Cover Image: Art Basel

There will be two new online viewing rooms, featuring no more than 100 online galleries. Art Basel's new online viewing format includes two freestanding, thematic editions taking place in September and October

Following its second Online Viewing Rooms in June, Art Basel has once again unveiled an innovative way to enjoy art. The new Online Viewing Rooms concept hopes to give Art Basel galleries the opportunity to present tightly curated exhibitions drawn from their programs, showing six works simultaneously.

The new format, which will run over four days starting in September and then in October, will feature no more than 100 galleries in each edition. It will also offer exhibitors an additional platform to showcase artworks to Art Basel's global network of patrons, as well as new collectors and buyers. 

OVR:2020 will be dedicated to works made this year and will go live from September 23 to 26 while OVR:20c, live from October 28 to 31, will exclusively feature works created in the 20th century. Both iterations will be open to proposals from all galleries that have been accepted to an Art Basel fair from 2018 onwards. Applications will be reviewed by newly formed Selection Committees that consist of prominent gallerists.

The new Online Viewing Rooms will also introduce a new live-chat feature allowing visitors to directly engage with galleries in addition to other ongoing platform software developments. For the first time, Art Basel will charge for participation in the Online Viewing Rooms platform––a flat fee of CHF 5,000 for either of the upcoming two editions within the novel format.

"While the art market still faces difficult times, we feel it is pivotal for us to continue exploring different ways of supporting galleries and engaging with our audiences," said Marc Spiegler, Global Director of Art Basel.

He added that "the highly-focused September and October editions of the Online Viewing Rooms provide our galleries with new opportunities in this highly dynamic moment."

The Online Viewing Rooms will be available via the Art Basel website and the Art Basel App.

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