As art sales go online, the NYT notes an increasing generation gap, with older buyers tapering off their purchases and younger buyers continuing to collect. “The resistance from older collectors is still there,” says Anders Petterson, founder of analytics firm ArtTactic.  “When there is no physical art world, how do you substitute that experience?” he added. “Younger people are a lot quicker to adapt.”
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A piece in the New York Times charts pressure on institutions to address problems of systemic racism and injustice in their organizations, collections and programs, following the social unrest caused by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the police.  “I do not think art museums have done enough,” says Chris Anagnos, executive director of the Association of Art Museum Directors. “We have dabbled around the edges of the work, but in our place of privilege we will never live up to the statement that ‘museums are for everyone’ unless we begin to confront, examine and dismantle the various structures that brought us to this point.”
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Art Basel has completely cancelled the 2020 edition of its fair in the Swiss town, after an attempt to move the fair’s dates to September.  “While there are signs of hope as individual countries are coming out of lockdown, the global situation remains precarious, and, unfortunately, too many uncertainties remain to go ahead with the fair,” the organization said in a statement. “These include the health risks posed by large gatherings, the limitations on intercontinental travel, and the unclear Swiss regulatory environment for shows of Art Basel’s size. Given these uncertainties, we believe that the best option concerning the Basel show is to focus on next year’s edition and delivering a fair of the exceptional international quality that the artworld expects.”
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