Art Basel to debut digital gallery after Hong Kong fair cancellation
Following the cancellation of the Hong Kong edition of Art Basel due to the coronavirus outbreak, galleries will be offered free use of a digital exhibition platform that will debut in March.
While the development of the Online Viewing Rooms has been in the works for a while, its debut will be moved to March. Galleries that had signed up for the cancelled Art Basel Hong Kong fair – originally scheduled for March 17 to 21 – will be offered the digital platform at no cost in its first edition. The Online Viewing Rooms will go live from March 20 to 25 with advanced VIP access offered from March 18 to 20.
‘We are delighted to be able to premiere this new initiative now. While the Online Viewing Rooms cannot replace our 2020 fair in Hong Kong, we firmly hope that it will provide a strong support to all the galleries who were affected by the cancellation of our March show,” said Adeline Ooi, Director Asia, Art Basel on Thursday.
The digital platform will allow collectors to browse art works and directly contact the galleries for inquiries. In normal circumstances the Online Viewing Rooms will run in parallel to the Art Basel fairs in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong. The cost to galleries to use the services of the Online Viewing Rooms has not yet been disclosed.
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Art Basel Hong Kong cancelled over coronavirus
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