Press

(Kyoto, Japan, November 16, 2025) – The fifth edition of Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK) concluded today, following four days of vibrant sales and dialogue between Japan’s art community and the international art world. Held at the Kyoto International Conference Center (ICC Kyoto) from November 14 to 16, 2025, with a preview day on November 13, the fair hosted 72 galleries from 19 countries and regions, including 25 first-time exhibitors, marking its largest and most globally diverse edition to date. Collectors, curators, and institutional representatives from Asia, Europe, North and South America, Africa, and the Middle East gathered in Kyoto for a week that reaffirmed the city’s growing importance as a nexus for culture and exchange. Once again, the fair operated under bonded status, allowing international exhibitors to be exempt from the 10% sales tax that otherwise would have been imposed pre-sale. ACK will return to Kyoto from November 7 to 9, 2026, with a preview day on November 6.
　

Established in 2021, Art Collaboration Kyoto continues to redefine the art-fair format through its emphasis on partnership and cultural context. This year’s theme, “2050—Gaze Toward the Future,” set by Fair Director Yukako Yamashita, envisioned a world shaped by collaborative intelligence, long-term cultural perspective, and inclusivity. Across both sections—Gallery Collaborations and Kyoto Meetings—participants responded with presentations that bridged generations, media, and geographies.
　

Yukako Yamashita commented: “This year affirmed our position as one of the most integral fairs in the region, and it also hinted at what the future of art fairs can look like: collegial, collaborative, and connected, while maintaining the highest rigor in all aspects. Our visitors shared that every element of the fair felt more thoughtful and refined, from the caliber of the works on view to the booth layout and collector engagement. We saw robust sales and thoughtful conversations across the halls, and a level of energy that reflects how far the fair has come. The presence and purchasing power of Asian collectors, including from Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, was particularly meaningful. As Asia’s art scene continues to evolve with various hubs arising, our fair is increasingly recognized as a key destination.”

This year, the fair introduced the Bangkok Collaborate Kyoto Fellowship (BCK Fellowship), established in partnership with Bangkok Kunsthalle. All artists exhibiting at ACK 2025 were 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. During the fair week, the jury selected two artists exhibiting at ACK 2025—WangShui at kurimanzutto and Takuro Tamayama at Anomaly. The two winning artists are offered a month-long residency and exhibition in Bangkok, fostering cross-cultural exchange and new creative pathways in the region.
　

The jury of BCK Fellowship remarked: “In selecting the awardees, we looked for artists whose practices resonate deeply with the curatorial and ideological vision of Bangkok Kunsthalle and Art Collaboration Kyoto: a vision of experimentation, healing, and the re-imagination of cultural systems. WangShui was selected for their extraordinary ability to bring together technology and spirituality, merging advanced imaging, algorithmic processes, and cinematic forms with a contemplative, almost ritual dimension. Their work proposes new ways of healing—of the body, the city, and the digital imaginary—showing how art can mediate between the technological and the transcendent. Takuro Tamayama was selected for his remarkable capacity to work within the interstitial spaces of the art fair, those often-overlooked thresholds and corridors, and to transform them into unexpected, multi-sensory worlds. His installations destabilize the familiar, opening passages into new perceptual and emotional territories. In doing so, he reveals the potential of liminal space as a site of wonder and renewal.”
　

Artist WangShui said: “I am truly honored that my work has been selected for this fellowship at ACK, a beautiful art fair featuring so many remarkable artists. Each artist creates their work with so much love and dedication, and it means a lot to me that the jury evaluated the works with such respect. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to kurimanzutto and to all the jurors of the BCK Fellowship. I am extremely excited to be in Bangkok soon.”
　

Artist Takuro Tamayama said: “I am truly grateful to all the jurors for taking the time to engage so sincerely with the works on view at the fair, and for selecting me for this wonderful fellowship. My practice involves transforming spaces and environments into artworks themselves. For that reason, the Bangkok Kunsthalle as a space is deeply inspiring and appealing to me, and I am already very excited about the possibilities ahead. Thank you very much once again for this great honor.”
　

