Online Views
Museums, galleries, auction houses, and even car manufacturers, are going all-out digital.
SCREEN ART
By appointment through January 31, 2021, view Venetian Love at Fondation Valmont’s restored 16th-century Palazzo Bonvicini in Venice, Italy. The exhibition features a trio of artists who interpret the fantastical beauty of Venice in sculpted glass, massive photographs, and Carnival-inspired masks. Short videos of the dynamic works can be found on the foundation’s IGTV channel. fondationvalmont.com
Top museums have created virtual portals through which to experience the world’s most treasured works. On its 150th anniversary, New York’s Metropolitan Museum launches The Met 360° Project (metmuseum.org), a series of short videos where viewers seemingly soar above The Cloisters, enter the majestic Temple of Dendur, and explore the museum’s medieval armor collection. Paris’s Louvre (louvre.fr) is leading online tours of its galleries and showing interactive videos of its most famous artworks—including a virtual-reality visit with the enigmatic Mona Lisa. London’s Victoria & Albert (vam.ac.uk) spotlights the best of its collections—from ancient Chinese ceramics to Alexander McQueen’s evening dresses. Take the Vatican Museums’ (museivaticani.va) new online tours of the galleries (including the Sistine Chapel) and of its immense archives.
A pop-up Pace Gallery on Park Place in East Hampton Village is open through mid-October. The first show features new drawings by renowned Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. pacegallery.com
If you missed the glory years of ballet dancers Baryshnikov and Fonteyn, you can catch them on the Lincoln Center’s website, which is also streaming past Broadway productions, Jazz at Lincoln Center shows, and full-length performances like San Francisco Ballet’s Romeo & Juliet. lincolncenter.org
VIRTUAL VROOM
Drive a McLaren at home, sort of. McLaren Automotive (cars.mclaren.com) collaborated with game developer Forza for new-every-week virtual adventures allowing fans to seemingly get behind the wheel of one of the world’s most exciting supercars. To celebrate Petersen Car Week, virtual vehicle debuts, online auctions, and the much-anticipated Concours d’Elegance will premiere on the Petersen Automotive Museum’s (petersen.org) YouTube channel on August 12, 2020.
BUY IT ONLINE
As auction houses cancel or postpone live auctions, they’ve quickly pivoted online, ramping up digital offerings in both web-based auctions and exclusive sales. Christie’s (christies.com) has scheduled 22 luxury auctions online—watches, wine, handbags, and jewels (including a 28.8-carat diamond ring with a presale estimate for up to $2 million). In step, Sotheby’s (sothebys.com) moved its marquee sales of contemporary, impressionist, and modern art—featuring works by Picasso and Clyfford Still—entirely live online. Private galleries are experimenting with virtual viewing rooms and augmented reality: Gagosian (gagosian.com) presents One Artist, One Work, One Week—engaging insights and a single artwork per week. Pace (pacegallery.com) has curated a series of online viewing rooms spotlighting the gallery’s expansive roster, such as Loie Hollowell’s drawings created during this period of quarantine. Hauser & Wirth’s (hauserwirth.com) viewing rooms include well-knowns like Arshile Gorky and Jack Whitten, but don’t miss a more intimate gallery displaying affordable works by gallery staff.
