Art & Bali 2025 Opens: Bali’s First International Art Fair anchored by Heri Dono’s Trokomod

Art & Bali opens today, September 12th as the island’s first international art fair, transforming Nuanu Creative City into a stage for contemporary art. With 17 galleries, more than 150 artists, and over 50 programs, the fair marks a turning point for Bali as a cultural hub in Southeast Asia—one where ancestral memory and digital futures meet.

For Lev Kroll, CEO of Nuanu Creative City, the fair is also a realization of the creative city’s founding principles: “Nuanu was built to be a place where creativity drives everyday life. It shows how Bali’s philosophy and spirit can speak to the world through art and culture”

At the heart of Art & Bali 2025 is the theme “Bridging Dichotomies” — a curatorial and conceptual framework that explores the intersections of opposites: tradition and modernity, nature and technology, human creativity and artificial intelligence. In a region where cultural heritage is inseparable from everyday life, this approach highlights Bali as a site of convergence, dialogue, and transformation.

“For me, Art & Bali is about rooting an international conversation in Bali. It’s about honoring the traditions that shape us here, while opening the door for new voices and encounters that can only happen when people truly meet.” said Kelsang Dolma, Director of Art & Bali.

Highlights of Art & Bali 2025

Booth Presentations by 17 Exhibitors

The inaugural edition of Art & Bali features an international roster of exhibitors and artists from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Spain. From Santrian Art Gallery, celebrated for its dialogue between Balinese tradition and bold contemporary practice, to the Asia Pacific Print Club, advancing printmaking across the region, and Feb Gallery Tokyo, known for cross-cultural experimentation. Other participants include Art Agenda, Bagia Art Space, CONNEC ART, Dalam Seniman, Kotak: Art Collective, LAKU Art Space, Lucy Dream Art, N-CAS ISI BALI, Purga Artspace, RUANG//, Spacecraft Gallery, Superlative Gallery, Umah Seni Shibumi, Waworuntu Gallery and Morabito Art Villa.

Terra Nexus: A new media exhibition

Each edition of Art & Bali will be anchored by a curated exhibition. For its debut, curator Mona Liem presents Terra Nexus, a high-energy new media show featuring over 30 artists from Indonesia and abroad. From immersive installations to collaborations between digital artists and traditional carvers, the exhibition explores how art, ecology, and technology converge.

“This exhibition is a showcase of holistic expression. It is a stage where technology and science dance together with art to spark innovation rooted in local cultural context,” said Mona Liem.

Terra Nexus Artists include Alodia Yap, Awang Behartawan, Budi Ubrux, Dadi Setiyadi, Dhanny "danot" Sanjaya, Dr. Justyna Gorowska, Goenawan Mohamad (GM), Heri Dono, Iroha Ozaki, Ivan Sagita, Jana Schafroth, MIVUBI, Mukhamad Aji Prasetyo, Nasirun, Notanlab, Nus Salomo, Popomangun, Rakhmi Fitriani (Lunang Lembayung), Roger Ng Wei Lun, Satya Cipta, Sekar Puti Sidhiawati, Tulola Jewelry (by Sri Luce-Rusna, Happy Salma and Franka Makarim), Utami A. Ishii, Valerio Vincenzo, Widi Pangestu, Wisnu Ajitama, and Yessiow, along with the J+ Art Awards Selected Participants — Geddi Jaddi Membummi, I Made Teler, and Susur Galur Collective.

Heri Dono’s Trokomod unveiling

For the first time in Bali, audiences will encounter Trokomod, Heri Dono’s monumental 7.5-meter installation first unveiled at the 2015 Venice Biennale. A hybrid of Trojan Horse and Komodo dragon, the work is both fantastical and political, a vessel for Indonesia’s voice on the global stage. Its unveiling at Nuanu, accompanied by a site-specific performance from Bali-based collective Kitapoleng, is one of the fair’s defining moments.

THK Tower — Phase II Launch

Designed by Arthur Mamou-Mani with Balinese artist Chiko Wirahadi, THK Tower is Bali’s largest art installation made entirely of repurposed materials. Its new phase, launched during the fair, invites visitors to project their wishes and emotions into the structure, creating a permanent library of voices. Realized with J+ Art Award winner Geddi Jaddi Membummi and international artists Maksim Ha and Slava Ha, the tower becomes a breathing, interactive work of art.

The Art Collector’s Pass

In a groundbreaking initiative, Nuanu Real Estate introduces the Art Collector’s Pass, gifting homeowners USD 2,000 in art credit, curatorial guidance, and VIP access to cultural events. The initiative underscores Nuanu’s commitment to building a community where art is not only collected, but lived with every day.

Site-Specific Performances and Programs

Performance is central to the fair’s spirit. Highlights include Kitapoleng’s response to Heri Dono’s Trokomod, two new shows by Mei Tamazawa at the Labyrinth Dome, and Bumi Bajra’s performance at the vernissage. The program continues with Dadi Setiyadi’s Golden Leaf charity auction, the After Dark Series by Bali-based artists Graung, Kadapat, and Bali Motion Club, and participatory performances by Temu Gerak and Tanaman Liar, weaving sound, movement, and landscape.

A New Chapter for Bali

Art & Bali signals the beginning of a different kind of fair—one built with care for people and place. From sustainable booth design to direct support for the Nuanu Social Fund, responsibility is embedded in its foundation. More than a marketplace, it is a meeting ground where art strengthens community and amplifies the conversations shaping Bali’s place in the global art world.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nuanu Creative City