La European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF), whose fairs have traditionally showcased museum-quality art from across the ages, is delighted to announce the launch of its new digital platform, TEFAF Online.
Implemented in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, this digital art marketplace will hold its inaugural fair from 1 to 4 November 2020, with two preview days on 30 and 31 October. TEFAF Online will offer itself to the art community as a replacement for TEFAF New York 2020 Annual Fair, with an offering spanning 7000 years of art history and featuring the majority of TEFAF global exhibitors — a tour de force of over 270 art dealers that buyers can contact online in real time.
Also in this new version, the Fair will maintain TEFAF's tradition of presenting only works of the highest quality: each participant will exhibit only one piece, the one that best represents his competence as a gallery owner. The new format based on individual masterpieces will outline an unprecedented dimension within the digital fair, transforming it into a collection of the spearheads of each market segment. In this way, the shopping experience offered by the Digital Fair will evoke the same intensity and inspiration as an in-person visit to a gallery. The platform will provide accompanying images, text and video to illustrate each exhibitor's choice, who will share their passion for their area of expertise with a global audience of art enthusiasts. Furthermore, an interactive component will allow for direct involvement between collectors and exhibitors.
In compliance with TEFAF's strict standards, every entry submitted to TEFAF Online will be reviewed through digital means by TEFAF's independent judging panel.
This will be just the first of other editions of TEFAF Online. “At a time when the global art community faces limited mobility due to travel restrictions and social distancing, we are proud to offer this long-planned and intended-to-permanent alternative in the hopes of making art more accessible in all its forms thanks to digital innovation,” said Hidde van Seggelen, President of TEFAF. “The new platform allows TEFAF's renowned exhibitors to be just a click away for both established and new collectors, and we would like to make it a permanent feature alongside future TEFAF Exhibitions.”
TEFAF Online represents a historic first for the TEFAF organization and its commitment to propelling the global art market into the future. Combining experience and accessibility, the new Fair will bring the uniqueness of TEFAF online, reaching a new generation of buyers in tune with the freshness of its behaviours, tastes, needs and mentalities.