In the Gallery Collaborations section, 29 Japan-based galleries partnered with 30 international peers in shared booths, creating unique curatorial dialogues. Highlights included: first-time exhibitors space Un (Tokyo) and Retro Africa (Abuja) highlighted 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) spotlighted 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) joined 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) presented 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) staged a visual dialogue between David Hockney and Japanese ceramic artists Aya Hatano, Eriko Inazaki, Makiko Hattori, and Rie Aizawa.
　

Kyoto Meetings featured 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. kurimanzutto (Mexico City, New York) presented The Breathing Threshold by WangShui, an immersive installation that echoes Kyoto’s fluid interplay of history, architecture, and atmosphere. Johyun Gallery (Busan, Seoul) staged a group presentation including works by Lee Bae, Kim Taek Sang, Lee Kwang-Ho, and Bosco Sodi. First-time exhibitors in this sector included GALLERY SIDE 2 (Tokyo), which presented 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 brought together works by Kyoto-based Kazuhito Tanaka, Berlin-based Slawomir Elsner, and Warsaw-based Janek Simon.
　

For the full list of 2025 exhibitors, please visit https://a-c-k.jp/en/exhibitors/.
　

Under the curatorial framework ACK Curates, the fair presented multidisciplinary programming that examined how art can catalyze resilience and interconnectedness. The Public Program, titled “Symbiosis: Art and Common Grounds,” curated by Martin Germann and Kokoro Kimura, gathered works by Toshikatsu Endo, Yein Lee, Kishio Suga, and Stella Zhong, among others, addressing coexistence and shared realities across disciplines. ACK Talks convened artists, curators, and thinkers from 14 cities across 11 countries, including Olafur Eliasson, Marisa Chearavanont, Toshiyuki Inoko, Yuko Nagayama, and Meruro Washida, for discussions on sustainability, technology, and future value systems in culture. The ACK Kids’ Programs engaged younger audiences through bilingual “Seeing” and “Making” workshops led by Kohei Nawa, Takahiro Yagi, and Byproducts Market, reinforcing ACK’s mission to cultivate the next generation of creators and audiences.
　

Exhibitors at ACK commented on the fair’s curatorial rigor and unique local sensibility.
　

“I’m delighted to have participated in ACK again this year. This fair, with its strong focus on international cultural exchange, allowed me to truly feel the potential of many talented young artists from Japan. At the same time, seeing the wonderful presentations by other galleries was inspiring and offered many valuable insights. I hope to continue to evolve our program and return again next year.”
Hideo Kanegae, Director of KANEGAE
　

“Overall, we were impressed by the curatorial rigor of the fair. The flow and rhythm of the fair is unlike others we participate in: attendees feel relaxed and willing to engage in meaningful conversation. The institutional presence, specifically from Japan, has been highly impressive. The BCK fellowship initiative was also very inspiring to us.”
Malik Al-Mahrouky, Partner of kurimanzutto
　

“This was my first time participating in Art Collaboration Kyoto, but I had visited it in previous years and appreciated its scale and philosophy. As a Belgian based in Japan, it was an opportunity for me to collaborate with a young gallery from Brussels, Gauli Zitter. It was a pleasure to continue our conversation with the Japanese audience in the context of Kyoto.”
Olivier Mignon, Director of Keijiban
　

“This is our second time participating in Art Collaboration Kyoto, and the experience has been even better than last year. We met many visitors who showed genuine interest in purchasing works, including collectors from Turkey. Based in Tokyo, we usually only participate in art fairs in Tokyo, but the unique atmosphere and cultural energy of Kyoto bring us back to participate in ACK.”
Daisuke Hayashi, CEO of Mitochu Koeki Co.
　

