The impact of covid on art

For more than a year, the whole world has been almost at a standstill. This has had enormous repercussions on several fields, including art. In Switzerland, for example, most museums only reopened on March 1, 2021, after having been closed for a long time. It is the same situation for many European countries that have implemented different types of restrictions. Some museums have adapted to the situation by putting their collections online, like the MAH in Geneva or the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne (MCBA).

The virtual solution

Other institutions have literally taken the gamble of virtual tours to present their temporary exhibitions. As the Centre d'Art Contemporain de Genève did with the Chiara Fumai exhibition or the Kunstmuseum de Lucerne with the Marion Baruch exhibition.

Several exhibitions are expected to be held at this time; such as the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, which has opted for a digital alternative with an interactive file that gives the visitor an overview of the artist's artistic work and eventful career.

Under the sign of innovation

Despite the health crisis, some organizers have nonetheless decided to maintain their calendar while choosing to innovate for a while. Such is the case of the Brussels fair, which offers an alternative that allows galleries to propose a selection of pieces that they had previously planned to show at the end of January in their own spaces.

On the other hand, other fairs have decided to join forces with different market players.  Indeed, the contemporary African art fair 1-54 and Christies have planned for this year a new edition. It took place at the exhibition hall of the auction house in Paris by appointment until January 24. The auction houses are expected to continue the online auction again after 2020 due to the disruption of the Covid.