How This Virtual Art Fair Connected Artists With Buyers and Collectors

Like many art world events, The Other Art Fair provides a platform for emerging artists to present and sell their work directly to art buyers, usually through in-person events in the U.K., the U.S. and Australia.

Not surprisingly, this year, it went virtual, kicking off with The Other Art Fair Global Virtual Editions from March 10-14. That recent event will be followed by a series of virtual art fairs in Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Brooklyn and Dallas, all of which will feature top emerging artists from the local cities.

“The biggest challenge we faced was building a virtual environment that not only served as a helpful sales platform for artists but also an entertaining, user-friendly and fun experience for fair visitors,” explained The Other Art Fair founder Ryan Stanier.Photo: Courtesy of The Other Art Fair“The biggest challenge we faced was building a virtual environment that not only served as a helpful sales platform for artists but also an entertaining, user-friendly and fun experience for fair visitors,” explained The Other Art Fair founder Ryan Stanier. “We wanted to create something unlike anything else out there right now, a virtual fair that actually recreates what it feels like to visit one of our in-person fairs—the layout, the art and the special features.”

The experience, which was built using online exhibition tool Kunstmatrix, includes exploring artist booths, participating in live fair tours, workshops and lectures, and interacting directly with the exhibiting artists. Fairgoers are able to schedule a live chat with an artist, via video conferencing platform Vectera, to discuss the artist’s process and ask questions about a specific piece of art. 

Fairgoers are able to schedule a live chat with an exhibiting artist to discuss the artist’s process and to ask questions about a specific piece of art.Photo: Courtesy of The Other Art FairPlus, the art fair’s presenting sponsor Bombay Sapphire is hosting a series of digital workshops—from cocktail-mixing lessons to painting classes—including how to make upgraded versions of the Bombay & Tonic drink at home. “We have been working with [Bombay Sapphire] for a few seasons now and they continue to be very collaborative partners,” Stanier said. “I'm very keen to work with sponsors in creative ways that feel authentic to us and have a similar passion for supporting independent artists.”

In order to make the experience easier to navigate, the featured artists are showcased across three separate virtual rooms. For example, during the global edition, Room 1 showcased bright colors, fun sculptural works and inspirational portraits; Room 2 featured large-scale abstracts, photography, poetry and street art; and Room 3 contained paintings, illustrations, photography and more. Visitors can also view a prerecorded five-minute "Room Highlights'" tour before entering.

Virtual visitors can explore the spaces and click on an artwork to get more info and of course purchase the art. “Our process working with the artists was very similar to the way we work with them for our in-person fairs,” Stanier explained.Photo: Courtesy of The Other Art Fair

Virtual visitors can explore the spaces and click on the artwork to get more info and, of course, purchase the art through Saatchi Art. “Our process working with the artists was very similar to the way we work with them for our in-person fairs,” Stanier explained. “Although each artist was responsible for curating their own booth, our team was available to offer consultations and provide valuable insight on how to design their booth in order to make it as compelling as possible for art buyers exploring the fair. In particular, our fair directors provided useful guidelines, workshops and tips for all of our artists to help set them up for success and maximize their sales.”

While the global edition of the art fair was virtual, Stanier shared that corresponding in-person events will be added, starting with the fair in Sydney March 18-21, with more cities to follow later in the year. He explained that there will be a digital component to the fairs after each IRL event has concluded, but the organizers are still fine-tuning their plans.

By offering a virtual component, along with an in-person event, The Other Art Fair can increase accessibility to the featured local artists, allowing art buyers in Hong Kong to “attend” a local art fair in Brooklyn, for example. “The greatest advantage of presenting digitally is that we get to expose the artists to a global audience,” Stanier said. “Art lovers in Brooklyn can discover and interact with artists from the Sydney fairs or experience the local features of our Los Angeles fair that they otherwise wouldn't have access to.”

“The greatest advantage of presenting digitally is that we get to expose the artists to a global audience,” Stanier said. “Art lovers in Brooklyn can discover and interact with artists from the Sydney fairs or experience the local features of our Los Angeles fair that they otherwise wouldn't have access to.”Photo: Courtesy of The Other Art Fair

In order to make the experience easier to navigate, the featured artists are showcased across three separate virtual rooms.Photo: Courtesy of The Other Art Fair