ART KL debuts October celebrating Southeast Asia’s emerging contemporary artists

Kuala Lumpur will welcome a new contemporary art platform this October with the launch of ART KL 2026, an inaugural fair dedicated to championing Southeast Asia’s next generation of artists while strengthening the region’s evolving creative ecosystem.

Taking place from Oct 15 to 18 at A Place Where (APW) in Bangsar, the event will bring together galleries, artists, collectors and the public through curated exhibitions featuring artists born after 1990. Organised by Art Anonymous and APW, with Richard Koh Art Advisory as event consultant, the platform aims to place emerging artistic practices at the forefront of the regional art market rather than on its margins.

The inaugural edition will feature 10 gallery presentations from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China and the Philippines, alongside site-specific installations by prominent Malaysian contemporary artists.

Platform champions emerging Southeast Asian artistic voices

ART KL was conceived as a space for experimentation, cultural dialogue and generational exchange, reflecting how younger artists navigate identity, memory, technology and community within rapidly changing societies.

Richard Koh, founder of Richard Koh Art Advisory, said the initiative was designed to strengthen connections across the region’s contemporary art landscape.

“ART KL was created as a platform for the next generation of Southeast Asian artists and for the communities that support them. We believe the strongest art ecosystems are built through connection, dialogue, and collaboration,” he said.

He added that by bringing together artists, galleries, collectors and curators, the platform hopes to create new opportunities for discovery while reinforcing Kuala Lumpur’s position as a growing regional arts hub.

Participating galleries include Finale Art File, Galeri Sasha, Intersections, ISA Art Gallery, Supples, V&V Gallery, Vin Gallery, Warin Lab Contemporary, Wetterling Teo Gallery and Zhan Art | Space, each presenting focused showcases of one or two artists.

Art fair blends exhibitions with community engagement

Beyond its commercial gallery presentations, ART KL will introduce a charitable fundraising auction featuring artworks donated by artists and collectors. All proceeds will benefit The Lighthouse Children’s Welfare Home, supporting its work in providing shelter, education and care for underprivileged and orphaned children in Kuala Lumpur.

The event will also feature large-scale installation works by Malaysian artists including Farhan Rizuwan, Lee Mok Yee, Najib Bamadhaj, Neoh Shin Yen, Phillip Wong, Samantha Lee, Wong Perng Fey and Alexdrina Chong You Qiu. Created specifically for APW’s industrial heritage spaces, the installations are intended to encourage more immersive encounters with contemporary art.

Educational programmes, including artist talks and panel discussions, will complement the exhibitions, making the platform accessible to both seasoned collectors and first-time visitors.

Housed within APW’s repurposed printing factory, ART KL reflects Kuala Lumpur’s growing reputation as a creative city where heritage architecture and contemporary culture intersect. Organisers hope the fair will become an annual platform that amplifies emerging Southeast Asian voices while fostering stronger regional collaboration and public engagement with contemporary art.