Riga Contemporary Art Fair

Kim? Contemporary Art Centre announces the second edition of Riga Contemporary, taking place 2-5 July 2026 at Hanzas Perons, Riga. The international contemporary art fair returns, with over 40 galleries from 15 countries confirmed to date – and more to come. Now firmly established as one of the most significant new platforms for contemporary art in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe, Riga Contemporary remains free to attend with prior registration.

The inaugural edition welcomed more than 12,000 visitors over four days and brought together 43 galleries from 16 countries, presenting works by over 100 artists from across Europe, Asia, and North America. The art fair returns for a second year with an expanded programme and a growing international roster. The fair is organised by Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, a member of the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), in collaboration with Riga City Council. Its curatorial direction has been developed by Kim? together with Jeffrey Rosen, co-founder of MISAKO & ROSEN (Tokyo) and co-president of NADA.

The Baltic states and the wider Eastern European region are among the most dynamic artistic communities in Europe. Riga Contemporary brings these scenes together, creating a space where galleries from the region present themselves alongside established international spaces. With deliberately accessible participation fees and free public entry, the fair prioritises cultural exchange, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing over commercial exclusiveness.

“With the second edition, we are building on the trust and momentum established by the inaugural year. Our ambition is to cultivate a lasting ecosystem for contemporary art, in a region where creative energy has not yet been matched by the infrastructure of the art market. Riga Contemporary is proof that meaningful art events can emerge from the periphery, and that the periphery has its own power,” says Evita Goze, executive director of Kim? Contemporary Art Centre.

From Tokyo to New York, Tbilisi to Bratislava, the second year draws together a wide-ranging selection of international and Baltic galleries, with the full list to be announced in the coming weeks.

International galleries confirmed to date: Bukia Vakhania (Tbilisi, Georgia/Berlin, Germany), Castiglioni (Milan, Italy), eastcontemporary (Milan, Italy), Gauli Zitter (Brussels, Belgium), Good Weather (Chicago, USA), Ivan Gallery (Bucharest, Romania), Jenny’s (New York, USA), Kin (Brussels, Belgium), Leto (Warsaw, Poland), Longtermhandstand (Budapest, Hungary), Margot Samel (New York), MISAKO & ROSEN (Tokyo, Japan), new garden galerie (Paris, France), nico bernath (Bratislava, Slovakia), Pitted Dates (Helsinki, Finland), Polina Berlin (New York, USA), PROVENCE (Zurich, Switzerland), Sic (Helsinki, Finland), TALA (Chicago, USA) and Weatherproof (Chicago).

Baltic galleries confirmed to date: 427 (Riga, Latvia), Alma (Riga, Latvia), Artrovert (Tallinn, Estonia), ISSP Gallery (Riga, Latvia), Kim? (Riga, Latvia), Kogo Gallery (Tartu, Estonia), LOOK! Gallery (Riga, Latvia), Māksla XO (Riga, Latvia), Mākslas stacija Dubulti (Jūrmala, Latvia), Meno Parkas (Kaunas, Lithuania), Part Time Gallery (Riga, Latvia), Temnikova & Kasela (Tallinn, Estonia), The Rooster Gallery (Vilnius, Lithuania), TUR Telpa (Riga, Latvia), Tütar Gallery (Tallinn, Estonia) and Vartai (Vilnius, Lithuania).

Public Programme 3–4 July 2026

The fair’s Public Programme returns for a second edition, with two days of panel discussions and keynote presentations, free and open to all visitors. Bringing together gallerists, curators, museum directors, collectors, critics and artists, the programme considers the shifting conditions of the contemporary art field – from putting on regional art fairs and the role of museums to private patronage, corporate collecting and the evolving market. The full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.

3 July

“The Role of Regional Art Fairs” with Julie Quottrup Silbermann (CHART, Copenhagen), Sonata Baliuckaitė Arlauskienė (Art Vilnius), Gilles Neien (Art Düsseldorf), and Lilian Hiob (Foto Tallinn).

“Art Market: Must Know About Buying Art in 2026” with Emily Watlington (Art in America/ARTnews), Melanie Gerlis (The Financial Times), and Arun Kakar (Artsy).

“Museums: Possibilities for a Collaborative Economy” with Saara Hacklin (KIASMA, Helsinki), Rasmus Stenbakken (ARKEN Museum, Denmark), Sebastian Chichoki (Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw), and Anne Barlow (Tate, UK).

“Artist Perspective: How to Succeed as an Artist?” Moderated by Dorian Batycka. With Andris Eglītis (Riga), Robertas Narkus (Vilnius), and Flo Kasearu (Tallinn).

4 July

“Private Foundations as a Tool for Art Scene Development,” with the Taad Foundation (Vilnius) and Margherita Belcredi (Phileas, Vienna), moderated by Vita Liberte, founder of VV Foundation.

“Collecting for a Purpose: Corporate Collections” with Philippe Batka (Curator, VIG Art Collection, Vienna) and Žaneta Fomova (JC Decaux).

“Private Art Collection Strategies”, with collectors Tord Rønning Krogtoft and Mari Indregard (Oslo), Kateřina Havrlant (Prague), Iida Kaisa (Tallinn), and Māris Vītols (Riga).

“The Evolution of Art Collection and Digital Ownership” – a keynote by Sebastian Sanchez, formerly of Christie’s.

“Fashion at the Intersection of Contemporary Art and Culture” with Mareunrol’s, who will be representing Latvia at the 2026 Venice Biennale, and fashion journalist Deimantė Bulbenkaitė (Vilnius).

Notes for Editors

Riga Contemporary art fair 2026 2–5 July 2026 Hanzas Perons, Hanzas iela 16a, Riga, Latvia. Free admission with prior registration at www.rigacontemporary.com

Since 2021, Kim? Contemporary Art Centre has participated in international art fairs, including June Art Fair (Basel, 2021), NADA Miami (2022), Paris Internationale (2023), Onsen Confidential (Tokyo, 2022 and 2024), Esther (New York, 2024 and 2025), and Warsaw Gallery Weekend (2024), among others. Through these engagements, Kim? Contemporary Art Centre has provided a unique platform for Latvian and Latvian-born artists to gain international visibility in various contexts. In 2023, Kim? organised a small-scale art fair, Riga Confidential, featuring nine Baltic and international galleries.

Press Contact:
Signe Nīgale
Head of PR,
Riga Contemporary signe.nigale@kim.lv
+371 29116146
rigacontemporary.com