A contemporary art world crowd painted by an Archibald Prize winner – it’s hard to think of a more fitting piece for the 2026 Melbourne Art Fair.
Recent Archibald winner Julie Fragar is presenting a series of new work with The Renshaws gallery, titled One and the Many, at the fair which opens on Thursday at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“There’s definitely been more attention on the work and I think it’s given me a real boost. It’s put a lot of fire in the practice,” said Fragar.
There are young faces from Brisbane’s art scene in the paintings, which are also a broader commentary on collective dynamics and individualism – one is even titled A Collection of Strong Opinions.
But will the fair inspire strong opinions in 2026?
It’s one of the biggest events for Australia’s contemporary art market, with sales of more than $14 million in 2025, yet its offering appears noticeably smaller than in past years.
Neon Parc is marking 20 years since it first participated in the fair in 2006 when about 100 exhibitors took part – these days the galleries and Indigenous art centres on show number closer to 60.
Neon Parc’s Geoff Newton has mixed feelings presenting work by abstractionist Elizabeth Newman, both an introduction to her work and a tribute after her recent death.
“She’s a very special person in the history of Australian art,” said Newton.
“This was a booth that we talked about months before she passed, so we’ve gone ahead, despite how sad and terrible the time is.”
Other galleries are showing works from significant artists: at Justin Miller Art there are works from the late Brett Whiteley and Sidney Nolan, including Nolan’s rarely seen Lovers, Luna Park.
For the first time, the fair features a section devoted to high-end design, titled FUTUREOBJEKT.
Melbourne’s Volker Haug Studio is showing a series of blown glass lights made in Murano, Italy, and founder Volker Haug has welcomed the focus on design.
“Many people’s designs are very artistic, and I would say ours is that as well,” he said.
“In the end, you are an artist. You’re mostly a designer, but you’re also really, truly an artist by heart.”
Newer galleries trying out the art fair scene include Auckland-based Grace, S_y_d_n_e_y_S_y_d_n_e_y_ and PALAS.
Established in 2024 by Tania Doropoulos and Matt Glenn, PALAS represents only seven artists, with Shaun Gladwell’s long-running series made from climbing onto public sculptures among the works on show.
Whatever the current sales environment for contemporary art, PALAS is thinking long-term, said Doropoulos.
“We’re not subject to short-term market fluctuations or buying trends or collector interests, because what we’re doing is quite antithetical to that,” she said.
Another gallery to debut is Mary Cherry Contemporary, presenting feminist photography and paintings by Ruth O’Leary.
“I feel I’ve established a really good stable of artists and it’s time to bring it to the collectors,” said founder Helen Newton-Brown.
https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/high-end-design-burrows-into-contemporary-art-fair-c-21689569
