We’ll See You at the New York Art Fairs This Week. We Just Won’t Shake Your Hand (or Touch Your Face)

As the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 continues to spread
worldwide, with a first case in New York emerging over this
weekend, those in the art industry are understandably concerned
about what the disease—which the Center for Disease Control warns
is likely to continue spreading in the US—means for their health,
and also the health of their businesses.

This week, those two considerations are unusually tightly
intertwined because of the nine art fairs dotting New
York City for Armory Week, where members of the international
art community convene to notch a good chunk of the year’s sales.
So, what should you do?

The fair last week issued its own
statement saying that it was going on, and monitoring
advice from the New York Department of Health: “As the safety of
our exhibitors and guests remains a top priority, we will continue
to consult with experts in the field and pursue best practices in
safeguarding The Armory Show 2020 edition.” The NYC Health website
currently has regularly updated information with advice and a tally
of reported cases. It presently advises, “You should go about your
daily life, but take the same precautions that you would during
cold and flu season.”

As for Artnet News, we plan to continue to do our job
reporting on the industry, and will be in the field this week.
Unless the city or state issues a directive to avoid mass
gatherings, we will be out there covering the week’s fairs as
usual—only with a few sensible added layers of caution, compiled
from the expert resources now circulating the web. (We recommend
Laurie Garrett’s piece from Foreign
Policy.)

Here they are below, translated slightly into art-worldese:

1. We know that shaking hands is a prehistoric
   token of good will and conviviality, but given that it is a great
   way to pass along germs, let’s be a bit more avant-garde about
   things, shall we? Try a wink, a nod, or a smile instead.
2. Air kisses and, worse, actual cheek kisses are
   hereby suspended, be they delivered singularly, doubly, or in Swiss
   triplicate. Instead, make a kissy face from at least four feet
   away, if you must.
3. Consider wearing gloves. If you’re sensitive
   about appearing over-precautions, remember: art people are kooky!
   Just pass it off as an affectation.
4. If you need to touch something with ungloved hands, consider
   using a knuckle or—if you’re opening a door—an elbow. It’s much
   more creative.
5. Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with
   unwashed hands. Consider it a work of participatory performance art
   about the nature of restraint.
6. Wash your hands frequently. If this is
   impractical—say, you are at the Armory Show and the bathroom line
   is even longer than the coatcheck—then use Purell or another
   disinfectant that you should be carrying around with you.
7. Avoid sharing drinks or eating utensils. As
   in, don’t just pick up a half-drunken glass of Champagne and pound
   it.
8. If you need to sneeze or cough, cover your mouth with a
   tissue. This is just basic.

The post We’ll See You at the New York Art Fairs This Week.
We Just Won’t Shake Your Hand (or Touch Your Face) appeared
first on artnet News.