THE SHOW MUST GO ON

BY: Ramona Duoba

Art Basel’s Hong Kong got canceled last month, as the world goes into lock-down to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The international art organization was not deterred. It’s hosting the event virtually for the first time. The Online Viewing Rooms were already in development, but its debut accelerated in response to the pandemic.

The digital platform has proved to be a successful substitute. Art collectors and enthusiasts can browse through 235 galleries (95% of the fair’s original roster) and view a combined 2,100 works, valued at $270 million. “As the art market continues to evolve, Art Basel has continually investigated how new technologies can give us new opportunities to support our galleries. The Online Viewing Rooms will provide galleries with a further possibility for engaging with our global audiences,” Marc Spiegler, the Global Director of Art Basel, said in a statement.

The high definition images are displayed under each gallery’s or collector’s digital viewing booth. The Gagosian Gallery is featuring some of today’s most renowned artists, including Takashi Murakami, Georg Baselitz and Jennifer Guidi.

Ota Fine Arts display of Yayoi Kusama‘s infinity room, the mirror-box format Life Shines On is considered one of the most talked-about artwork series in recent years. Hong-Kong-based Galerie du Monde features Fergus McCaffrey‘s “Japan is America.” Its theme is a study of the post-war relationship between Japan and America.

New York City-based Skarstedt Gallery is showcasing works from emerging and established artists, including Andy Warhol‘s Jackie (1964), available for $1.5 million.

 

The viewing rooms have a strong lineup of lens-based works. Contemporary artists using the camera conceptually as in AAA-AAA is a joint performance by Marina Abramovic and her recently deceased partner Ulay. Abramovic and Ulay kneel in front of each other, gazing into each other’s eyes. Initially, they produce the same monotonous sound, but gradually a contest develops: who can yell, scream and yowl the loudest and longest? Ulay is the first to give up.

The Online Viewing Rooms could be a turning point for the art world. This new virtual space has allowed galleries and collectors to show a global audience their curated collection without the constraints of dimensions and scope. The most evident advantage of the virtual realm for Art Basel Hong Kong is the disappearance of geographic distance. As art and technology come together, so does the world, even during these uncertain times.

 

Online exhibitions and gallery previews will likely become commonplace. Art dealer David Zwirner said in an interview with The New York Times, “If galleries are closed, how can we sell art? The online platform is something we have envisioned as an important part of what we do.” He added, “In a funny way, the art world is late to the party if you think about other retail experiences.”

With nearly all the world’s public institutions closed until further notice, Art Museums have closed their doors due to the coronavirus outbreak and forced to put a pause on exhibitions that have taken months to curate. The Metropolitan Museum of Art prepares for a loss of $100 million. With the public shut out for months to come, virtual museum tours are one way for those isolated at home to view the world’s cultural hubs. Google Arts & Culture has partnered with over 500 global art institutions with digital strolls through such top tier museums as the Musee D’Orsay, Paris, MOMA, New York City or the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Spiegler has not revealed the fate of Art Basel in Switzerland, still planned for June, but said in an interview with The Art Newspaper, he has high hopes for this new digital venture, despite global tumult. “It’s a weird set of conditions, there’s a lot more people at home in front of their computers, but also a lot of people who are facing economic uncertainty.”

Art Basel Hong Kong: On view through March 25. Discover the 235 galleries showing in Art Basel’s Online Viewing Rooms