Fair nixes big new art commission, as tickets sell out

One of the biggest events on Australia's contemporary art calendar has dropped its long-running major commission for new work.

Established in 2006, the Melbourne Art Foundation Commission Program contributed to funding major new work presented at the Melbourne Art Fair, which runs until Sunday at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The fair's capacity to commission new art depended on its budget and the support of art institutions, said fair director Melissa Loughnan.

"Being a small nonprofit, it's about receiving funds from other institutions to realise those large-scale works," she said.

Even for the most successful artists, commissions are vital for the production of large-scale new works, which may not find a buyer on the commercial market.

In 2024, one of Australia's most influential feminist artists, Julie Rrap, unveiled a sculpture created thanks to the $100,000 commission, also funded by the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

The 2025 program saw a video of melting coloured pigment by Dawn Ng, and a tubular steel installation by Yona Lee.

In 2026, organisers have instead spent the foundation's funds across grants to present existing artworks by Judith Wright, Brenda L. Croft, and Fiona Hall.

There's also a video art section and a design commission, which has been awarded to Anna Varendorff.

"We think every year about how we use our funds and how we can best support artist practices, and that's how it translated this year, but it's not to say that there won't be other future large-scale commissions," said Loughnan.

Being a contemporary art fair, it's all on show under the watchful eye of a giant inflatable rabbit, an artwork titled Cosmo McMurtry by New Zealand sculptor Michael Parekōwhai.

It was originally created for the 2006 fair with the National Gallery of Victoria, and its return marks the 20th anniversary of the commissioning program.

The fair is one of the biggest events for Australia's contemporary art market, with sales of more than $14 million in 2025.

Just on 60 galleries are participating in 2026, fewer than in past years, alongside 20 designers in a section dedicated to high-end contemporary design.

The fair opened to record attendance on Thursday, with tickets for the first day selling out, and various acquisitions by state and regional institutions, said Loughnan.

"It was very buoyant, a very full room, a lot of excitement in the air, and overall, a lot of galleries reporting very successful sales," she said.

Several booths, including Melbourne's Sophie Gannon Gallery, Tiwi Islands art centre Jilamara Arts, and West Australia's Emilia Galatis Projects, sold all the artwork they had on offer.

Sydney's Justin Miller Art also sold significant works by Sidney Nolan, Charles Blackman and Robert Klippel.

These are high-end sales, but the middle of the market has hollowed out, according to Loughnan, with most sales happening at the high or low end.

"Taking note of the fact that artworks are selling at the low end, there are some galleries that have decided to debut young artists at a lower price point, and those have been very, very successful," she said.