VIRTUALLY DEPENDENT Committed to its exhibitors during the pandemic, Dallas Art Fair clocks in some great sales during its first online presentation. BY TERRI PROVENCAL
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he art market is categorically changing in these extraordinary times. “We are seeing a forced but creative shift to an online marketplace in an industry that has traditionally been anti-digital,” said Kelly Cornell following the Dallas Art Fair Online presentation in April. “Perhaps the most notable change is the dramatically increased visibility to the art market via price transparency.” As galleries and fairs alike transition to online viewing spaces, the information accompanying the artworks often includes the price these days. The top-of-mind question is: do these online platforms work? For the Dallas Art Fair Online, the resounding answer is yes. Here is a highlight reel of sales from Dallas Art Fair Online:
The big ticket sale came from James Barron Art selling Alice Neel’s Mimi, 1955. “We're very pleased to have placed an important Alice Neel painting with a private collector in the US, with an asking price of $700,000. I believe it proves to us and to other dealers that it is possible to make a major sale through a virtual format. As well, we met through email many new collectors who inquired about works. For us a fair is evaluated not only by what is sold, but by the collectors we meet. All in all, we are extremely happy with the fair. Still, nothing will supplant an in-person art fair, and we look forward to meeting new clients and reconnecting with those friends and collectors who attend the fair this October 1–4.” –James Barron and director Hascy Cross
Galleri Urbane sold work by a new artist added to their roster, Budapest-based József Csató’s Afternoon Berry Ritual.
There were creative approaches to the model as well. Dallas-based dealer Erin Cluley built a virtual, to-scale model of her fair booth. This created an immersive experience and the opportunity to grasp the scale of the works, and it resulted in several successful sales. She also created a platform within her own site, aptly titled No Fair. Sales included: Nic Nicosia, bugs, 4-9.2019, 2019, for $28,000, and Anna Membrino, Summit, 2020, for $13,000.
The Hole physically built their booth within their gallery space in New York. “The two-prong approach was intended to give the visual and physical experience of an art fair in tandem with the virtual platform. It is also a commentary on the current state of things” says Raymond Bulman, director at The Hole. The platform worked: The Hole sold work by Jonathan Chapline, Aurel Schmidt, Koichi Sato, Robert Moreland, Joakim Ojanen, Anders Oinonen, and Eric Shaw.
Clockwise from top left: Alice Neel, Mimi, 1955, oil on canvas, 32 x 17 in. Courtesy of James Barron Art; Anna Membrino, Summit, 2020, acrylic and oil on canvas, 65 x 83 in. Courtesy of the artist and Erin Cluley Gallery; Robert Moreland, Untitled Blunted Pink Square, 2020, drop cloth on wooden panel with acrylic paint, tacks, and leather, 21 x 18 x 4 in. Courtesy of the artist and The Hole; József Csató, Afternoon Berry Ritual, 2020, oil, acrylic on canvas, 69 x 59 in. Courtesy of the artist and Galleri Urbane.
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