MIRAGES LXVII

Left: Alighiero Boetti, Catasta, 1967-92, 12 elements in eternity, 87x150x150 cm, Courtesy Tornabuoni Art. Right: Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale Attese, 1967, 61x50, cm, Water-based paint on canvas, Courtesy Tornabuoni ArtOctober 2020, is very different from the other years. The embarrassment is obvious after the international lockdown of Spring 2020, some people are just numb while others are hyperactive. I am impressed, how in the middle of the great crisis that is a consequence of Covid19 epidemic, new galleries are constantly opening? To be precise, existing galleries open new branches in other countries or even in the same city. And for the sake of truth: the Lehmann Maupin Gallery in South Kensington, London; Lévy Gorvy Gallery in Marais, Paris also Pace Gallery plans its Paris presence; Kamel Mennour opens a new space at St. Germain-des-Prés, very close to his other two galleries, Gagosian Gallery inaugurated a new Athens space, while Saatchi plans to open a 930-square-meter gallery in London that will exhibit the work of “unknown” and “unseen” artists. The list is long and rich, I am wondering, how does this pleasant event is happening in the middle of the health and financial Crisis? Is the Crisis artificial? Νο!!! Of course not!!! It just seems that the collectors during the pandemic period bought more Art than other periods, so new needs arose in the Art Market.

During the lockdown countries such as Germany and England invested in Art, resulting in the strengthening of the multilevel institutional framework and benefiting artists and curators, while mobility in the art world has no limits… The Online Art Fairs are working non-stop, one after the other with the same intensity, desire and professionalism, to cover the needs of the entire art world!!! At this point is required a brief review of their short history, as the need for the first online Art Fair emerged on the international scene in the Spring of 2020 in with Art Basel Hong Kong and continues… without meaning that they are trying to replace their physical space, since αt the other end in September 2020 Art Paris art Fair took place both online and at the Grand Palais. While some others until the last moment, struggled in vain. to implement their normal program!!! Among them Art Basel and LISTE Art Fair with proposals and thoughts that unfortunately the reality of the pandemic canceled. We have closely followed several online Art Fairs so far and we are Media partner on a regular basis of some of them, so we have a measure of comparison and we can stand out, so far, for their technical and aesthetic perfection, but also for their professionalism: Platforms Project Independent Art Fair 2020 which is a template for an online Art Fair and LISTE Art Fair 2020, which celebrates its 25th anniversary!!!

While the reasonable concern, from the artists mainly, is if we tend to dematerialize art and a new era in which the realistic will be replaced by virtual reality? Tend we to the Dematerialization of art and a new era begins where the realistic will be replaced by virtual? Will everything happen through the World Wide Web, with this strong trend that pervades everyone in the Art World? In the coming years all exhibitions and sales will be virtual? or simply this meets in the best possible way a need that has arisen from international treaties and circumstances? I will agree with the last question. I believe that at the moment, we are all trying to use a medium that generously was offered to us by technology and to overcome Crisis.

Cover Photo: Alighiero Boetti, Catasta, 1967-92, 12 elements in eternity, 87x150x150 cm, Courtesy Tornabuoni Art. Right: Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale Attese, 1967, 61×50, cm, Water-based paint on canvas, Courtesy Tornabuoni Art

Good Reading
Efi Michalarou
20/10/20