With the international art world dominated by juggernauts such as Art Basel and Frieze, standing out on the scene can be difficult. For the director of Art Jakarta Tom Tandio, the only way to achieve this is to be distinctive. “Many galleries participating in Art Jakarta are also showing at Frieze and Art Basel,” says Tandio over an iced tea in the lobby of Artotel Thamrin – an Indonesian hotel brand that decorates its spaces with the works of local artists. He admits that international mainstays are excellent but they can feel cold and lack a sense of place. You could be in a vast conference centre in Hong Kong, Miami or Basel and barely feel the difference between the events. Though Art Jakarta also takes place in a convention centre – Tandio moved the fair from its original home at The Ritz-Carlton soon after assuming his position as director – the number of booths is capped at 80 to prevent visitors from feeling overwhelmed.

For the director, helping Jakarta to stand out on the international stage means highlighting its strengths as a bustling hub for regional trade. To participate in the fair, galleries must either be from Asia or present Asian pieces. “We want to make sure that Art Jakarta is a 100 per cent Asian event,” he says. “We have to find a unique angle and this is the perfect event for people who want to focus on Asian artworks.” Indonesian galleries take pride of place and account for about half of this year’s 75 participants. Pillars of the city’s contemporary art scene, such as Roh Projects, are given space to breathe, out of the shadow of big Western players. This year Roh will display a monumental sculpture titled “Object Permanence (Intro)” by artist Aditya Novali, an architectural engineer by training who lives and works in Surakarta, Central Java. Japan’s Kaikai Kiki Gallery and Taiwan’s experimental stalwart TKG+ are among the regional institutions taking part. A few major European names are willing to play by the rules too. Esther Schipper will present almost entirely South Korean artists (represented by its new branch in Seoul), including Anicka Yi and Hyunsun Jeon.

Tandio’s formula seems to be working. When he started his role in 2019, Art Jakarta only hosted a single fair. Now it also organises Art Jakarta Gardens, a thriving outdoor show that was originally designed as an accessible event for people during the coronavirus pandemic. Next year sees the launch of Art Jakarta Paper, a fair dedicated to works on paper – prints, sketches, photographs or books – where canvases are banned. 

Indonesia’s wider art scene is thriving as well. Programmes such as Art Subs in Surabaya and the Ubud Art Ground are also attracting big crowds. Globally recognised museums are admittedly still thin on the ground but it’s only a matter of time before the gaps are filled. Indonesia’s vast size and growing economy indicate that there is a network of knowledgeable local collectors and some deep pockets to sponsor projects and attract talent. In 2017 businessman Haryanto Adikoesoemo opened Museum Macan, a bold contemporary-art space, and appointed its new director, Venus Lau, in 2024. A respected writer and curator, Lau moved from Shanghai to Jakarta after leading and advising various major art institutions across China and Hong Kong.

Before taking on Art Jakarta, Tandio was a regional director of Art Stage Singapore – the forebear of the current Art SG. His experience with the two fairs offers an insight into why Singapore has struggled for decades to secure a spot on the international art calendar and make Jakarta and Manila’s creative scene appeal to serious collectors. Foreign artists and buyers attend Art Jakarta but locals still rule. “Not having to fly everyone in has been the biggest difference,” he says.

Even the recent anti-government protests – another contrast to Singapore, where public demonstrations are almost unheard of – shouldn’t throw the occasion off its stride. Unrest often inspires great art. With Indonesia’s economic rise set to continue and its capital attracting greater interest as a tourist destination, Art Jakarta is destined to become internationally celebrated.