TEFAF ONLINE 2020

INTRODUCING TEFAF ONLINE: AN INAUGURAL DIGITAL FAIR EXPERIENCE
FEATURING ONE SINGLE MASTERWORK PER GALLERY

(Amsterdam, The Netherlands; New York, NY) – The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) is pleased to announce the inaugural edition of TEFAF Online  November 1 – 4, 2020, with two preview days on October 30 and 31, 2020. TEFAF Online will serve the art community in place of this year’s annual TEFAF New York Fair by gathering the majority of the TEFAF global community –  283 exhibitors will be directly accessible to buyers in real-time to present 7,000 years of art history.

This iteration of the fair will continue TEFAF’s tradition of presenting only the finest quality by inviting each exhibitor to showcase only one work of art which represents their expertise. This singular “masterpiece” format, offering a new dimension in the digital fair space, will create a collection of works at the very top of their respective segments of the market. The experience of attending the digital Fair will evoke much the same intensity of inspiration which would come from walking into a dealer’s gallery. Contextualizing images, text, and videos explaining each exhibitor’s specific choice will live on the online platform, sharing dealers’ passions for their area of specialty and fascinating art lovers across the globe. A live interactive component will enable collectors and exhibitors to engage with each other directly.

Upholding TEFAF’s strict standards, every work presented at TEFAF Online, will be vetted through digital means by TEFAF’s independent vetting committees.

TEFAF Online marks a historic first for TEFAF as an organization and points to the future of the global art market. Presenting a combination of expertise and accessibility, the Fair draws on TEFAF’s uniqueness offline and brings it online, reaching a new generation of buyers with fresh attitudes, tastes, needs and behaviors.

The global pandemic has launched the art industry out of physical spaces and into virtual dominions faster than anyone could have imagined. TEFAF is evolving during this pivotal moment to carefully bring dealers into a digital world. As an institution, TEFAF predicts that digital experiences will become a permanent feature of the arts, living side by side – rather than replacing – future in – person events. Digital platforms will guide the art market in a connoisseur – driven direction, as evidenced by TEFAF Online and its unique presentation style of singular works, which underscore the rich and expert storytelling for which the TEFAF community is known and celebrated.

“Yes, we’re going through an incredible change – a change in how my colleagues interact with their clients, and a change in how collectors and dealers go about sourcing art works,”                                                                    said Hidde van Seggelen, TEFAF Chairman.

“TEFAF has a 30-plus year history of adapting to challenges. This is not the first time we have evolved to meet the needs of a new world, and it will not be the last. We are encouraged at the speed with which art lovers have embraced digital avenues of collecting, and look forward to partnering with Bank of America to continue spreading the intrinsic value of art through TEFAF Online.”

“There has been a great willingness among art collectors to transact and engage digitally, buying art on video and web conferencing,”

said Evan Beard, National Art Services Executive, Bank of America Private Bank.

“It is our great pleasure to support TEFAF Online in creating inspired digital experiences that support the new needs of collectors and lead the industry into the future of art commerce.”

 

 

by sponsor Bank of America, this digital domain will unite the world’s leading dealers from the TEFAF community, each of which will exhibit a single work of art best showcasing its aesthetic. As visitors browse the grand variety of exceptional pieces, they will be able to contact dealers directly in a private sales environment, setting the stage for immediate one on one connection.

Guests of TEFAF Online will be afforded the option of live and immediate interactions with all exhibitors, who will be available for discussion and to conduct business at the click of a button.

To attend TEFAF Online, pre-register today at https://www.tefaf.com/visitors/sign_up.

TEFAF Online

1 – 4 November 2020

ABOUT TEFAF ONLINE

TEFAF Online is a digital marketplace which translates the elite experience of TEFAF’s in-person Fairs to a virtual setting. Bringing together the entire breadth of the global TEFAF community to present over 7,000 years of art history, this online Fair challenges exhibitors to choose a single work which best represents their expertise. The result is a “masterpiece” showcase of over 300 works spanning cultures, mediums, and millennia. For the duration of each TEFAF Online Fair, all dealers are live on the other side of the screen, available immediately at the click of a button for discussion and business. The inaugural TEFAF Online Fair will be held November 1-4, 2020, with two preview days on October 30 and 31, 2020.

ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA

At Bank of America, we believe in the power of the arts to help economies thrive, educate and enrich societies, and create greater cultural understanding. That’s why we are a leader in helping the arts flourish across the globe, supporting more than 2,000 nonprofit cultural institutions each year. Our arts support is wide ranging. We believe the neighborhood playhouse can be as important as the world-class museum or orchestra in its value to the community, in the lives of its citizens and in the education of its young