The impact of the coronavirus pandemic changed many aspects of our daily lives. Life was brought to a halt, and we hesitated at first, but eventually adjusted and are now thriving in this newly found way of living! The effects have trickled down to every aspect including the world of art… With restrictions in place around the world, people could no longer visit their local art gallery, music concert or the ballet to enjoy new exhibitions, nor could artists sell their pieces/ showcase their talents without an audience. The tables turned and we have now evolved to a more tech savvy, ecofriendly methods of sharing art. This article explores all the new developments in the world of Art!

To begin with, looking back through history, creativity has been a by -product of adversity. And It is the same this time around as well. With the pandemic, it has emerged ever more strongly. When things are tough, it becomes one of the strongest tools we have to tackle problems and it is in our lowest moments that we create the most amazing things.

The online market will expand…
The art market has almost always been one where a potential buyer needed to observe a piece with their own eyes, be it a painting or a sculpture. Things changed drastically with the pandemic. For example, Sotheby’s the most trusted and dynamic marketplace for art, moved their mid-season sale online. While it was a huge risk and there were growing concerns, what happened was a complete turn of the tables! The sales amounted to $4 million, the highest ever total for an online sale! They retained the usual bidding through the geographic breadth and found some doing their first ever business online with the firm!

Towards April, the overall online sales at Sotheby’s had brought it some $36million which was more than double the amount in 2019. According to Clare McAndrew, this is the stimulus the art market needed to move online.

This trend has been growing since the last decade, but it took a profoundly serious turn with the pandemic. At Christie’s Americas, of all global clients, 64% bought or bid online, of new buyers, 60% carried out their business through online sales and to date, online sales continue to recruit the largest of new buyers...

Art fairs too have migrated online… It is believed that even when the world returns to normal, at some point, the shift towards digital promotions will be permanent. Galleries now are forced to think of how they can promote their programs digitally, be it an increase in studio visits with artists or online viewing rooms.

Gallery apps will grow…
In 2020, museums were asking and encouraging more and more people to engage with them through mobile apps. An app named Smartify, allows you to point your smartphone at an artwork and instantly receive information. It is partnered with the Louvre in Paris, Met Museum in New York, and London’s National art gallery. More art organizations are sure to follow this trend.

Performance will be virtual…
Quarantine concerts are a growing trend. David Grubbs commented of a recent performance “it was strange, I was alone in an apartment, yet I found 450 people were logged on and there was all this feedback from them afterwards.” “People were joining from all over the world.” This trend is more appealing and acceptable to practitioners and audiences all over.

Art Shipping will go green…
Shipping art around the world can and does leave a large carbon footprint. Andrew Stramentov developed a more sustainable method which was not harmful to the environment yet solid enough to protect the valuable pieces. ROKBOX was launched last year…This is a crate built with lightweight recycled or recyclable material and a single container can be used over many times. According to Stramentov, the aim is to make the art world more sophisticated, less burdensome, cheaper, and easier. There was also a recent collective shipping arrangement where art works are grouped to ship between cities or countries instead of doing so individually. This initiative was developed by independent co-founder Elizabeth Dee after recognizing the growing need for an ecosystem of sustainability in Arts.

Material used for Art will change for the better…
Lucia Pietroiusti, a curator of a long running Ecology research project at the Serpantine Galleries in London explains that the art world is ready to consider the ecological consequences of how it operates, particularly the very things artists use to make their work.

The demand for biodegradable products will increase as artists become more conscious of their choices. A South African design studio won an architecture commission for a pavilion made of cork and recycled bricks.

Through this discussion it is clear that the art world is moving in the right direction. Given the right amount of encouragement, these trends will create a huge impact on the way we understand art, not just paintings but music, performances etc., the way we decide to purchase or enjoy art as well. As more and more businesses are making conscious, ethical choices in the way they grow, the industry too will adapt and grow for the better.