Synopsis
Starting with Art Basel Hong Kong cancelling in February 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, the art world was abruptly forced into a large-scale digital experiment. In a matter of months, fairs and galleries flooded collector inboxes with virtual exhibitions, prompting utopian claims that the market had finally gone fully digital and could stay that way. That "optimism" rang hollow to me, because digital-only shows stripped away the physical intensity of engaging with work IRL, and hinder the trust-based relationships that drive the market. As I argued in this FT opinion piece — “an Amazon art world sounds more like hell than heaven.” History proved me right, this time.
