Let's Talk Art
Sydney Contemporary’s Let’s Talk Art program brings together more than 50 artists, designers, collectors and creative thinkers for thought-provoking conversations across all four days of the fair.
Discover the ideas shaping contemporary art, architecture, design, collecting, technology, materials and the environment, and hear directly from the people leading them.
Surface Tension: The New Age of Painting
In an era of digital images and algorithms, painting is experiencing a powerful revival. Artists are returning to the medium’s tactile immediacy – the haptic gesture of the hand, the presence of the body, and the expressive possibilities of pigment on surface. From renewed explorations of the human figure to culturally rooted storytelling, painting is evolving in surprising and dazzling ways. This lively discussion explored the medium’s return to prominence and how artists are reimagining its possibilities, spotlighting three key artists featured in this year’s fair.
Host | Neha Kale
Speakers | Justin Paton, Natasha Walsh, Lottie Consalvo, Gregory Hodge
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
New Platforms, New Possibilities: Art in the Digital Age
Technology is transforming every stage of the artistic process, from creation and visibility to how art is experienced and valued. Social platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have reshaped audience-building, while digital archives and immersive environments are opening new pathways for engagement and distribution.
At the same time, artificial intelligence is reshaping creative practice, raising complex questions around authorship, originality and ownership. Bringing together artists, technologists and cultural thinkers, this panel explored how practitioners are navigating the evolving digital landscape – balancing opportunity with critical reflection and redefining what it means to make and experience art today.
Host | Noelle Faulkner
Speakers | Nikita Le Messurier, Claire Evans, Tom Sanders, Sam Leach
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
Then, Now, Next: 10 Years of Sydney Contemporary
Over the past decade, Sydney Contemporary has grown into one of the region’s most significant art events, connecting artists, galleries, collectors and audiences across Australia and beyond. Marking ten years of the fair, this panel reflected on how the art world has evolved and the critical role commercially-led events play in supporting artistic communities, fostering dialogue and shaping cultural conversations. Looking ahead, the discussion considers what the next decade might hold for the Australasian art market, and what may change, or remain the same, at Sydney Contemporary.
Host | Kym Elphinstone
Speakers | Dominic Feuchs, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Suzanne Cotter, Tim Etchells
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
Small Space, Big Collection
Collecting art isn’t reserved for sprawling homes or galleries. Some of the most compelling collections are built within smaller, inner-city spaces and across diverse budgets. But how do you live with art when space is limited? Does size matter, or is it all about placement, framing and intention? Bringing together architect Billy Maynard, interior designer Mariah Burton of Folk Studio, and artist Ben Mazey, this conversation explored the creative possibilities of collecting for compact living. From salon-style hangs to unexpected placements, the panel unpacked the unwritten rules of displaying art—and when to break them.
Host | Tanya Buchanan
Speakers | Mariah Burton, Billy Maynard, Ben Mazey
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
The (Contemporary) Art of Antiques
Young collectors are driving renewed interest in antiques, historical objects and vintage design – from Old Master-inspired portraits to late-20th-century IKEA furniture. Social platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are introducing a new generation to these pieces, while a more eclectic approach to interiors embraces a blend of eras, cultures and high-low aesthetics. But where does contemporary art fit within this mix? This conversation explored the evolving relationship between antiques, vintage design and contemporary art, and how collectors are creating layered, distinctive spaces that bring the past and present together.
Host | Tanya Buchanan
Speakers | Jesse-Jack De Deyne, Madeleine McKenzie, Sarah-Jane Pyke
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
Art, But Make it Fun!
Contemporary art is often perceived as serious, intellectual, even intimidating. But what happens when artists embrace humour, playfulness and joy? From bold colours and unexpected materials to works that invite participation or laughter, many contemporary artists are challenging the idea that art must always be solemn for it to be deemed intellectually worthy. This lively conversation between artists Kenny Pittock and The Huxleys celebrated the lighter side of creativity and explores how play, delight and accessibility can open the door to new audiences and experiences and reveal a different side of contemporary art.
Host | Alison Kubler
Speakers | Kenny Pittock and The Huxleys
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
The Material Turn
After years of digital spectacle and AI-driven experimentation, many artists are returning to the tactile qualities of making. Textiles, ceramics, weaving and locally sourced or sustainable materials are gaining renewed attention for their intimacy, presence and connection to craftsmanship. As the boundaries between art, craft and collectible design blur, material-led practices are increasingly recognised for their aesthetic and cultural significance. This conversation brought together artists, designers and curators to explore why materiality matters now, and how contemporary makers are transforming traditional techniques into compelling new artistic languages.
