The art fair is launching a new digital platform to complement its in-person fair
Ongoing travel restrictions mean that many art collectors, curators and critics from around the world will be unable to make it to Art Basel Hong Kong next month, so Art Basel is trying to take the fair to them.
The fair has announced a new digital initiative, Art Basel Live: Hong Kong, to complement its in-person event, which is taking place from May 19 to 23 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
Art Basel Live: Hong Kong will feature virtual tours and live-streamed walkthroughs of the event, as well as a daily broadcast from the HKCEC presenting highlights from the fair and news about other cultural events being around the city. The broadcast will be hosted from May 16 to May 23.
Art Basel Live: Hong Kong will also include Online Viewing Rooms of all of the galleries taking part, giving exhibitors a chance to promote their booths to a global audience.
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More than 100 galleries from around the world are taking part in the event, which is the first major event that Art Basel has hosted since the start of the pandemic.
"As we prepare to stage our first physical fair since 2019, we are excited to launch a parallel digital program that brings the excitement and vibrancy of the in-person show to audiences worldwide," says Marc Spiegler, global director of Art Basel. "Art Basel Live is an important step forward building on our Online Viewing Rooms, which we launched in early 2020, adding a rich digital layer to the physical experience of exhibiting and viewing art from across the globe."
Adeline Ooi, director Asia of Art Basel, adds: "We are delighted to be able to stage our Hong Kong show this year, not only here at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre but also via a digital platform that will allow an even wider global audience to participate. Art Basel Live: Hong Kong will allow us to bring the exceptional presentations of our galleries and the exciting cultural offerings of Hong Kong to our global network of collectors and patrons."
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