New Protocols

BASEL

or its 50th anniversary, Art Basel in Basel had to cancel its real-life celebrations and opt instead for an online iteration (June 19–26), the fair’s second following the digital version of Art Basel Hong Kong (ABHK) in March. Organizers had initially postponed the Basel fair to September 17–20 but eventually decided in early June to replace it with Online Viewing Rooms (OVR), which displayed works offered by 282 galleries from 35 countries, and attracted 230,000 visitors over the week. The June platform updated the ABHK version—which showcased works to scale above a virtual bench—to allow for close-ups of images and videos. Consistent with the live fairs, the Basel edition was also