Press

(Kyoto, Japan, June 25, 2025) – Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) announces the exhibitor list for its fifth edition, which will welcome the most exhibitors to date, with 72 galleries from 19 countries/regions and 28 cities, including 25 exhibitors presenting at the fair for the first time. With the support of lead partner Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., ACK will take place in the Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC Kyoto) from November 14 to 16, 2025, with a preview day on November 13, 2025.
　

Yukako Yamashita, ACK’s Fair Director, said: “I’m proud to introduce our strong lineup of exhibitors this year, and exciting new initiatives including the Bangkok Collaborate Kyoto Fellowship (BCK Fellowship) in collaboration with Bangkok Kunsthalle, which celebrates participating artists and deepens our connection with the Southeast Asian art community. ACK is not just an art fair, but a cultural platform rooted in Kyoto and shaped by partnerships between local and international communities. As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, we can’t wait to keep building on this momentum and growing together.”
　

Founded in 2021 and entering its fifth year, ACK has been evolving from a new model of art fair with regional impact into a key moment on the international art world calendar. The fair continues to be rooted in the spirit of collaboration, as well as Kyoto’s welcoming ethos and rich history of art and culture. Its “Gallery Collaborations” section pairs a Japan-based gallery with its international peer in a shared booth to co-present a unique and thoughtful exhibition, while “Kyoto Meetings” features presentations with distinct connections to Kyoto. For every edition since 2022, ACK obtained bonded status, allowing international exhibitors to be exempt from the 10% sales tax that otherwise would have been imposed pre-sale. The fair re-applied for bonded status for its 2025 edition in November.
　

“Gallery Collaborations” this year will welcome 30 international galleries from North and South America, Europe, Africa, and the Asia Pacific, hosted by 29 Japan-based galleries in shared booths. Highlights include: first-time exhibitors space Un (Tokyo) and Retro Africa (Abuja) will highlight artists whose work embodies dynamic formal exploration, such as Senegalese painter and sculptor Serigne Mbaye Camara, and Lagos-based sculptor, curator and product designer Ugo Ahiakwo. Shibunkaku (Kyoto, Tokyo) and Mendes Wood DM (São Paulo, Brussels, New York, Paris) will spotlight the collaboration between contemporary Latin American artists and post-war Japanese abstraction and avant-garde calligraphy. CON_ (Tokyo) and first-time exhibitor Arario Gallery (Seoul, Cheonan, Shanghai) join forces to present a cross-cultural dialogue through works by Lim Nosik, Noh Sangho, and Yukino Yamanaka, offering a resonant perspective on expressions that reflect the unsettled conditions of our time. Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery (Osaka) and first-time exhibitor Silverlens (Manila, New York) will present a thoughtful exhibition bringing together five artists whose diverse practices explore memory, existence, and the quiet complexities of life across cultures and geographies. Mitochu Koeki Co. (Tokyo) and Annely Juda Fine Art (London) will stage a visual dialogue between David Hockney and Japanese ceramic artists Aya Hatano, Eriko Inazaki, Makiko Hattori, and Rie Aizawa.
　

“Kyoto Meetings” will feature 13 local and international gallery booths whose presentations have connections to the historic city of Kyoto, offering an opportunity to explore its culture from varied perspectives. Highlights include: kurimanzutto (Mexico City, New York) will present The Breathing Threshold by WangShui, an immersive installation that echoes Kyoto’s fluid interplay of history, architecture, and atmosphere. Johyun Gallery (Busan, Seoul) will stage a solo presentation by Lee Bae, whose signature charcoal works resonate deeply with Kyoto’s contemplative landscape of seasonal change, gardens shaped by space and pause, and temple stillness. First-time exhibitors in this sector include GALLERY SIDE 2 (Tokyo), which will present a solo showcase of new works by Takeo Hanazawa, whose playful yet contemplative practice translates his experiences in Kyoto into a dynamic mix of prints, paintings, and drawings; and Raster (Warsaw) that will bring together works by Kyoto-based Kazuhito Tanaka, Berlin-based Slawomir Elsner, and Warsaw-based Janek Simon.
　

Alongside the Pommery Prize Kyoto, which has supported local young talents in partnership with Champagne Pommery, this year, Art Collaboration Kyoto will launch the Bangkok Collaborate Kyoto Fellowship (BCK Fellowship), a new initiative presented in partnership with Bangkok Kunsthalle, driven by their shared commitment to experimentation and collaboration to support artists. The annual fellowship award will offer one outstanding artist exhibiting at ACK a one-month residency in Bangkok, with comprehensive support and the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at Bangkok Kunsthalle. All artists exhibiting at ACK 2025 will be considered for the fellowship by a jury including: Marisa Chearavanont, Founder and President of Khao Yai Art Co. Ltd, which oversees both Bangkok Kunsthalle and Khao Yai Art Forest; Stefano Rabolli Pansera, Artistic Director of Bangkok Kunsthalle and Khao Yai Art Forest; artist Yutaka Sone, the inaugural artist-in-residence at Khao Yai Art Forest; and Yukako Yamashita, ACK’s Fair Director.
　

Marisa Chearavanont remarked: “This collaboration envisions a new path for art to move beyond borders—guided not by market forces but by mutual respect, meaningful cross-cultural dialogue, and collaboration.”
　

