The SMX Convention Center is familiar to many: its neutral-toned halls, spacious and unassuming, allow events to define themselves within the architecture. Walking into Halls 1 and 2 on 12 February, the opening day of ALT ART 2026, I expected partition walls holding paintings, curated typography, perhaps subtle nods to minimalism or design trends. I expected the predictable.

Instead, what greeted me first was a towering black-and-white photograph. Two boys stared from the print, one missing his left eye as if the world had taken it in an instant. The image might have set a sombre tone, yet it thrilled me, inviting curiosity about what lay beyond. ALT ART 2026, now in its fourth edition, is the annual showcase of the ALT Collective, comprising nine of the country’s premier galleries⸺Artinformal, Blanc, The Drawing Room, Galleria Duemila, Finale Art File, MO_Space, Underground, Vinyl on Vinyl, and West Gallery. This year, almost 300 artists participate, making it the collective’s most ambitious exhibition yet.

Tina Fernandez of Artinformal reflected, “Art’s value is in how many eyes can see it.” She added, “The worst thing an artwork can do is inspire indifference.” ALT ART thrives on this energy. Beyond technical mastery or composition, the works chosen linger in memory, provoke thought, and demand engagement. Art becomes dialogue, alive through the viewer’s participation, rather than static display.

The exhibition itself resembles a maze of pocket dimensions. Each gallery presents its own vision, yet there is no overarching theme. Instead, the materiality of art—its texture, weight, and presence—emerges as a subtle unifying principle. Sitting areas and lingering spaces encourage reflection, conversation, and immersion. Visitors navigate narrow passages between sound installations, light and video works, and photography exhibits. One can converse with the artists, learn about their poetics, the philosophies behind creation. Iwan Effendi of Vinyl on Vinyl shared how his background in puppetry shaped his installation, focusing on the relationship between body and object. His works—spanning a mural, paintings, sculptures, and graphite drawings—explore the relationship between the body and the object, engaging themes of movement, visibility, and expression. Effendi noted that puppetry renders the controller invisible and the puppet alive, much like art that ultimately comes alive through audience interaction and interpretation.