Contemporary Asian Art at ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH 2026
A New Look at the Present: Asian Perspectives at the Zurich Art Fair
The 28th edition of the Art International Zurich art fair (8–10 May 2026, event hall Puls 5, Zurich) will focus particularly on contemporary Asian art and global perspectives on contemporary art. As an international event, the fair promotes cultural diversity, global networking, and direct dialogue between artists, galleries, and the public.
As a platform for discovery, ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH actively promotes the exchange of ideas between art, society and the public. Collectors, art lovers and industry representatives will find a wide selection of contemporary artworks from various cultural backgrounds. The fair aims to make art more accessible to a wider audience, while also strengthening the international presence of the Swiss art scene.
This year, the focus is on artistic perspectives from Asia. The works on display combine regional aesthetic traditions with contemporary artistic discourse. Contemporary Malaysian art impresses with its technical precision and intense engagement with social issues. Meanwhile, artists from Taiwan, Japan and Korea fuse influences from traditional ink painting, minimalist imagery and philosophical approaches with contemporary materials and pop culture references. Paper collages, pop surrealism and conceptual drawings demonstrate how cultural heritage and the present converge in contemporary art. The result is a multifaceted picture of dynamic art scenes, where craftsmanship, social reflection, and an independent visual language converge.
The G13 Gallery, based in Kuala Lumpur, plays a central role in the fair's Asian focus. Since its foundation in 2010, the gallery has been committed to international collaborations, artist residencies and curated exhibitions. The gallery's aim is to promote discourse on contemporary art, strengthen cross-border partnerships, and raise the profile of Southeast Asian art. G13 presents Anisa Abdullah, who is renowned for her intricate paper collages. These consist of thousands of finely cut fragments. Focusing on life, nature and the urban landscapes of Malaysia, her works combine technical precision with poetic imagery. Najib Ahmad Bamadhaj made a convincing impression in Zurich in 2025. He is characterised by his precise powers of observation and great technical virtuosity. In his work, he often addresses social and political issues. Using figurative and landscape motifs as a starting point, he critically questions existing perspectives and promotes a reflective view of social developments. Nik M Shazmie, on the other hand, is known for his pop surrealist imagery, which uses humour and multi-layered meanings to address social issues. Drawing inspiration from manga, pop culture and contemporary visual languages, he creates distorted figures and tragicomic scenarios that explore themes of identity, self-perception and perfection.
The Harang Gallery, located in Seoul, specialises in promoting Korean art and provides advisory services to collectors and institutions on an international scale. Through its collaborations with national and international galleries, the gallery strengthens the position of Korean artists in the global art market. At the same time, it creates platforms that integrate international perspectives into the Korean art scene. At ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH, the gallery will present works by Jung-Min Kim, You-Sun Kim, Kwang-Young Lee, Genie Park and others. These works offer different perspectives on contemporary Korean art.
Founded in Taipei in 2020 by Carina Chang, the international exhibition platform LEXPO aims to intensify cultural exchange between Europe and Asia. LEXPO curates exhibitions that showcase artists from Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region, connecting them with international institutions, collectors, and a global audience. The fair will feature works by Yen Hui Chen, Karen Yao-Chun Chiu, Hsunhui Huang and Lu Hsueh Yao, among others. Through their diverse artistic approaches, these artists breathe life into contemporary visual languages from Taiwan and the region.
The Smart Ship Gallery, based in Tokyo and a regular guest at the fair since 2011, also contributes to the event's Asian focus. Seeing itself as a mediator between traditional culture and contemporary artistic expression, the gallery presents extraordinary works from different cultural contexts. By showcasing extraordinary pieces from various cultural backgrounds, the gallery aims to emphasise the diversity of traditional design and its significance in modern life. At ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH, Smart Ship is exhibiting pieces by Yuko Akiya, Teruko Kumamoto, Tomohiro Mae, Yoko Nakamura, Toru Teranishi and Keiko Yoda, to name a few. These artists' works reflect various perspectives in contemporary Japanese art, combining traditional aesthetic influences with personal, modern forms of expression.
The Art Nova Gallery in Berlin is presenting a selection of Chinese and Taiwanese artworks. The gallery sees itself as a place where the vibrant artistic traditions of different continents come together. Alongside contemporary artworks by emerging international artists, the gallery also displays Asian design objects. Taiwanese artist Yu Chuan Chang combines Western oil painting with the philosophy of Chinese ink painting in his paintings. Using burnt textures, mineral pigments, and free-flowing surfaces, he creates an abstract visual language that translates the contemplative aspects of Eastern aesthetics into a modern form. Lu Lu, a Chinese artist from Xi'an, uses traditional ink and mineral pigment techniques to create tranquil, timeless landscapes that evoke spiritual spaces and encourage contemplation of nature and the human experience.
This diverse programme highlights ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH 2026's status as an international forum for contemporary art. The fair opens up new perspectives beyond the European mainstream, promoting exchange between continents, generations, and artistic disciplines. The result is a multifaceted panorama of contemporary art, highlighting global developments and broadening our view of future artistic trends.
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EVENT
ART INTERNATIONAL ZURICH 2026
28th Contemporary Art Fair
8 - 10 May 2026
Puls 5 Event Hall Zurich, Switzerland
CONTACT
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Further information: https://art-zurich.com/2026
More details and images at https://fineartdiscovery.com/2026
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