News - VIP Art Fair announces list of contemporary art galleries

THUKRAL & TAGRA
Courtesy Bose Pacia/Nature Morte
The VIP Art Fair has announced its list of participating galleries for the opening of its inaugural edition Jan 22-30. The fair -- an acronym for “Viewing in Private” -- is the first-ever to take place exclusively online and has assembled 139 contemporary art galleries from 30 countries. Works by renowned artists such as Franz Ackermann, Francis Bacon, Damien Hirst, Anselm Kiefer, Takashi Murakami, and Jackson Pollock, will be on offer, along with hopefully exciting emerging artists, all from the comfort of their own home. The fair was co-founded by James Cohan, owner of James Cohan Gallery in New York and Shanghai and Internet entrepreneurs Jonas and Alessandra Almgren. Browsing on www.vipartfair.com will be free though you had to register, but there will be a VIP’s VIP experience for which you’ll have to pay a fee, that give you access to integrated chat and messaging system for live interaction with galleries and other benefits
© Takashi Murakami
Courtesy Blum & Poe


The VIP Art Fair will be divided into three distinct exhibition halls:
• VIP Premier: comprised of 91 leading galleries, each presenting 15 to 20 works depending on booth size—large or medium. Think White Cube, Marlborough Gallery, L&M Arts, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
• VIP Focus: comprised of 24 galleries, each presenting eight works by a single artist.
• VIP Emerging: comprised of 24 galleries, each presenting 10 works produced within the last two years by emerging artists.

A key aspect of the fair is that it is a live event. So, the gallery booths will be actively staffed and dealers are online for 12 to 18 hours a day to work with clients across the globe. VIP ticket holders have the ability to connect one-on-one with gallery staff through an integrated chat and messaging system. Once these conversations are initiated (and they can be seamlessly transferred to Skype or telephone, as preferred), dealers can discuss works being offered in the booth and can provide access to their back room inventory directly on the ticket holder’s computer screen. Here, works can be shared with clients discreetly through tailor-made “private rooms.”