ART FAIRS:Art Basel Hong Kong-Viewing Rooms 2020

Art Basel Hong Kong 2020 has been cancelled due to the severe outbreak and spread of the new coronavirus epidemic, which has recently been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. Just like the physical fair, the Art Basel online Viewing Rooms stagger visitors’ entry based on prestige levels. VIP clients will have first crack at the inventory on offer from 12-20 March 18. The general public will then be allowed through the virtual gates from 20-25 March.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Art Basel Archive

In a nod to transparency, all works on offer at Viewing Rooms prices will be listed for the public and the sales status will be actively updated as works are put on hold or sold. New works may be offered over the course of the presentation, so viewers can return to the site for an opportunity to find additional offerings. There is no “click to buy” functionality on the platform. Instead, sales inquiries will be made through an online form sent to a gallery representative, who will then answer questions or finalize a transaction outside of Art Basel’s platform. The 231 dealers involved collectively offer more than 2,000 artworks spanning the Modern to Contemporary periods in traditional and new media alike, all of which were originally slated for inclusion on their respective stands at Art Basel Hong Kong this March.