NotFair acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land upon which we gather and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We recognize the strength, pride and expression of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
NotFair 2026
LUST FOR LIFE
14 – 23 FEBRUARY
83 High Street, Prahran VIC 318
NotFair 2026 celebrates the creative spirit in a world in flux
NotFair 2026 is titled “Lust for Life”, a tribute to its co-founder, the late Ashley Crawford, and a reflection of the exuberance exhibited by current artistic practice.
True to its heritage of featuring new ideas and talent, Melbourne’s artist-run exhibition, NotFair, will showcase works from over 30 artists at the forefront of contemporary practice.
The 8th iteration of the biennial exhibition will be held 14 to 23 February, concurrently with the Melbourne Art Fair, at a multi-spaced former office complex at 83 High Street, Prahran, opposite the Prahran Hotel.
NotFair Chair, artist Sam Leach, says:
“The recent death of our co-founder, collaborator and dear friend Ashley has caused us to celebrate his amazing life and honour his memory by reflecting his particular “Lust for Life” in the NotFair 2026 title.
“Ashley’s enormous contribution to NotFair and the lives of countless artists continues.
“NotFair has always been run by artists, identifying under-recognised artists whom artists are talking about. ‘Lust for Life’ will feature the current passions in art, in a world driven by new technologies, the Internet and AI.
“Visitors to NotFair2026 will find art that accelerates meaning through complex forms complex pace, using new media across interdisciplinary, hybrid forms, combining art, design and fashion.
“We have made a conscious decision to time NotFair 2026 alongside Melbourne Art Fair, to give the art-aware public a chance to experience art that is pushing the boundaries.
“Our site for NotFair 2026 is the former headquarters of Catapult Sports, a global leader in athlete analytics. The ‘Lust for Life’ exhibition repurposes a site built for quantifying human performance into a space for critical investigation. The exhibition will explore the indomitable spirit of artists in a world increasingly consumed by the data-hungry algorithms of AI to the physical re-imagining of the city itself”, said Leach.
The curators of NotFair 2026 are artists Brie Trenerry, Darren Tanny Tan and Liss Fenwick.
“Lust for Life” Curator Quotes: Brie Trenerry: "The selection is unapologetically experimental. From bio-mechanical inflatables to camera obscuras built into the walls, these artists are interdisciplinary explorers metabolizing the very infrastructure of the venue."
Darren Tanny Tan: "We are seeing a shift from the initial shock of AI to a critical embrace. The artists in ‘Lust for Life’ are not just using new tools but are dissecting the speed of image production and the world in flux we inhabit."
Liss Fenwick: "Amidst the technological acceleration there is a distinct turn towards grounding perspectives. We wanted to highlight some works that are deeply rooted in place and Indigenous knowledge systems as a necessary counterbalance to the digital intervention. “’Lust for Life’ highlights a world where constant consumption is becoming its own creature. It confronts the tension between our desires, embodied experiences and the machines we constantly feed.”
NotFair 2026 Artists
NotFair 2026 Artist
Greg Ades
Georgia Anne
Kyle Archie Knight
Ravi Avasti
Joanna Buckley
Renato Colangelo
Criena Court
Jesse Deng
Rebecca Diele
Karen Ann Donnachie & Andy Simionato
Axel Garay
Mel Hartigan
Doug Heslop
Hiball
Carin Klonowski
Skye Malu Baker
Mark McCarthy
Rowan McNaught
Peter Milne
Scout Milsome
Zali Morgan
Astrid Mulder
Chris Nichols
Emily Parsons Lord
Nina Radonja
Jo Shand
Fiona Shewan
Matilda Sutherland
Lily Walker
John Warwicker & Naomi Troski
Carolyn Watson
Ziyi Wei
Zamara Zamara
Siying Zhou
Supported by
NotFair 2026 to honour co-founder, the late Dr Ashley Crawford
NotFair 2026 will be re-titled “Lust for Life” in honour of NotFair co-founder, arts writer and critic, Dr Ashley Crawford, who died unexpectedly this week at the age of 64.
NotFair Chair, artist Sam Leach, said all those who knew Ashley are shocked and saddened by his untimely death.
“We have met the passing of our co-founder, collaborator, and dearest friend, Dr Ashley Crawford, with heavy hearts and a profound sense of dislocation.