“It’s truly a pleasure to be back at ACK. This marks our third participation, and we’re delighted to have had the opportunity to further deepen our collaboration with MUJIN-TO Production. We are sincerely grateful for the warm hospitality extended by our hosts. We have always admired the fair’s design and architecture, and we hope that we can return again to expand our collaboration in future editions.”
Dea Aprilia, Associate Director of ROH
　

Yukako Yamashita, who was at the helm of the fair as its Fair Director since 2022 will step down in March 2026. Yamashita said: “My goal as the Fair Director at ACK was to transform ACK into a truly international art fair and to make November in Kyoto an exciting moment for the art world. We have achieved significant milestones in elevating the fair and the city of Kyoto internationally by exploring new models of art fair. What makes ACK special is its spirit of collaboration and teamwork. It’s an art fair created not by one voice, but by many—artists, galleries, collectors, institutions, partners, and the Kyoto Prefecture—coming together on equal footing to build something larger than themselves by harnessing the power of art. This collective intelligence and renewal are what give ACK its vitality. Now, as I pass on the baton, I hope that new energy and fresh perspectives will continue to keep ACK evolving—staying true to its collaborative spirit while remaining a place of openness, creativity, and shared purpose. I will continue to devote myself to a sustainable future for art and culture, and I would be grateful if you could continue to warmly support ACK as it continues to evolve.”

More information about ACK 2025 programming:
　

Public Program
ACK’s Public Program surveyed works selected by the guest curators Martin Germann and Kokoro Kimura. Responding to the ACK Curates’ theme, the exhibition titled “Symbiosis: Art and Common Grounds” featured works that foster dialogues between diverse forms of knowledge, perspectives, and identities. Artists on display included Toshikatsu Endo, Yein Lee, Kishio Suga, Stella Zhong and more. For additional information on the Public Program, please visit https://a-c-k.jp/en/ack-curates/public-program/.
　

ACK Talks
ACK once again hosted ACK Talks, a diverse series of conversations featuring artists and
industry leaders, exploring topics such as art and everyday life, rethinking culture and sustainability, and the relationship between humans and technology from diverse perspectives, taking art as a starting point in discussions that reflect on new values for the future. ACK Talks further reinforces the strength of Kyoto’s art and culture community through the inclusion of key local and global players in the art world. Speakers include Olafur Eliasson (Artist), Marisa Chearavanont (Founder & President of Bangkok Kunsthalle), Toshiyuki Inoko (Founder of teamLab), Yuko Nagayama (Architect), Nawaf Bin Ayyaf (Senior Advisor for the Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia), Meruro Washida (Director, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa / Associate Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts), Kyoko Mori (Managing Director, Mori Contemporary Art Foundation; Chairperson, Mori Art Museum) and more. For additional information on ACK Talks, please visit https://a-c-k.jp/en/talks.
　

ACK Kids’ Programs
Committed to bettering the future of the art world, the fair hosted ACK Kids’ Programs at ICC Kyoto, dedicated to community enrichment and development. Programs included a guided tour of the fair “Seeing”, as well asartmaking workshops “Making” led by artists such as Kohei Nawa, Takahiro Yagi, and Byproducts Market. Bilingual childcare services were also available for visitors with children aged 3 months to 7 years old. For further details about ACK Kids’ Program, please visit https://a-c-k.jp/en/for-kids/.
　

