First-ever virtual reality art fair this month

While most art fairs have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, UNTITLED, Art has partnered with Danish artand-tech startup Artland to create the world’s first virtual reality (VR) art fair.

The inaugural edition of UNTITLED, ART Online uses video game technology to create a 3D environment modelled after the layout of UNTITLED, Art’s Miami Beach location.

The VR setting allows visitors to freely navigate the aisles of the immersive fair, leisurely browsing the booths of participating galleries or engaging with dealers in real time in automated chatrooms.

Among the 37 international galleries participating in UNTITLED, Art Online are Addis Fine

Art, El Apartamento, bitforms gallery, Cirrus Gallery, Moskowitz Bayse, Sim Smith, Nils Staerk, Fredericks & Freiser and MAKASIINI Contemporary.

Upon entering a booth, visitors are greeted with a dialogue box providing specifics about works on offer (artist’s name, price and medium); as well as an “inquire” or “buy” prompt to facilitate buying.

Unlike the online viewing rooms recently launched by Art Basel and Frieze, UNTITLED, Art Online operates as an e-commerce platform in which purchases will be directly processed through its global financial partner, Escrow.

“This platform ... is something we have been hard at work on with Artland for nearly a year now and have decided to launch it earlier than intended in an effort to help reinvigorate the global art economy,” Jeff Lawson, founder of UNTITLED, ART, said in a statement.

The debut iteration of UNTITLED, Art Online will run 24 hours a day from 31 July to 2 August.

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