The VIP (Viewing in Private) Fair, the first online contemporary art fair, is just around the corner Almost 140 galleries, including some of best known internationally – Gagosian, White Cube– will be presenting works from Jan 22-30 on http://www.vipartfair.com/. Entrance to the site is free and begins with a grid-map of galleries organised into four groups: the upmarket premier group, a medium premier group, an emerging artists group and a focus group for single-artist presentations. Click on a gallery and the art works are shown in scale against a human figure, you can then zoom in to see details. There are biographical details, video documentaries, and background information available if you want to know more. An artist index is also available to search by names. To get more detailed information and talk to gallery staff you will need a VIP pass, which you can obtain either from a gallery you’re already a client of or you can buy ($100 for the first two days, or $20 for the rest of the week). For me, it’s a great idea to get a crash course on what’s available out there and discover who represent whom. But as of actually buying a piece? I have my doubt. Some art works can not be given justice in photographs how ever good those are, and part of the pleasure of attending a fair as a collector is to meet the artists and other collectors (Though I'll welcome not having to walk around for hours).