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last week finished second edition of the online art fair VIP: VIP 2.0 Fair was designed to act as a sort of litmus paper, able to identify the prospects and future of the project, especially since the technical glitches that occurred during last year's event, and also in anticipation of a further three thematic online fairs, organizers planned for this year. It's time to take stock.

VIP-Fair brought together 135 participants from 35 countries, among which we mention a good selection of galleries from the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. It is understandable, because the online activity does not require the delivery costs. It's nice that a small galleries and a major player on the site has been given almost equal attention - unlike the real fair, which is the main event, and is, so to speak, the escort, an optional program, which traditionally goes to the smaller audience.

site was divided into sections, small local cultural institutions, such as the New York gallery Lisa Cooley, Rachel Uffner and Untitled, were placed in the section "Young Gallery." In the "Big picture" before the eyes of visitors are first-rate players brought the art market, like Gagosian, Marian Goodman, White Cube (London), Max Hetzler (Berlin).

Technical problems almost not arisen, the site has worked steadily, but the joy is not added to the gallery owner. "The fair has disappointed us, - said Artinfo Liprandi Ignacio (Ignacio Liprandi), the owner of the eponymous gallery in Buenos Aires. - Not only because we have sold a little, but because there was little connection to the collectors. Not only are we all colleagues with whom I spoke to complained about the same thing. " Of the two dozen galleries, who asked Artinfo, only a few in the middle of the fair was to sell something. According to gallery owner Rona Hoffman (Rhona Hoffman), the case at the fair were "sluggish».

Resource GalleristNY also interviewed participated in the event of dealers who paid for their virtual booths from 5 to 20 thousand dollars and received very different ratings from positive to restrained tragically disappointed.

«From our point of view, this event is, unfortunately, turned out to be a waste of time - wrote in an e- revocation of a New York dealer David Tsvirner (David Zvirner). - We did not expect much from this year's fair, but to be honest, even these modest expectations were not fulfilled. The site of this year worked well, but no real interest of collectors we have not experienced, and all the negotiations [with collectors] have not led to any results, so I have my doubts about what the platform is evolving ».

Although many of the dealers managed to sell a number of works, as well as make new contacts, all the same competitive spirit and energy of live event is clearly not fair enough.

Augusto Arbizo (Augusto Arbizo) of the located in the Lower East Side of New York's Eleven Rivington gallery told me that six days of the fair had happened only about a dozen interviews with customers in the chat, but only managed to sell the four works. "It's good, acceptable results", - believes Arbizo. The most successful deal for the dealer was selling the work of Michael DeLyusii (Michael DeLucia) at a price of 10,000 dollars. Judging by the stories of dealers, the amount was specified price ceiling for most purchases made at the fair.

«Everything went well, - said Cristobal Riestra (Cristobal Riestra) from the gallery OMR (Mexico City) . - We have received many emails from new contacts. " Total gallery has sold two works (both - young collectors), one of them is just the magic price of 10,000 dollars. "In my opinion, these fairs will never know what to find where you lose" - says the irrepressible dealer. Most likely, Riestra will participate in the next edition of the fair - VIP 3.0.

But the dealer from New York galleries of medium size, who asked not to be named, said he is unlikely to be once again participate in this event. He also spoke about the partiality of his organizers: "We had to sweat more than we expected. The site could work better. " According to the dealer chat will automatically throw the visitors 15 minutes after the start of work. Sell ​​personal gallery owner have failed.

Some dealers, participants concluded that the online fair - it is simply a promotional tool, supplemented by a number of fashion technology "chips". "Before starting any fair all the dealers say that everything is done just for the sake of advertising, but in the end, if nothing is able to sell quite indignant. So much effort is made that the lack of sales just disheartening, "- said Grimm, Jay (Jay Grimm), Director of Sales Gallery Winkleman, which, however, still sold several pieces.

Gallery Rawson Projects (New York), the youngest member of the Fair, an event considered as nothing more than a good opportunity for new collectors to tell about themselves. "It was not cheap - said Chris Rawson (Chris Rawson), - but we no longer count on the fair as a marketing event, and in this sense it is justified." Although the gallery owner did not sell, he met with new collectors and the public showed a lot of work, in particular the large geometric paintings Meleka David (David Malek) and sculpture Devin Semo (Davina Semo).

