When you think “art fair,” maybe you imagine quiet halls, polite nods, and price tags with too many zeroes. Forget that. Art Jakarta 2025 (3–5 October at JIExpo Kemayoran) is shaping up to be something entirely different: a mash-up of global icons, edgy Indonesian talent, and brand collabs that sound more like a festival lineup than a gallery floor.

This year, 75 galleries from 16 countries are in the mix—names you’d usually see in Berlin, Paris, or Seoul now sharing space with the next wave of Indonesian artists. Yep, even Takashi Murakami’s Kaikai Kiki is coming. Add Esther Schipper (a powerhouse with spaces in Europe, the US, and Asia) and Tina Keng Gallery (pioneering voices from Taiwan and China), and suddenly Jakarta isn’t just on the map—it is the map.

But here’s the twist: it’s not just about galleries anymore. Brands are showing up like headline acts. Think Bibit, the investing app, bringing a massive Agus Suwage piece into play. Or Treasury, a digital gold platform, dropping an installation called Reserve of Care by award-winning artists Azizi Almajid and Nuri Fatimah. Even BCA is stepping in with a Muklay x Palette Studio collab that screams Instagrammable.

Music heads get their own corner too—SUPERMUSIC is curating a space that’s basically a love letter to Indonesia’s live scene. Meanwhile, iForte Energy is literally powering up art with solar tech, and TACO is teaming with Jessica Soekidi for a color-and-light experiment you won’t forget.

And if you think this is just about “big names,” check out SCENE, where collectives from across Indonesia—31 of them—are about to show how much creativity thrives beyond Jakarta. Plus, Korea Focus is bringing 12 Korean galleries under one roof, and MTN’s “Rising Currents” program will spotlight Indonesia’s freshest talents.

Oh, and did we mention Eddie Hara’s piece titled CALL 911. DESTROY BAD ART? That’s not just an artwork; that’s a mood.

Tickets drop 9 September 2025 at artjakarta.com. If you’ve ever wanted to see what happens when fine art meets festival vibes, this is it.