With the COVID-19 crisis raging on far longer than many expected, prolonged closures of venues and cancellations of major events have continued. The latest event to fall victim to the pandemic is Art Basel Miami, whose organizers have now announced that they must pull out of the 2020 event.
Though the art fair was slated for December, Art Basel’s director Noah Horowitz took preemptive action with the cancellation of the 2020 installment, citing uncertainty around government restrictions and travel bans.
“It is with great regret and disappointment that we announce the cancellation of our December show in Miami Beach,” said Horowitz in a statement. “We thank everyone who shared their perspectives and insights with us over the past months and weeks and look forward to returning to Miami Beach next year to deliver a successful show.”
The statement continued, “Given the ongoing impact of the pandemic, which spans from South Florida to other parts of the country and the world, limitations and uncertainty about the staging of large-scale events, international travel restrictions and bans, as well as quarantine regulations within the United States and internationally, Art Basel has no other option but to cancel the 2020 edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach.”
Art Basel’s organizers were still planning on moving forward with the December event as recently as July. The art fair’s organizers are following suit with many other major annual events that will not see previous plans come to fruition in 2020.
Art Basel’s organizers still have plans for events in 2021 (including Miami Beach and Hong Kong), as well as digital initiatives to continue to support the galleries, artists, and local community members impacted by the cancellation. This month, Art Basel will host OVR:2020, a digital gallery which will feature works made in 2020, running from September 23rd-26th. In October, another digital gallery called OVR:20c will be hosted, featuring artwork created in the 1990s.
Further events, both digital and live, will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, visit Art Basel’s official website.
Image credit: Art Basel
