Narrowing down highlights from Sydney Contemporary 2025 is no easy task. We’ve asked sharp-eyed art lovers to share what they are most looking forward to seeing at this year’s Fair.
Poppy Lissiman, the founder and creative director of her namesake accessories brand, is known for her bold aesthetic and deep appreciation for visual culture. Poppy shares her top picks, from immersive installations to standout talks and new work by contemporary artists.
Here’s what caught her attention at this year’s fair.
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Talks
When Art Meets Commerce: The Power of Cross-Industry Collaboration
Friday, September 12, 2025 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Talks Space, Carriageworks
Four industry-leaders discuss strategies for forging and nurturing meaningful relationships between artists & designers, architects & decorators with art consultants, curators, galleries and collectors – and how these deep relationships benefit the sector as a whole. A linchpin Leading Sydney art dealer Joanna Stumpf is joined by a prominent Auckland design/art space Director, Zoe Black and visionary artist Jonny Niesche whose commissioned collaboration with Gucci has been emblazoned across SoHo, New York. Hear how you can optimise on the growing opportunities between cross-industry collaboration. This will be followed by a guided tour of select gallery booths throughout the fair. Moderated by Stephen Todd.
“This talk immediately struck a cord with me, as collaborating with artists is one of the facets of my work in fashion I cherish the most. It’s a privilege to share with my audience the artists who shape and inspire me, and even more to immerse myself in a creative process defined by the artist’s which is so different from the conventional structures of design.”
Learn More: When Art Meets Commerce: The Power of Cross-Industry Collaboration
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Designing Spaces for an Artful Life
Friday, September 12, 2025 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Talks Space, Carriageworks
Hotels, galleries and offices can optimise the emotional impact of art and design to create highly desirable environments beyond the home. This session brings together: the interior designer of Sydney’s chicest new hotel, the architects of some of NSW’s major cultural destinations and a gallerist renowned for parlaying artists into some of the most chic hospitality and workplace settings.
“This was one of my favourite talk topics from last year, as someone who is deeply passionate about interior design I found this talk to be incredibly insightful about living with art and its relationship with your surroundings.”
Learn More: Designing Spaces for an Artful Life
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Installations
Jonny Niesche with Mark Pritchard
Sound and Vision (Reflect what you are, in case you don’t know), 2025
Presented by 1301SW | STARKWHITE
Jonny Niesche expands painting into a multisensory experience, merging colour, light, surface, and sound to heighten our perceptual awareness. His reflective and translucent surfaces—crafted from sheer fabrics, reflective metals, and mirrored substrates—create visual fields that shift in response to the viewer’s movement and their architectural surrounds.
For Installation Contemporary, Niesche presents a major new work that builds on recent collaborations with Mark Pritchard. These installations utilise low-frequency sound and vibration to subtly activate the body and space, creating a synesthetic encounter with Niesche’s paintings. Drawing on the atmospheric qualities of colour field painting, psychedelia, and spiritual abstraction, these works invite a contemplative, almost meditative engagement with the sensorial present.
“I’m most looking forward to Sound and Vision (Reflect what you are, in case you don’t know), 2025 by Jonny Niesche with Mark Pritchard. Niesche’s works already command a space through their visual force, so to step into an environment where his vision unfolds though light, sound and sensory immersion feels especially thrilling. The David Bowie reference only deepens its allure.”
Learn More: Installation Contemporary
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Artists
EG Projects
Image Left: Amanda Bell, We are the Crow……. 2025. Courtesy of EG Projects and the artist.
Image Right: Wendy Warrie, Pyramid Hill 2025. Courtesy of EG Projects and the artist.
“I can never miss my favourite booth from Emilia Galatis Projects; this year I’m particularly eager to see her showcase of five extraordinary Indigenous women: May Chapman, Doreen Chapman, Wendy Warrie, Leah Umbagai, and Amanda Bell. Their work speaks in profoundly visual languages deeply rooted in rich familial lineage and Pilbara, Kimberly, Martu and Nyoongar Country —blending inherited storytelling traditions with bold personal expression.”
Learn More: EG Projects
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Atong Atem – MARS Gallery
Image: Atong Atem, 3 of Cups, 2025. Courtesy of MARS and the artist.
“Additionally I’m looking forward to seeing more of Atong Atem’s striking photographic works. I was lucky enough to pick up a small piece of her’s from MARS gallery at last year’s Sydney Contemporary that has become a cherished piece in my collection.”
Learn More: MARS Gallery
