Digital Art Fairs
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of the major international art fairs are cancelling. However, some of the festivals, like Art Dubai, are taking the digital approach.
Art Dubai
Art Dubai is the flagship art festival of UAE. The 2020 festival marks the 14th edition of the festival which draws tens of thousands of visitors. In light of the COVID pandemic, the organisers had launched a ‘digital-only- edition, instead of cancelling the program altogether. They launched an online gallery of over 500 works and also videos of performance artists.
Art Basel
Art Basel is the largest art fair in the world. It began in 1970 in Basel, Switzerland. It is held in Basel, Miami and Hong Kong. This year, the organisers have taken the fair digital with more than 2,000 works being showcased for the general public. The 2020 fair was originally to be held in Hong Kong.
Other Initiatives
Many cultural institutions and museums across the world have closed their doors to the public to curb the pandemic. They are instead using the digital platforms to reach out to audiences:
- Several opera and orchestra companies are live streaming concerts for the public free of cost. Eg: Berlin Philharmonic’s Digital Concert.
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is giving virtual tours.
- Google’s Arts and Culture Platform has teamed up with 1,200 museums and archives to offer virtual tours and online exhibitions.
