rt fairs are, by nature, commercial enterprises. Yet Art Moments Jakarta 2026 sought to challenge that expectation by placing cultural dialogue and human connection at the forefront of the viewing experience.
Under the curatorial theme “Offerings”, the fair moved away from the conventional booth-centric format that often reduces artworks to commodities and galleries to competing storefronts. Instead, cofounder and fair director Sendy Widjaja, working together with curator Jeong-ok Jeon, envisioned an exhibition environment in which artworks could be encountered on their own terms.
Known for her interest in connecting traditional cultural narratives with contemporary technologies and new media, Jeon developed a curatorial framework that encouraged contemplation rather than consumption. The result was a refreshing viewing experience. Visitors could move through the fair without feeling compelled to identify every work according to gallery representation, allowing the artworks themselves to take center stage.
Among the most striking presentations was Babad Tanah Leluhur, Mantra Songgo Langit #2 by interdisciplinary artist Andita Purnomo Sari, facilitated by the alternative art space and collaborative platform Ruang Garasi. Installed in a compact showroom-like setting, the work consisted of domestic furniture arranged upside down, creating an immediate sense of disorientation.
At first glance, the installation appeared chaotic. Yet beneath that chaos lay traces of a performance previously staged in the same space. The work seemed to recall historical narratives of upheaval while resonating with present-day uncertainties, transforming ordinary household objects into markers of collective instability.
“Prayer for World Peace” by Filippos Bourbo, bronze, 70 × 20 × 60 centimeters. (Courtesy of Mirah M. /-)
Beyond conventional booths
