“An interesting experiment that doesn’t work.” Swiss art dealer Dominique Lévy has that and plenty more to say about Art Basel’s online viewing rooms—its substitute for the canceled Hong Kong fair. It was a major test for an industry that thrives on bringing people together around cutting-edge contemporary art. And while it drew 250,000 visitors—almost three times last year’s fair—Lévy says the digital-only edition of Art Basel Hong Kong left a lot to be desired. “Unless there’s a form I don’t know about, I don’t believe that an online Art Basel has a future.”
Lévy—an influential voice and co-founder of Lévy Gorvy galleries in New York, Hong Kong, London, and Zurich—also doubts any art fair will happen in the remainder of 2020 and says she is worried about what the future holds for MCH Group, Art Basel’s parent company.