“Ashley was a true literary force, a veteran journalist, author, critic, editor, publisher, curator and scholar. His editorial direction shaped numerous publications, including Tension, 21C, World Art, and Photofile alongside a vast body of his own books and countless catalogues, reviews, profiles and essays.
“To many, he was a loyal friend and inspirational mentor. To us, his partners in the venture that became NotFair, he was more than that: he was the compass that kept us true to our course”, said Leach.
Fellow NotFair co-founder, artist Tony Lloyd, described Crawford as a keystone in the Australian art world.
“Ashley championed the belief that art should be dangerous, honest, and accessible. It was his conviction that transformed our humble idea, persuading others to join the cause and establishing NotFair as a compelling event on the cultural landscape.
“With a passion for discovering new art, Ashley was incredibly generous with his time, his formidable intellect and his wide range of connections.
“Ashley’s spirit remains the foundation of everything NotFair achieves”, said Lloyd.
The title of NotFair 2026 reflects an incident shared by Sam Tony and Ashley on a road trip in the Northern Territory in 2010.
Tony Lloyd recalls,
“We were driving down a dusty Outback Road in a troop carrier, listening to an Iggy Pop track, ‘Lust for Life’. Ashley was his irrepressible self, dancing in his seat, kicking his feet and waving his arms about, saying, ‘I want this song played at my funeral.’
“Ashley had a true lust for life which shone through his professional and personal life and relationships”, said Lloyd.
Sam Leach says NotFair’s first step in celebrating Ashley’s amazing life is to name NotFair 2026 “Lust for Life” in his honour.
“It’s a title that not only reflects Ashley’s way of being, but also resonates with many of the art works on which Ashley has been responsible for shining a light through NotFair over the years.
"Ash possessed an ability that is truly rare in our field. He was capable of slicing through the pretension of the art world to find the raw, beating heart of creativity underneath, and to articulate that in a way that was both exciting and comprehensible.
“We are grateful that he has witnessed the torch being passed on to a new generation of curators, ensuring that his legacy of "larrikin intellect" will long outlive us all.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to Ashley’s family and to the thousands of readers and artists whose horizons were expanded by his brilliant elucidations of art and its place in the culture”, said Leach.
Vale, Ashley.
Portrait of Ashley Crawford by Sonia Payes, 2009
Dontate to NotFair through the Australian Cultural Fund
Be part of NotFair 2026
Support emerging artists this AusArt Day
NotFair returns in 2026, 14–23 February, 83 High Street Prahran — alongside Melbourne Art Fair.
NotFair is a curated art event dedicated to presenting the critical voices of emerging and under-represented artists. We foster connections between artists, curators and collectors, creating a space for new ideas and conversations in contemporary art.
This AusArt Day, we’re raising funds through the Australian Cultural Fund to help bring the next edition to life — from preparing the exhibition to supporting the artists who make it possible.
Your contribution directly supports artists and keeps NotFair independent and accessible.
Support levels:
$50 – Supporter of NotFairYour name listed on our website as a supporter.
$100 – Friend of NotFairAcknowledgement on our website and updates from behind the scenes.
$200 – Super Friend of NotFairAcknowledgement + helps fund one artist’s participation.
$500 – Major DonorAcknowledgement + supports one artist’s involvement, freight and installation.
All donations are tax-deductible and go through the Australian Cultural Fund.
(Clicking the button above will take you to the Australian Cultural Fund website)
Thank you for helping us support artists and independent practice.
NotFair Art Foundation: 18–23 February 2026, 83 High Street, Prahran
NotFair
“Representing those without gallery representation, NotFair is a platform for emerging and independent artists to exhibit their works."
proclaimed Annabel Ross in The Age newspaper in 2016.
"It’s the antithesis of trade art fairs such as the Melbourne Art Fair, dominated by galleries and gallery-backed artists.”
For just on 15 years the NotFair (as in Not the Art Fair) has continued to reappear like a guerrilla army. With no central physical base, it reconstitutes itself in shells of deserted buildings ranging from Richmond to Collingwood to the CBD. With its rag-tag brigade of brilliant, but largely under-exposed, artists it has converted an abandoned margarine factory and then a deconsecrated church in Windsor in quick succession. A foray in a gutted mechanics garage in Richmond and a tattoo parlour in Armadale. Somehow it works, launching careers and introducing new names into the scene. But it is an unusual beast. Often anarchic in appearance, it is in fact, assiduously conceived and curated. An experimental pot pouri of video, drawing, painting, sculpture and events.
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