Stefano Rabolli Pansera added: “Bangkok Collaborate Kyoto Fellowship is a partnership between two organizations that challenge the conventional models of art fairs and of museums. Together, we aim to create a platform that supports experimentation and brings greater visibility to Asian artists on the global stage.”
　

Furthermore, ACK Curates will return with its Public Program, talks series, and family program under the theme set by Yukako Yamashita “2050—Gaze Toward the Future”, envisioning a world shaped by collaborative intelligence, long-term cultural perspectives, and a commitment to embracing diversity, using Kyoto’s unique blend of tradition and innovation as a platform to imagine a resilient, equitable, and interconnected future. The fair’s Public Program will welcome Martin Germann and Kokoro Kimura as its guest curators, who developed the theme “Symbiosis: Art and Common Grounds” in response to the overarching theme of ACK Curates, and will present various selected works. In support of the fair’s commitment to bettering the future of the art world through educational programming and expanding the impact of art on its surrounding communities, the fair will host ACK Talks, an international conversation series spanning diverse genres. This year’s Kids’ Programs for families and youth will host artist-led workshops. Additionally, free bilingual childcare will be available to all participating gallerists and visitors.
　

Additional presentations taking place in Kyoto during ACK will include solo exhibitions by Gabriel Orozco at Oscaar Mouligne, presented in collaboration with kurimanzutto, and Lee Bae at Konkai-Komyoji Temple, presented by Johyun Gallery, among others, highlighting the momentum ACK has generated across the city’s art scene. Further highlights and programming details will be announced in early September 2025.
　

For the full list of participating galleries, please visit https://a-c-k.jp/en/exhibitors/.
　

Notes to Editors

About Art Collaboration Kyoto
Founded in 2021, Art Collaboration Kyoto is an art fair held in Kyoto with collaboration at its core. One of the leading art fairs in Japan specializing in contemporary art, Art Collaboration Kyoto presents unique collaborations forged between Japanese and international galleries; government and private sectors; and fine arts and other cultural spheres in Kyoto. Hosted in the Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC Kyoto), the fair consists of two sections: “Gallery Collaborations”, which pairs a Japan-based gallery with its international peer in a shared booth; and “Kyoto Meetings”, which features presentations with distinct connections to Kyoto. In addition, ACK Curates will feature its Public Program, talks series, and family programs. Beyond the fair, special exhibitions are held in Kyoto City, along with other partner exhibitions. For every edition since 2022, Art Collaboration Kyoto obtained bonded status, allowing international exhibitors to be exempt from the 10% sales tax that otherwise would have been imposed pre-sale.
　

Art Collaboration Kyoto is organized by the Art Collaboration Kyoto Executive Committee, which includes the Kyoto Prefecture; Association for the Promotion of Contemporary Art in Japan; Contemporary Art Dealers Association Nippon; Culture Vision Japan Foundation Inc.; Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and the Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau. The fair is presented with support from New Regional Economies and Living Environments Creation Grant 2025, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in the fiscal year of 2025.
　

The fair is located at the Kyoto International Conference Center (Takaragaike, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City) and others. For more information, please visit a-c-k.jp.
　

2025 Dates
Preview (by invitation only): Thursday, November 13, 2025
Public opening dates: Friday, November 14, 2025 – Sunday, November 16, 2025
　

About Yukako Yamashita, ACK Fair Director
Born in Tokyo in 1988 to a family that runs a tea ceremony utensils business in Kyoto. Completed an MA in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. After an internship at Sotheby’s London, she joined Sotheby’s Japan, where she oversaw the sales of contemporary art. From 2017 to 2022, she was the managing director of THE CLUB. She was appointed Program Director of Art Collaboration Kyoto and Kyoto City Growth Strategy Promotion Advisor in 2022.
　

About Guest Curators of the Public Program
Martin Germann lives and works in Cologne. Since 2021, he has served as an adjunct curator for Mori Art Museum. He organized the 9th Biennial of Painting at Belgium’s Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens and served as a curatorial advisor for Aichi Triennale 2022. From 2012 to 2019, he led the artistic department of S.M.A.K. Ghent. Previously, he was a curator at the Kestner Gesellschaft Hannover (2008–2012) and worked for the 3rd and 4th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art. He published numerous exhibition catalogues and monographs, and his writing appeared in magazines such as 032c, Frieze, and Mousse. For Lili Dujourie: Folds in Time, he received an AICA award for Belgium’s best exhibition in 2016.
　

Kimura Kokoro is interested in the intersection of feminist and queer perspectives with decolonial discourses and explores the transformative potential of identity and relationality through exhibitions and workshops. She has also collaborated with institutions and artists across Asia, including SURVIVE! Garage (Yogyakarta) and HAPS (Kyoto). Kokoro completed an MA in Arts and Society at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and undertook a research internship at Cemeti: Institute for Art and Society in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.　

Selection Committee 
Axel Dibie, Galerie Crèvecoeur (Paris)
Yoshiaki Inoue, Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery (Osaka)
Tomio Koyama, Tomio Koyama Gallery (Tokyo)
Yuichi Mori, Mori Yu Gallery (Kyoto)
Jeffrey Rosen, Misako & Rosen (Tokyo)
Shelly Wu, TKG+ (Taipei)
Yuko Yamamoto, Anomaly (Tokyo)

ACK partners are as follows:

　

Media Contacts
FITZ & CO | Georgina Zhao | gzhao@fitzandco.com
Art Collaboration Kyoto | Yoshiko Nawa and Rasa Tsuda | press@a-c-k.jp