15 Sep 2025

Sydney Contemporary welcomes 26,440 visitors to largest edition to date, securing $16million in sales

The 2025 edition of Sydney Contemporary, presented in partnership with Principal Partner MA Financial Group from 11 – 14 September, attracted 26,440 visitors to the Fair at Carriageworks and recorded AUD$16million in sales across the four days, with further sales expected to follow in the coming days.

For its largest edition to date, Sydney Contemporary 2025 showcased 116 exhibitors presenting over 500 artists from Australia and around the world, as well as the premiere of Photo Sydney, dedicated to contemporary photography.

Galleries and artists from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, USA, London, Indonesia, Singapore, and Seoul, came together offering collectors, curators, art lovers and institutions the rare opportunity to experience thousands of top tier contemporary artworks all under one roof.

Since its launch in 2013, Sydney Contemporary has welcomed over 25,000 visitors per edition and generated more than AU$138 million in art sales. The Fair is the pre-eminent meeting place for the art world, and critical to the growth of the art market in Australia, providing a major boost to the art market and supporting the growth of contemporary art across the region.

Sydney Contemporary Fair Director Zoe Paulsen said: “We were delighted with the success of the ninth edition of Sydney Contemporary – our most ambitious Fair to date. With more exhibitors and artists than ever before, the Fair saw excellent visitation and strong sales across the four days. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the launch of Photo Sydney, fulfilling a growing demand for experiencing the best of contemporary photography.

Carriageworks was alive with creativity, curiosity and ideas as visitors engaged with works of exceptional quality from both emerging voices and established names. This year’s success further reinforces Sydney Contemporary’s position as the region’s premier art fair, and we’re proud of the role it plays in shaping the future of the arts in Australia.”

Sydney Contemporary Founder and Co-Owner Tim Etchells said: “Each year, Sydney Contemporary stands
out as a highlight of the cultural calendar, bringing together artists, galleries and collectors in Australasia’s leading art fair. As the biggest event in Australia dedicated to showcasing new contemporary art, it continues to energise the market, strengthen the local arts community and deliver direct, lasting impact on the livelihoods of living artists.

In this more challenging climate, the Fair’s atmosphere of excitement and optimism was especially significant,
affirming the vital role it plays in the cultural fabric of this country.”

MA Financial Managing Director and Head of Asset Management, Andrew Martin, said: “As proud Principal
Partner of Sydney Contemporary, we were thrilled with the success of this year’s Fair, which once again reinforced its pivotal role in Australia’s vibrant arts ecosystem. We were especially proud to award the 2025 MA Art Prize to Gamilaraay artist Juanita McLauchlan, deservedly taking home the increased $15,000 prize for her unique and inspiring work ‘Mandaymanday/String of Stars’.”

Galleries reported a successful Fair experience with directors offering the following testimonials:

• Danielle Renshaw, Director, The Renshaws said: “As a gallerist who has had the privilege of attending
  and exhibiting at many, many art fairs around the world, I can confidently say that this year’s Sydney
  Contemporary Art Fair was one the best I’ve ever experienced. There was an undeniable sense of
  optimism in the air, just the antidote the art world needed. The fair had an incredible energy, and the VIP attendance was fantastic. It was wonderful to see so many collectors and curators traveling from all over Australia, leading to not only great sales but also even better conversations. There was an increased rigour to many of the booths throughout the fair, with many galleries going above and beyond to showcase works by some of Australia and New Zealand’s most preeminent artists. Particularly impressive was Installation Contemporary, curated by José Da Silva, adding a layer of rigour and dynamism to the experience.”
• Victoria Scott, Director of Sales, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery said: “We had a hugely successful Fair week
  with very strong sales to both new and existing clients and the opportunity to connect with our friends and collectors from across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the US. This year's edition brought a dynamic clientele within a vibrant presentation of galleries, where we were pleased to showcase our curated booth of groundbreaking new works that reflect the breadth of our programme”.
• Christopher Hodges, Director, Utopia Art Sydney said: “The Fair was a true gathering of the faithful – a place to experience the very best art from the remarkable artists you represent, alongside the rising stars shaping the future. From timeless classics to bold new voices, it was a showcase of the art world at its finest. With such a dedicated team and strong leadership, the future looks very bright indeed.”
• Edwina Corlette, Director, Edwina Corlette Gallery said: “After a couple of years away it was a joy to
  return to Sydney Contemporary with a refreshed focus. The 2025 Fair was one of the best we’ve
  experienced, with a new layout that felt open and engaging. We especially loved seeing Futures brought into the main exhibition space, shining a light on emerging voices alongside established names. The calibre of galleries and the quality of work was outstanding. The VIP Program was particularly well considered and it was encouraging to see such a high-calibre collector base ready to engage. It was hugely successful.”
• Sotiris Sotiriou, Director, COMA said: “Another edition allowing galleries like COMA to connect with the entirety of our region in a buoyant and exciting environment. Collects seem to be eager to learn about new artists more than ever, a very promising sign for the future of the Fair and the city.”
• Viktor Kravchenko, Director, Nasha Gallery said: “Despite knowing that this was Australasia’s premier Fair, we were positively overwhelmed by the attendance and atmosphere. It was good not only to have Australian institutional curators attend and engage with the work, but also curators from the Asia-Pacific region.”

Sydney Contemporary is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

Ends

IMAGES: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wKExjRPOHpvpxgYeQNv3z2skfdYfM865?usp=sharing