A female-led and Indigenous focus to Melbourne Art Fair 2025 

Melbourne Art Fair (MAF) has announced an expansive female-led curation of video works, large-scale installations, talks and activations and a major focus on championing First Peoples artists for its 18th edition.

Taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) at South Wharf from February 20 to 23, visitors are invited to explore works from more than 100 contemporary artists, presented by 70 leading galleries and Indigenous-owned art centres. 

Under the helm of new MAF director Melissa Loughnan, a former young gallerist herself, the 2025 program is entirely female-led. 

I am thrilled to be leading the 18th iteration of Melbourne Art Fair, an edition that is not only resolutely female-led but also a celebration of First Peoples artistic practice,” Loughnan said. 

To implement this, the program recognises the vital role art centres play in sustaining First Peoples’ arts and communities and in sharing the stories of Indigenous Australians by welcoming the Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair Showcase Exhibition.

The artists will transform the 9000sqm space into a vibrant hub of innovation, spanning moving image, sculpture, activations and large-scale installations.

VIDEO offers a dynamic presentation of thought-provoking and highly collectible contemporary moving-image works, while BEYOND will present three large-scale installations and spatial interventions. 

On top of that, PROJECT ROOMS, presented by Alpha60, provides a non-commercial platform for artistic experimentation through research-driven presentations.

“From the groundbreaking VIDEO program curated by Rachel Ciesla to Anna Briers’ immersive BEYOND installations, and the innovative experimentation in the PROJECT ROOMS, this year’s fair highlights the immense potential of contemporary art,” Ms Loughnan said. 

“I am also especially proud of the expanded Young Galleries sector, which highlights emerging talent and promises a bright future for contemporary Australian art.”

Besides, MAF 2025 also includes two major new commissions.

One of them will be a moving-image work exploring the passage and experience of time through the disintegration of frozen blocks of coloured pigment, created by Dawn Ng.

Secondly, the artist Yona Lee develops a work that unfolds as a sculptural gesture, calling into question what it means to make sculpture comprised of found objects in the networked digital age. 

CONVERSATIONS, a platform for critical discourse and the sharing of ideas, presented by Guardian Australia, brings together cultural communities and thinkers from across the creative spectrum and features three panel discussions organised by the Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair.

Audiences can also unlock their own creativity at a series of programmed workshops at MAF. Visitors of all ages and abilities are offered the opportunity to collaborate with exhibiting artists by creating digital drawings, taking part in the daily hands-on weaving sessions, or playfully making sculptures.

The fair’s smallest visitors can join a treasure hunt that will guide them around the fair seeking some of its most playful and imaginative works.

The opening of MAF on Thursday will be celebrated by the Australian National Academy of Music, followed by a DJ. As part of the 2025 program, there will be even more partner activities, from the Art Guide Bookstore with its curated selection of the best Australian art publications to the Ministry of Clouds Wine Bar and Bistro.

For those who cannot make it to the fair in person, MAF Virtual is a dedicated online platform that runs from February 20 to March 6, connecting leading galleries with a global network of collectors and art lovers. 

“As we look to the future, Melbourne Art Fair continues to be instrumental in shaping the cultural and creative identity of the region,” Ms Loughnan Loughnan said. 

Entry to MAF costs from $10 to $160. Details about the opening hours and the sectors as well as the booking options can be found here: 

melbourneartfair.com.au •