The launch of Art Basel Online is not a surprise in the art market and in the art fair circuit in particular. Art Basel Honk Kong Online before, and the preview of Art Basel Viewings rooms, Art Basel Online Viewing Rooms has established a model -I hope not to stay-, but in any case it gives its first with broad support of the international gallery sector.

The artists in each gallery viewing are a maximum of 15 for each gallery (some exceptions) and the bet is an average of 12,5 for each gallery. The great victim has been the installation and the performance, since viewing in digital format is not the most appropriate to appreciate this modality. The sculpture to a lesser extent is also less exposed and the big bet is painting and photography.

This study aims to analyze the 20 most exhibited artists in Art Basel Online 2020 in 3 groups: total, alive and dead. This segmentation finds to make a separate view of the different artistic careers that are promoted in the art fair, and from these segments analyze the artists’ birth year, country of origin and their gender. The Top 20 is a standard ranking and despite the magnitude of the artists on display (around 1800 artists presented), it can be a starting point to dissect the Art Basel On Line 2020 edition and its approaches through its galleries.

Continuing the segmentation of total, alive and deceased artists, the birth year is grouped by 1/4 century. The deceased artists section begins in the last 1/4 of C. XIX and represents the creators of the avant-gardes. Artists such as Jean (Hans) Arp, Picasso, Alexander Calder or Lucio Fontana will be the representatives artists of the pre-World War II movements. This segment totally matches with the top 20 of exposed artists, so, a quarter of the most exposed artists of the total of the fair belongs to this period.

The period 1901-1925, despite being more numerous among deceased artists, only represents 2 artists from the Top 20. These artists born in those years will be the full creators of the second quarter of the C. XX as Jean Dubuffet, Louise Bourgeois or Alberto Burri.

The analysis of those born between 1926-1950 represents the most prominent segment of Art Basel On Line 2020. It includes the largest presence of alive artists (it is the first quarter where they are grouped) in addition to gathering a large number of deceased artists. Representing established and recognized careers, this period brings together almost half of the total Top 20 artists.

The next segment, 1951-1975, is where the rest of the living artists are located, although to a lesser measure than the previous period. Barely the artists of this segment of years have representation in the Top 20.

We want to leave a constancy of the period 1976-2000 even though there is no concurrence. In this way, a reading of the most represented artists can be made within a mid-career start, since, within the “prolonged” emergence of the artist born from 1975 onwards, there is not representation.

Most of the alive artists within the Top 20 are born in Germany, followed by The United States of America, South Korea and the UK alike. In the case of deceased artists It is clear that artists born in Europe and in The United States of America are the most exhibited. However, at a glance of the total of artists, artists from India like Anish Kapoor, or from South Korea like Haegue Yang, are in the first positions of the Top 20.

Lucio Fontana is considered italian and Jonathan Meese german.

Gender stats