Special Programs
ACK once again partnered with MITSUBISHI ESTATE CO., LTD. as its lead partner for the fifth consecutive year. Special Programs were held in collaboration with partner companies within ICC Kyoto, providing visitors with an opportunity to learn about multi-layered interpretations of art. This year, eight partner companies presented a diverse lineup of projects exploring approaches ranging from craft and manga to fashion and avant-garde art. SGC Co., Ltd., the pure gold craftmakers, presented an installation by contemporary artist Aya Ito; in collaboration with Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co. Ltd. and their Ladder Project, which aims to support the next generation of artists, a new work by Shota Yamauchi was presented at Pilotis of the New Hall in ICC Kyoto. An exhibition revisiting the activities of the postwar avant-garde art group “Kyushu-ha (Kyushu School)”, which emerged in Fukuoka, was held in collaboration with JINTEC Corporation. With Takashimaya Company, Limited, works by Nanae Mitobe and Ryu Jeyoon were exhibited in conjunction with “ART WEEKS” held at Kyoto Takashimaya S.C. Joining as a partner for the first time this year, Shueisha Manga–Art Heritage presented a multifaceted exploration of manga expression through collaborative works by Keiichi Tanaami and Fujio Akatsuka. Also participating for the first time, AERO TOYOTA CORPORATION introduced the traditional craftsmanship rooted in the Tango Peninsula in a VIP lounge setting, while proposing a new form of air travel with art as the destination. With main media partner Hearst, a custom-designed photo booth by Harper’s BAZAAR art was introduced. Champagne Pommery, the official champagne partner of ACK, presented works by the “Pommery Prize Kyoto 2025” finalists, an award for supporting young artists based in Kyoto, which was started on the occasion of ACK in 2023. For additional information on ACK’s Special Programs, please visit https://a-c-k.jp/en/special-programs/.
　

What’s On
During the week of Art Collaboration Kyoto, a variety of art programs were held across Kyoto, activating the historical city during this exciting cultural moment. In addition to those taking place at the main venue at ICC Kyoto, ACK introduced a selection of exhibitions and events throughout the city, including special presentations by participating galleries and partner companies at unique venues. Highlights included exhibitions by Isabella Ducrot at Kouseiin Temple presented by Sadie Coles HQ, Carrie Yamaoka at Manshu-in Temple presented by Kiang Malingue, Nobuaki Onishi and Yasuyoshi Botan at ACG Villa, Gabriel Orozco at Oscaar Mouligne in collaboration with kurimanzutto, and Bosco Sodi at MtK Contemporary Art in collaboration with SCAI the Bathhouse. Ryosokuin Temple presented an exhibition of new works by Shio Kusaka and Jonas Wood, co-organized by David Kordansky Gallery.
　

This year, ACK also collaborated with the newly launched “Kyoto Art Month,” led by the Kyoto Prefectural and Municipal Governments, promoting a wide range of citywide art events from October to November. Initiatives such as CURATION⇄FAIR Kyoto and Art Rhizome KYOTO further enriched the experience, supported by shuttle buses and ticket discounts to encourage exploration and deeper engagement with art in autumnal Kyoto.

Notes to Editors

Images
Please download images from Art Collaboration Kyoto 2025 here.

About Art Collaboration Kyoto
Art Collaboration Kyoto is a culture-forward contemporary 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, a number of special projects and exhibitions will be concurrently on view in Kyoto.

Art Collaboration Kyoto is organized by the ACK 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 The Cabinet Office, Government of Japan in the fiscal 2024, The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in the fiscal 2024, and Japan Tourism Agency, Unique Experience in Japan 2024 in cooperation with JETRO Kyoto, Kyoto City, The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan Association of New Economy, and The Kyoto Shimbun.
The fair is located at the Kyoto International Conference Center (Takaragaike, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City) and others. For more information, please visit https://a-c-k.jp/en/.
　

About Yukako Yamashita, ACK Fair Director
Yukako Yamashita is the Fair Director of Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK), a role she has held since the second edition of ACK in 2022. Prior to joining ACK, Yamashita managed her own gallery THE CLUB in Tokyo from 2017 to 2022. Yamashita also has experience at Sotheby’s Japan, where she oversaw the sales of contemporary art, and has an MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. Born in Tokyo in 1988 to a family that runs a tea ceremony utensils gallery business in Kyoto, Yamashita has been serving as the Kyoto City Growth Strategy Promotion Advisor since 2022.
　

Selection Committee
Axel Dibie, Galerie Crèvecœur (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)

Spatial Design by Takashi Suo
This year, ACK aimed to go beyond collaborations within booths in an experiment where, transcending the framework of booths, the entire venue was designed to facilitate relationships in a single cohesive exhibition. Our goal was to expand the increasingly standardized format of art fairs and create a platform for encountering artworks in completely new and unexpected ways.
　

Sponsors and Partners

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