of stakeholders in the art industry, from artists, curators, and galleries to collectors, conservators, and art institutions.
Art Jakarta Papers will be open by invitation only on Thursday, February 5, 2026, from 3:00–9:00 PM WIB, and open to the public on Friday, February 6, 2026, from 3:00–9:00 PM WIB, and on Saturday–Sunday, February 7–8, 2026, from 11:00 AM–9:00 PM WIB. Tickets for Art Jakarta Papers are available via artjakarta.com.
