London’s Masterpiece fair is back for its second online edition this year with 120 international exhibitors showcasing top-tier art, design, furniture, and jewelry dating from antiquity to today. Each gallery will offer nine works, alongside detailed catalogue entries.

This year, like last, the fair will be hosting a series of online talks with art historians, curators, and conservationists that can be streamed from home. (For those in London, Masterpiece is also hosting a curated selection of in-person tours.) This year’s conversations are particularly timely—so if you’ve ever wondered how galleries plan to sell NFTs, or what makes an art podcast click with an audience, tune in for these four unmissable conversations happening online at Masterpiece this year. 

Wednesday, June 23 

“Next Gen Collectors”

What sets the up-and-coming generation of collectors apart? Young arts leaders come together in this conversation to discuss the ways in which collecting is evolving—from the underwriting of social development through investment in the creative economy to the support of emerging artists outside of the gallery system. Panelists will delve into emerging collectors’ emphasis on cultural ecosystems and local communities and discuss the implications of these generational shifts. 

Panelists: Dana Farouki, curator and patron; Christina Makris, collector; Nish McCree, art patron and founder of the COWRIE culture; Georgia Powell, co-founder and CURA Art, and moderator Michael Diaz-Griffith, executive director of Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation

Time: 5 p.m. (BST)

Thursday, June 24

Hitomi Hosono, A Large Sakura and Keyaki Bowl. Courtesy the artist and Adrian Sassoon

“Digital Art in the Physical Realm”

NFTs and crypto art have taken off in recent months, but this natively digital art is already entering the physical realm. Galleries and brick-and-mortar spaces are deciding to specialize and promote NFTs and sussing out how to display these virtual creations in person. In this conversation, curators, creators, and gallerists share insights into how the virtual and physical art worlds are and aren’t aligning.

Panelists: Mark Dale, founder of W1 Curates; Marie Foulston, curator and creative director;  Kenny Schachter, artist, writer, curator; Sundaram Tagore, owner of Sundaram Tagore Gallery; and moderator Anna Brady of The Art Newspaper

Time: 5 p.m. (BST)

Friday, June 25 

“Translating the Visual – the Art Podcast”

What makes podcasts so popular? While most studies characterize audience attention spans today as quite short, podcasts manage to engage audiences for surprising stretches of time. How can would-be podcasters in the inherently visual world of art tap into the medium’s expressive potential? In this conversation, four influential art podcasters will divulge the secrets of their success and offer insights into the future of the industry.

Panelists: Tamar Avishai, The Lonely Palette; Jennifer Dasal, ArtCurious; Bendor Grosvenor, Waldy and Bendy; Katy Hessel, The Great Women Artists Podcast; and moderator Melanie Gerlis, art market writer, Financial Times.

Time: 5 p.m. (BST)

Saturday, June 26 

Hitomi Hosono, A Large Sakura and Keyaki Bowl. Courtesy the artist and Adrian Sassoon

“Earth and Alchemy – The Narrative of Ceramic”

Ceramic art is one of the most ancient forms of visual storytelling, and one that continues to offer artists expressive potential. In this panel, artists, critics, and experts come together to discuss the narrative power and possibilities of ceramic art today, and why the medium’s allure is so enduring. 

Panelists: Paul Greenhalgh, director of Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts; Lucinda Mudge, artist; Jacob van der Beugel, artist; and moderator Isabella Smith, assistant editor, Crafts magazine. 

Time: 5 p.m. (BST)

Masterpiece Online runs from June 24–27, 2021.