Angus Montgomery Arts Inaugurates Artist Award

Art fair organizer Angus Montgomery Arts (AMA) has launched a new annual Artist Award, naming Los Angeles-based artist Umar Rashid as its inaugural recipient. Established to support emerging artists in North America and connect them with networks in the Asia Pacific region, the award guarantees a curated presentation at both the India Art Fair in New Delhi and Tokyo Gendai in 2026. Rashid—whose two-decade practice examines the construction of colonial power through speculative and historical narratives—will show a selection of works at the fairs, including new paintings engaging with India’s colonial past. The artist described the award as an important opportunity for international exchange, allowing him to travel, encounter different cultures, and seed ideas for future work.

The Inaugural Ctrl+P Journal/Biennale of Contemporary Art

Launched in January as a series of PDF links, the first edition of the Ctrl+P Journal/Biennale of Contemporary Art explores the possibilities of online biennale-making. Founded by Philippines-based artist, writer, and curator Judy Freya Sibayan—editor of the online art journal Ctrl+P and former director of the Contemporary Art Museum of the Philippines—the project has been in development since 2021 as a decentralized alternative to the conventional art-festival model, particularly during moments of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Conceived without a fixed location or closing date and operating outside established economic structures, the biennale comprises seven hypermedia exhibitions featuring 80 participants, alongside a proposal for a “PDF pavilion” by two critical theorists. All projects are accessible through the biennale’s online portal.

Art Central 2026 Reveals Curators

Art Central has appointed Enoch Cheng and Zoie Yung as the curators of its 11th edition, set to take place at Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront from March 25–29, 2026. Cheng, a Europe-based multidisciplinary artist and curator who was named Artist of the Year (Visual Arts) at the 2025 Hong Kong Arts Development Awards, will return to lead the fair’s curated gallery programs for a third time. In addition to overseeing the Yi Tai Sculpture & Installation Projects and Neo, an incubation platform for emerging galleries, Cheng will also helm Central Stage, a newly launched section spotlighting six artists who have recently received institutional recognition. Hong Kong-based independent curator Yung will lead the fair’s creative programming, drawing on her experience as former exhibition manager of Shanghai’s Chi K11 Art Museum. In a press release, fair director Corey Andrew Barr said that Art Central is entering its next chapter “with intent and urgency, [as] a platform where new artistic voices meet a shifting global conversation.”

Gajah Gallery Expands to Manila

In late November, Gajah Gallery continued its expansion across Southeast Asia with a new space in Manila, adding to its existing locations in Singapore, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta. The gallery launched its latest outpost with an inaugural exhibition, titled “Confabulations: A Fantasy of the Real” and curated by Joyce Toh, which invites audiences to explore the entanglements of reality and imagination through a diverse range of works by artists from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, including Leslie de Chavez, Kiri Dalena, and Kawayan de Guia. Speaking with Lifestyle.Inq, gallery founder Jasdeep Sandhu stated that “[e]stablishing a physical presence in Manila will allow us to build . . . with greater intention, offering a sustainable platform for artists while also contributing to a more interconnected regional art ecosystem.”

Ryoichi Kurokawa Wins 2025 Richard Mille Art Prize

Japanese multimedia artist Ryoichi Kurokawa was named the winner of the 2025 Richard Mille Art Prize at a December 15 ceremony in Nikko, Japan. Now in its fifth edition, the USD 60,000 prize is granted by Louvre Abu Dhabi in partnership with the luxury watchmaking brand Richard Mille to an artist featured in the museum’s annual “Art Here” exhibition. Responding to the theme “Shadows,” Kurokawa presented skadw- (2025), an immersive audiovisual installation that explores the presence of the unseen. Curator Sophie Mayuko Arni noted in a press release that Kurokawa’s “immersive, participatory, and enchanting corridor was one of the most highly visited and well-received works, . . . striking chords with visitors of all ages and origins while providing a fresh interpretation to this year’s theme.” Works by all finalists—Ahmed Alaqra, Hamra Abbas, Rintaro Fuse, Jumairy, and the duo YOKOMAE et BOUAYAD—are on view at the Louvre Abu Dhabi through December 28.

Art Basel Qatar Announces Special Projects

Art Basel Qatar has announced the Special Projects program for its inaugural edition in February 2026, complementing its main exhibition of 87 galleries. Organized around the theme “Becoming,” the fair will extend its reach into cultural venues and public spaces across Msheireb Downtown Doha, featuring nine immersive, large-scale commissions spanning performance, sculpture, and installation. Participating artists in this program include Bruce Nauman, Rayyane Tabet, and Nalini Malani. Conceived in dialogue with presentations in the Galleries sector, these site-specific works draw on architectural and mixed-media strategies. Artistic director Wael Shawky explained in a press release that each of the presentation spotlights practices “deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of the Gulf and its extended geographies, while also pushing conversations forward in bold and unexpected ways.”