In response to the coronavirus pandemic, contemporary art dealers are joining together to share video art online, referred to by the Telegraph as “what effectively amounts to a mini international festival of film and video by artists.”
Pieces which range between £2,000 and £100,000 can be enjoyed at no cost for a limited time, with artists providing dealers with permission to broadcast pieces beyond normal exhibition conditions as a result of the lockdown.
While some viewers may be tempted to download a copy illegally, Amanda Wilkinson, who owns a gallery in Soho, said that: “We just trust people not to abuse this.”
Wilkinson chose to offer a piece by Joan Jonas, a performance artist from the 1960s and 1970s who recorded her performances on her Portapack.
Jonas represented the US in the 2015 Venice Biennale, and her 2005 work Mirror Improvisation is currently shown by Wilkinson.
The Esther Schipper gallery in Berlin is playing Daniel Steegman Magrané’s piece Fog Dog, breaking its rule not to digitally publish a piece currently for sale. One of a number of editions, the price of the piece increases as more copies are bought and fewer become available.
In response to Josephine Meckseper’s exhibition by Timothy Taylor being cut short as a result of the pandemic, her work Pellea(s) is being made public. The piece premiered at the Whitney in 2018 on a 20 by 50-foot screen. While the screen size may change when watched at home, the content stays the same.
Details are yet to be confirmed for the Goodman Gallery, who are expected to provide a season of films by Shirin Neshat, a campaigner for the rights of women and exiled minorities. Her work has sold at over $250,000 at auction.
The Lisson gallery launches their six-week programme with works ranging from Djurberg & Berg, Susan Hiller and Gerard Byrne.
Art critic Colin Gleadell, perhaps sums up the art world’s response to the present situation best: “This all makes for very pertinent, challenging and entertaining viewing just when we need it.”