On According to dealers, collectors gathered at the site of the fair were mostly spread across the U.S. and Europe. There were a small number of young collectors from other regions. Organizers also say in the release that this year there was an explosive growth in visitor numbers of the young art-powers, such as Mexico (at 319 percent compared to last year), Chile (to 456 percent) and Brazil (288 percent). Total number of registered participants was 73,000, and visits to the site there were 160 000.

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More All were pleased with the fair dealers are not the main capitals of art, but of the secondary cities of the art world. Here is a fair Kurosh said Nori (Kourosh Nori), a representative picture of the Carbon 12 in Dubai: "For us it was very important part, because of our Artists have taken very well ... Given our position - our gallery is located in the geographical area where there are few collectors - and we did not count on high-profile sales, rather - to attract potential collectors. There was a sense that collectors are interested in new authors and works no more than 10 000 . "Virtual Booth Gallery is mainly visited by Americans and Europeans: only they were about 5000 people." Of course, without a doubt, we will participate again - says Mr Nori. - This is a great way to light for galleries and artists ... Just imagine: the work of Olaf Broyninga (Olaf Breuning) at our booth clicked 19000 times! »

According to managing a small but respected New York gallery, the fair helps dealers to" promote new media . "It's true: most were satisfied with the event, in addition to those mentioned above, even those dealers, in whose stand was presented video art, which attracted considerable attention from users, whereas the conventional exhibitions of his few looks.

According to the gallerist Riestry Cristobal, the fair is quite done its work: it is a great tool for forging new contacts, as well as to provide a large number of spectators gallery, located on the periphery. Of course, the virtual event, there is no vitality interaction between the real fair. "When you buy art online takes a sense of living presence. On the Internet, making two clicks, you immediately find yourself in an entirely different place - for example, in Wikipedia," - says the dealer.

" We get in touch with many of the curators, as independent, and the museum, who are interested in our artists and our activities, "- said Mathieu Lelevr (Matthieu Lelièvre) from the Paris gallery Thaddaeus Ropac. Gallery has presented one of the most ambitious programs of the fair: each day of the virtual exhibition stand has changed, for example, on the day prior the show visitors can witness the exhibition of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe (Robert Mapplethorpe), which acted as curator of film director Sofia Coppola (Sofia Coppola).

Sales, as already noted, were not numerous. Here are some examples. New York gallery Postmasters, presented a solo exhibition of William Pouhaydy (William Powhida), sold for $ 4,500 of his figure, several instances of large prints Griftopia (one for the same $ 4,500) and video work, captured the psevdointervyu allegedly given double the artist's magazine New York Times Magazine (6000 dollars). James Cohan Gallery, owned by one of the founders of the fair, the sculpture sold Briton of Nigerian descent Yinki Shonibare (Yinka Shonibare) for about 50-75 thousand pounds (79-119 thousand dollars). New York gallery Leila Heller Gallery managed to make one of the largest transactions across markets: it sold a fantastic triptych Iranian Akhavana Roya (Roya Akhavan) for 150 thousand dollars.

According to Winckelmann dealer Ed (Ed Winkleman), who found buyers for several small works of conceptual artist Christopher Ho (Christopher K. Ho) at a price of $ 3,200, on-line fair "the best selling flat work - paintings, prints and photos. "Winkelmann said that as a collector interested in one of his sculptures gallery, however, wanted to buy in person to see her, but because it European, then the procedure of inspection is postponed indefinitely.

In general, concludes Artinfo, many participants held fairs VIP 2.0 intend to participate in the event further, however, regard it more as a promotional rather than trading platform. "If you keep in mind that participation in this fair is the same as a big advertising in the magazine Artforum, then it makes sense, but those who are expecting brisk trade, I think, will be disappointed - said Borkur Arnason (Borkur Arnarson), i8 gallery owner from Reykjavik. "This is a time-consuming undertaking, - says Ron Hoffman - but if with it are promoting a brand or at least some kind of sale, no matter big or not, it justifies the effort ».

Prepared by Mary Estrova, AI

Source: artinvestment.ru