First edition at Nuanu Creative City

Art & Bali. Image courtesy of Art & Bali.

Art & Bali took place from 12 to 14 September 2025, in the new Nuanu Creative City, which spans 44 hectares in Bali, Indonesia. For Kelsang Domang, Director, Art & Bali, the first iteration is proof that the concept works. “We wanted Art & Bali to feel closer to a festival than a conventional fair, and this first edition showed us that the approach has real potential,” says Dolma. “What mattered most was that it felt rooted in Bali, rather than parachuted in as a foreign model.”

The event was not without its challenges, but the turnout was encouraging. “Over three days thousands of people came through, even against the backdrop of real challenges, from the socio-political climate to the floods,” says Dolma. “The response was stronger than we anticipated. People travelled from Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and beyond, which affirmed that this was not only about Bali but about creating a meeting point for Indonesia and the wider region.”

The unveiling of *Trokomod*. Image courtesy of Art & Bali.

Aside from the fair with exhibitors’ booths, there was also the media exhibition Terra Nexus. Trokomod by Heri Dono, which was shown at the National Pavilion of Indonesia at the Venice Biennale in 2015, was also on display. The curated sections of Art & Bali added complexity, and gave visitors a variety of experiences.

Two artists, Wanti Amelia and Leila Shirazi, with the gallery Art Agenda, were on residency at Nuanu Creative City leading up to Art & Bali. “I appreciated being able to focus on creating work in a supportive environment, while also meeting many artists from diverse backgrounds,” says Wanti, who began to work with volcanic black sand during the residency, from the nearby beaches. “The exchange of ideas, discussions, and the chance to observe other artists' practices provided fresh inspiration for the development of my own work. Additionally, participating in the exhibition offered valuable experience in presenting my work to a wider audience and receiving diverse perspectives from the public.”

Shirazi had a similarly positive experience. “What I enjoyed most was the chance to immerse myself in Bali, especially learning about Lontar making and how knowledge is carried through such enduring forms,” she says about the palm-leaf manuscripts. “The residency also gave me the opportunity to experiment with new mediums I am less familiar with, such as glass, which opened new directions in my work. Sharing these processes at the art fair made the experience even more meaningful, as the works carried the traces of what I had learnt.”

As the inaugural artists-in-residence, they both have feedback for how the residency could be made even better for future participating artists. Wanti says, “For me, everything was already quite sufficient. However, there are a few aspects that could be improved.” She elaborates, “There could be more discussion sessions or open forums between artists and the public so that the creative process could be better communicated, and the artworks and residency activities could be better documented so that the experience could be revisited by both the artist and the public in the future.” In the same vein, Shirazi says, “The residency was inspiring, and it could be even stronger with a clearer rhythm for studio visits and public exchange. This, I feel, would create a more natural flow between the process of making and the sharing of those experiments with the public.”

The participating galleries generally praised the professionalism of the team in setting up the fair, but thought that there could be more footfall and engagement. Yuanita Dion, Director, Puri Art Gallery, which showed with the collective Umah Seni Shibumi at the fair, says, “The walls and lighting were professionally installed, and there was good marketing on social media. The opening ceremony and talks were also well-organised.” She adds, “The VIP programme could be better organised. As it was, the VIPs came at different times in different groups, and there were missed opportunities to engage with them.” She elaborates that the galleries were expecting exposure to institutions and other collectors, but understands that this may be challenging for the new art fair.

Jess Lim, Curatorial & Research Lead at Art Agenda, echoes Yuanita’s feedback. She says, “The Art & Bali team was communicative about booth specifications and customisation options, which allowed us to put together a booth design customised to our curatorial concept.” She adds, “They were also open to our proposal of a live painting session at our booth by exhibiting artist Wanti Amelia, which was incredibly well-received by fairgoers.”

Lim also identified areas for improvement. “While the fair’s branding as a cultural event was able to bring in new audiences to the art fair setting, there was some confusion from fairgoers about the commercial nature of the art fair,” she shares. “In future iterations of the fair, clearer demarcations between the more experiential exhibits and the exhibiting commercial galleries would be beneficial for all attendees of the fair.” She adds, “We hope that the residency programme at Nuanu will be sustained and we look forward to having the residencies being integrated more closely into the overall fair programming and marketing in future iterations”.

For this iteration, exhibitors were invited to take part. From the next iteration, there will be an open call for exhibitors, with the possibility of forming an advisory board from Bali’s art community to guide the selection process.some of the focal points may shift. Dolma says, “There’s always room to grow, and we want to be realistic about where our focus should be. Some areas we’ll double down on, while others we may choose not to pursue.” She adds, “We are still finalising the strategic direction for next year, but a few priorities are already clear.”

VIP relations will be a priority. “This work is already underway, but the socio-political climate this year limited international attendance, particularly from India, the MENA region, and parts of Southeast Asia,” says Dolma about the inherent difficulties that they were working with. “Strengthening those networks, while also building deeper ties with institutions and international curators, will bring fresh energy to Art & Bali.” She elaborates, “With more than 25% of artworks sold, the first edition proved the foundation is solid. At the same time, it showed us how much more can be achieved by investing in this area, refining sales strategies, engaging collectors earlier, and creating stronger frameworks for institutional participation.”

Art & Bali at night. Image courtesy of Art & Bali.

Art & Bali continues to be committed to nurturing new collectors, particularly against the unique backdrop of Nuanu Creative City. The team sees it as part of their role to create opportunities for first-time buyers to start their art collecting journeys with confidence. She says, “As a 44-hectare creative city with a growing real estate environment in Bali, there’s a natural overlap between people investing in homes and those who could become invested in art.” The Art Collector’s Pass, which launched with Art & Bali, goes towards facilitating this goal.

The team was under time pressure to deliver the first edition of Art & Bali, and they are looking forward to a more well-paced lead-up to the second edition. “This first edition was a sprint, and the team worked at maximum capacity,” says Dolma. “For the next one, we’ll build in more lead time so that creative decisions aren’t compressed by deadlines.” She emphasises, “The next edition is about refinement, improving infrastructure, strengthening networks, and ensuring the audience experience matches the ambition of the art on view.”

This article is presented in partnership with Art & Bali.

For more information about Art & Bali and Nuanu Creative City, visit artandbali.com.

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