In January 2026, the shocking news was announced that Tomio Koyama Gallery had sold all of its shares through an M&A transaction.
A gallery undergoing M&A?
The news filled social media with questions and surprise. Around the same time, Pace Gallery in the United States announced a major reduction of its artist roster, along with its official, negative assessment of the current art market.
Starting around 2025, news began to emerge of galleries in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France closing their doors or undergoing mergers and acquisitions. Following the pandemic, the art market had experienced a period of extraordinary growth that could arguably be described as a bubble. As that boom came to an end, many galleries were forced to rethink and transform their business models in response to the ensuing market downturn.
What about the situation for artists? From 2020 to 2024, the market was booming. An increasing number of artists were discovered through Instagram, selling their work directly or gaining representation with emerging overseas galleries. However, as mentioned, things began to shift starting 2025. Many galleries closed their doors, and artwork sales for artists seem to have come to a standstill.
We will invite Tomio Koyama of Tomio Koyama Gallery, who has been at the very center of these developments, and Yuya Kuratomi, who has carried out the acquisition, to discuss these issues and answer the many questions surrounding the current state of the art world.
We will also host a talk featuring artists whom Kaikai Kiki Gallery discovered through social media. We hope to have them share the realities of the current situation, including how they have been experiencing it, and to create an opportunity for discussion with fellow artists who are likely eager to exchange information and perspectives.
We have also decided to hold an exhibition featuring the artists whom we discovered through social media on this occasion, as we felt it would be a valuable opportunity. It is with a belief that exploring the future direction of art is itself connected to the act of artistic creation that we conceived this project. We warmly encourage you to take part.
Takashi Murakami
Talk Event
Venue：Kaikai Kiki Gallery
(Recorded for paid YouTube streaming) / Advance registration required / Selection by lottery
August 15 (Sat) | 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
“The Future of Contemporary Art Galleries After 2026: Their Latest Form”
Tomio Koyama and Yuya Kuratomi
(Moderator: Takashi Murakami)
Doors open at 3:00 PM | Admission fee: 3,000 JPY
August 14 (Fri) | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
“Illustrators ⇆ Fine Art Sales”
Naoki Saito and Hideyasu Moto
Doors open at 4:00 PM | Admission fee: 1,000 JPY
August 16 (Sun) | 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
“Artists Discovered Through Social Media”
Emi Kuraya, Utanhole, Mai Kurotaki and Kuru Yumeno
(Moderator: Takashi Murakami)
Doors open at 3:00 PM | Admission fee: 1,000 JPY
Talk Event Registration
Pre-registration (Application form)：
https://form.kaikaikiki.com/@kaikaikiki-talkevent
Application Deadline：August 7 (Fri), 2026
・A lottery will be held after the application deadline, and only selected applicants will be notified.
・Selected applicants must complete the participation fee payment online by credit card by the designated deadline.
・Please be sure to read the Terms and Conditions provided in the application form before submitting your application.
Special Exhibition “Artists Discovered Through Social Media — Then, Now, and the Future”
Kaikai Kiki Gallery is pleased to present the special exhibition, “Artists Discovered Through Social Media — Then, Now, and the Future”, on view from August 14 to September 13. This exhibition introduces artists whom Kaikai Kiki Gallery encountered through social media, presenting both their earlier works and their current works. Since the pandemic, an increasing number of artists have been discovered through Instagram, selling their works directly or joining galleries. At the same time, while the market experienced significant growth between 2020 and 2024, the situation has been changing since 2025, with many galleries closing and opportunities for artists to be approached by galleries becoming increasingly limited. Believing that exploring the future of art is itself connected to artistic creation, we conceived this exhibition. We invite you to experience the forefront of contemporary art.
Emi Kuraya
Utanhole
MADSAKI
Momoka Ota
Hideyasu Moto
Kuru Yumeno
Naoki Saito
Mai Kurotaki
Hideki Maekawa
YEYE
Isoo Togawa
Alison Friend
August 14 (Fri)〜September 13 (Sun), 2026
Opening Hours：11:00〜19:00
Closed：Sundays, Mondays, and Public Holidays
※The gallery will be open on September 13 (Sun) in conjunction with Tokyo Gendai 2026.
※During the paid talk events, gallery admission will be restricted to ticket holders only. Thank you for your understanding
Opening Reception:
August 15（Sat）6:00PM ~ 8:00PM
Exhibition Details
“Artists Discovered Through Social Media — Then, Now, and the Future”
August 14 (Fri)〜September 13 (Sun), 2026
Opening Reception: August 15（Sat）6:00PM ~ 8:00PM
※Open to all（No reservation required）
Opening Hours：11:00〜19:00
Closed：Sundays, Mondays, and Public Holidays
※The gallery will be open on September 13 (Sun) in conjunction with Tokyo Gendai 2026.
※During the paid talk events, gallery admission will be restricted to ticket holders only. Thank you for your understanding
Venue：Kaikai Kiki Gallery
Motoazabu Crest Building B1F
2-3-30 Motoazabu, Minato-ku
Tokyo 106-0046, Japan
Organized by: Kaikai Kiki Gallery & the GEISAI Community
