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by Mayi de la Vega

The Art of the Online Art Fair

By Art, Events

Untitled launches world’s first virtual reality art fair for the times.

When people talk about going to Art Basel Miami Beach, they don’t just mean the main fair. There are approximately a dozen satellite fairs around the city that offer their own special niche during the December art week. One of the most respected of these satellite fairs is Untitled, which takes place in a glamorous white tent on the beach. It also hosts a San Francisco event. When the pandemic hit, it pivoted by premiering a virtual edition.

Untitled Art Online, Powered by Artland was originally slated to end last weekend, but organizers extended it to Sunday, August 9, to accommodate the unexpected amount of transactions and all-around interest. Its success has rocked the art world, thus ushering in a new age of discovery for art lovers worldwide and of technology’s capabilities to deliver an interactive, immersive experience in lieu of the real thing. In attending the first-ever virtual reality art fair, visitors explore aisles and browse booths just like an in-person fair—they’ve even managed to capture the feeling of the natural light-filled tent in Miami Beach—and conduct business in real time with instant chat tools and a 24/7 “Buy Now” button. Art advisor Laura Smith Sweeney said the platform vastly differs from other online fairs’ sequential viewing of artworks.

“A virtual walk through evokes the excitement of discovering a well-curated booth at an art fair,” said Smith Sweeney, of experiencing the conversational mix of sculpture, painting, and photography to curate virtual tours for her clients. “The doll house and floor-plan views allow visitors to arrive at a gallery’s booth very efficiently, and the interactive chat function with an actual staff member makes for a personal and welcoming experience.”

Approximately 40 international exhibitors are participating in the inaugural online fair. Galleries not only have the ability to customize their booths but rearrange artworks and replenish them with new ones as others sell. When one enters the portal, they’re viewing the fair’s inventory in real time no matter the hour or time zone. A transparent fee model minimizes costs to give galleries an edge during this tough year.

Response and engagement have been so strong that they’re already planning a fall edition. Collectors are taking it seriously, too. Galeria Nara Roesler sold two large-scale works by Vik Muniz for approximately $60,000 apiece on the opening day alone according to gallery deputy director Frederik Schampers. A benefit for the New York Foundation for the Arts also sold out; Artspace & Phaidon produced the UNTITLED, ART Charitable Artist Edition of artist Genesis Tramaine’s limited-edition work on paper titled Black Woman University. All proceeds go to the charity.

Hope you enjoy gallery-hopping from your home this weekend and find some great new works to brighten your space. Good luck!

https://www.artland.com/untitled-art-online

 

 

Aspen Ascent

By Art, Culture, Events, Music

The ski town’s cultural scene moves online for summer festivals and fundraisers.

Come summertime, South Floridians look forward to cooling off in the mountains, wherever their traditions may take them. Aspen, which has become a sister city to our region in many respects, is favored for its rare balance of nature and the outdoors with cosmopolitan perks from designer shopping to chef-driven dining to world-class culture. Though the pandemic has altered many of summer’s beloved festivals and fundraisers, cultural institutions are making the best of it with virtual events.

The Anderson Ranch Arts Center always hosts one of the biggest parties of the season at Hotel Jerome. This year is no exception, because the nonprofit in nearby Snowmass invites donors to attend its “Un-Gala” on July 16, from the comfort of their own homes. It will deliver a “bash-in-a-box” to your door filled with all kinds of whimsical surprises to sip and spark creativity throughout the evening that begins at 6 p.m. MST. Each open access pass includes a raffle ticket to win a drawing. Dozens of participating artists like Cindy Sherman, Walead Beshty, Enrique Martinez Celaya and Fred Tomaselli, among others, are donating works. Proceeds go toward operations and scholarship funds to promote diversity. For tickets, call 970.924.5067, or click here: https://www.andersonranch.org/event/un-gala/.

Anderson Ranch moved its 2020 Summer Series with conversations by artists, critics, collectors and curators online as well. Led by curator-in-residence Helen Molesworth, complimentary Zoom sessions kick off with Mark Grotjahn on July 2; the California native is known for his Butterfly and Face series of abstract, geometric paintings and drawings. Other speakers are Nicole Eisenman on July 9, Michael Shnayerson on July 21, Deana Lawson on July 23, Silke Otto-Knapp on July 30, Christiana Quarles on August 6, and Tavares Strachan on August 13.

The Aspen Music Festival and School also leaps from its iconic tent to the virtual realm from July 4 through August 23. Log on for complimentary live recitals, panel discussions and in-depth seminars, as well as a tribute to music director Robert Spano to celebrate his tenth anniversary with the organization on July 5. His star-studded performance features soprano Renée Fleming, pianist Yefim Bronfman, violinist Robert McDuffie, clarinetist Michael Rusinek and other musicians with long histories here. Expect plenty of guest speakers to share their memories of Spano, too. If you’re feeling charitable, please donate here:      http://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/support/contribution

 

Deana Lawson

Tavares Strachan

Robert Spano