Host | Alison Kubler
Speakers | Sally Dan-Cuthbert, David Caon, Alex Seton, Dr Grace Lillian Lee
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
Natural Order: Art and the Environment
As climate urgency reshapes global consciousness, artists are moving beyond simply depicting the natural world to actively engaging with the environmental conditions that define our time. From practices grounded in care for Country and ecological knowledge to works that interrogate the tensions between the organic and the synthetic, contemporary art is a powerful site for critique and connection.
This panel brought together three artists whose work responds to environmental change – whether through material choices or research-led processes – to explore how art can deepen our understanding of nature, challenge extractive systems and imagine more sustainable futures.
Host | Alison Kubler
Speakers | Aidan Hartshorn, Ellen Dahl, Jamie North
Curated by Mitchell Oakley Smith
Billy Apple®: The Artist Has to Live Like Everybody Else
Mary Apple and José Da Silva reflected on the life, work and enduring international legacy of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most influential conceptual artist, Billy Apple. Through a personal lens, the discussion considered Apple’s radical transformation of identity, his astute understanding of art’s relationship to commerce and branding, and the ongoing relevance of his ideas about labour, authorship and value.
Speakers | Mary Apple and José Da Silva
Why We Collect: Collectors in Conversation
Kym Elphinstone, Max Germanos and Gaibrielle Germanos in conversation with 10th Edition Collector Lounge Curator Sebastian Goldspink. This conversation celebrates the collecting stories behind the works on display in the Collectors Lounge. Moderated by Goldspink, the session brings together leading collectors to discuss what first draws them to a work, how collections evolve over time, the relationships they build with artists and galleries, and the important role collecting plays in supporting Australia’s contemporary art ecosystem.
Host | Sebastian Goldspink
Speakers | Kym Elphinstone, Max Germanos, Gaibrielle Germanos
Why We Collect: Collectors in Conversation
Andrew Martin and Sue Cato joined 10th Edition Collector Lounge Curator Sebastian Goldspink to talk through the stories behind the works featured in the Collectors Lounge. Together they dig into what draws a collector to a particular piece, how a collection takes shape over time, the bonds formed with artists and galleries along the way, and why collecting matters to Australia’s contemporary art scene.
Host | Sebastian Goldspink
Speakers | Andrew Martin, Sue Cato
The Next Wave: Art in New Contexts
Featuring some of Sydney’s most exciting emerging talent, this panel explored the breadth of opportunities available to artists and commissioners, as well as the ecosystems that support multifaceted creative careers. Through discussion of recent presentations, forthcoming public art commissions, activations, and other ambitious projects, the conversation examined how gallery-based practice both shapes and is shaped by access to new audiences, evolving modes of art-making, and diverse exhibition contexts.
Host | Benjamin Clay
Speakers | Jazz Money, Billy Bain, Anna May Kirk, Ellinor Pelz
Facilitated by Urban Art Projects
The Last Critic Standing
Independent art critic John McDonald and former News Corp and Sydney Morning Herald art market columnist Michael Reid OAM came together for a candid conversation about Australian art criticism: where it had been, where it was, and where it might be heading. Both reflected on the shrinking of arts coverage in Australian media and the changing role of the critic, exploring what is lost when independent voices become fewer, difficult judgments become harder to make, and critics feel pressure to be universally liked.
About The Curator: Mitchell Oakley Smith
Mitchell Oakley Smith is a curator, creative director and author.
His writing has been published in Architectural Digest, Art & Australia, Art Monthly, Belle, CNN Style, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Interview, The Australian, The Local Project, Wish, Vault and Vogue Living.
He has worked with Melbourne Art Fair, Queensland Art Gallery, Art Month Sydney, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of South Australia, The Future Laboratory and Semi Permanent.
He is the author of five Thames & Hudson books on art, fashion and design, and the publisher of four more. He was also the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of Manuscript magazine, and more recently the editor-in-chief of Esquire Singapore.
Mitchell is currently the Curator of Vivid Minds as part of Vivid Sydney, the most-attended cross-art festival in the world, managed and produced by Destination New South Wales. Here, he has programmed international creative talent including filmmaker Chloé Zhao, art critic Jerry Saltz, author Roxane Gay, and chef Yotam Ottolenghi.
Let’s Talk Art 2026 is supported by The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.
