ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2027 Opens March 5 at the Meiji Kotokan of the Kyoto National Museum

“ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2027 (AFK2027),” an art fair in which artists themselves plan, exhibit and sell their work, will be held from Friday, March 5 to Sunday, March 7, 2027. The venue is the Meiji Kotokan of the Kyoto National Museum (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto), with a preview on Thursday, March 4. It is organized by Kyoto Prefecture, The Kyoto Shimbun and the ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Executive Committee. Exhibitors were selected through an open call in May and June 2026, and the application guidelines said they would be announced in a press release around October. As of October 20, the exhibitors had not been posted on the official website.

What is ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO? An art fair planned and sold by artists

According to Kyoto Prefecture, AFK, launched in 2018, is an event that unfolds as both an art exhibition and an art fair without borders between them, with the aim of discovering and promoting new talent. The official website gives “Art Singularity” as its concept and describes it as a new style of art fair in which artists plan, exhibit and sell. It aims to help artists expand their activities with an eye on the global market.

According to the 2027 application guidelines, exhibitors stay at the venue throughout the fair and deal with visitors, explaining their works and negotiating sales. Exhibitors are responsible for sales procedures, and sold works are handed over after the fair. Exhibitors also prepare replacement works in case of sales.

The open call for exhibitors: ages 18 to 39, about 5 to 10 artists

The open call for 2027 exhibitors began on May 27, 2026 and closed at 17:00 on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Requirements included being at least 18 and under 40 as of March 31, 2027, having taken part in AFK fewer than three times, and being able to communicate in Japanese. About 5 to 10 exhibitors were to be selected, and there was no application fee.

Selection is made by the “AFK2027 Exhibitor Selection Committee.” The four jurors are Hiromi Kurosawa (director of Rabbit Hole, Ishikawa Foundation for Culture Promotion; CAO of HERALBONY Inc.), Noboru Tsubaki (contemporary artist, professor at Kyoto University of the Arts and director of ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO), Kenjiro Hosaka (director of the Shiga Museum of Art) and the contemporary art unit Yotta. All applicants were to be notified of the results in late July. Exhibitors bear their own travel, accommodation and display equipment costs, while the secretariat covers part of the cost of transporting works up to a limit.

The previous edition (2026) featured 40 young artists

The previous edition, AFK2026, was held at the Meiji Kotokan from February 21 to 23, 2026. According to the organizers’ press materials, 40 young artists and groups exhibited at the main venue, and the related project “AFK Resonance Exhibition” was held at Tofukuji, a head temple of the Rinzai school, until March 1 of that year. The grand prize of the Mynavi ART AWARD went to Rin Nakanishi.

The director and advisory board included, in addition to Noboru Tsubaki, Kohei Nawa, Kenji Yanobe, Shinji Ohmaki, Ryudai Takano and Izumi Kato (2026). The opening hours, admission and related projects for 2027 had not been announced as of October 20.

Art fairs involving Kyoto Prefecture, and a spring photography festival

Kyoto Prefecture is also a member of the executive committee of “Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK),” an art fair held in autumn at the Kyoto International Conference Center and other venues. For AFK2027, it sought a contractor for event operations through a public proposal process, with a maximum contract amount of 69,315,000 yen (tax included).

In Kyoto, the photography festival “KYOTOGRAPHIE 2027” also begins on April 17. Schedules for other art fairs and art festivals in Japan are gathered in our art fair and art festival calendar.

Overview

Name: ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2027 (AFK2027)
Dates: Friday, March 5 – Sunday, March 7, 2027 (preview on Thursday, March 4)
Venue: Meiji Kotokan, Kyoto National Museum
Address: 527 Chayacho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Hours and admission: Not announced
Organizers: Kyoto Prefecture, The Kyoto Shimbun, ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Executive Committee
Director: Noboru Tsubaki
Official website: https://artists-fair.kyoto/
*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Meiji Kotokan, Kyoto National Museum, February 2026 (photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on announcements by the ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Executive Committee (May 27 and June 24, 2026), the exhibitor application guidelines, the Kyoto Prefecture official website and AFK2026 press materials (February 20, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team