Asia NOW 2026 Opens 12th Edition in Paris, Centers 'Sentimental Value'

By Elena Vasquez

Asia NOW opens its 12th edition at Monnaie de Paris from October 20 to 24, 2026, with an invitation-only preview on October 19. The fair's curatorial frame this year is "Sentimental Value: a form of value shaped by what we inherit, what we encounter, and what we choose to carry forward."

What does the 12th edition propose?

Founded in Paris more than a decade ago, Asia NOW has built twelve editions of programming and continues to challenge the conventional art-fair model in the process. The fair describes itself as a space "not simply of transaction, but of relationships, community, continuity." That framing has carried through every year.

The 2026 edition aims to "decenter Asia" and position the region as a methodology rather than a fixed geography. Programming spans five public days and one invitation-only preview inside the Monnaie de Paris.

Takeaway: The 12th edition repositions Asia as a curatorial method, not a market category.

Which galleries return, and which debut?

Five returning galleries anchor the 2026 roster:

• Esther Schipper (Paris and Berlin)
• Kaikai Kiki Gallery (Tokyo)
• Sabrina Amrani (Madrid)
• Loy Contemporary (Singapore)
• The Drawing Room (Manila)

Six galleries appear for the first time. Newcomers include Spazio Nobile (Russia), Pao Hui Kao, Ng Wing Yin, VER Gallery (Bangkok), Double Square (Taipei), and Lux Feminae (New York). That puts the new-to-returning ratio at 6:5.

Venice Biennale echoes run through the 2026 roster in ways that tie this Paris fair directly to Italy's most-watched contemporary art event of the past year. Tala (Chicago) shows works by Jon Cuyson, who represented the Philippines at Venice. THE Gallery presents Nomin Bold, the artist behind the Mongolian Pavilion's 2026 offering. Esther Schipper brings Tseng Chien-Ying's Afterglow (2026). Kaikai Kiki shows Chiho Aoshima's Peony, a 120 × 95 × 85 mm ceramic from 2026.

Takeaway: Six new galleries open against five returning ones, a roster split that signals rapid turnover rather than continuity.

What is The Third Space?

The Third Space is Asia NOW's installation section, launched in 2025 and continuing in 2026. It presents installation works, moving-image pieces, and visual art as a "parcours" through the Monnaie de Paris's corridors, vestibules, and intersectional rooms.

Roughly half the fair's footprint now sits outside traditional booths, threading installations through the venue and turning the building itself into an extension of the exhibition. Pao Hui Kao's The Lunisolar House (2026), a 500 × 350 cm work in tracing paper and rice glue, features in this section. Whitestone Gallery shows Chow and Li's The Poverty Line Singapore.

Takeaway: The Monnaie de Paris now functions as gallery, corridor, and curatorial frame at once.

What does the Public Programme add?

The Public Programme extends the fair beyond exhibition hours. Performances, talks, and cross-cultural conversations fill the gap between commerce and conversation.

Featured performers include Wayang Women, Samboleap Tol, and Berlin-based Filipino artist Alvin Collantes. Dr. Sara Raza contributes a project. Indonesian curator Alia Swastika, Director of the Biennale Jogja Foundation, also participates.

Five named contributors anchor a programme that aims to convert passive viewing into active dialogue through performances, talks, and cross-cultural conversations across the five-day run.

Takeaway: The programme adds dialogue to a market, converting transactions into conversations.

Asia NOW 2026 runs October 20 to 24 at Monnaie de Paris. The invitation-only preview is October 19. With five returning and six new galleries named, the fair's 12th year signals a recalibration rather than a celebration.