The online gallery turns five: What the contemporary art market has really gained (and lost)

In March 2020, as the doors of Parisian galleries shut one after another, specialist online platforms saw its sales surge by 437% in just 72 hours. Five years later, pure players—those 100% digital galleries—account for 18% of the contemporary art market in Europe, according to the latest Art Basel/UBS report. Yet behind these figures lies a more nuanced reality: while some online galleries boast double-digit growth, others have vanished into obscurity, undone by fragile business models or the persistent wariness of collectors. The balance sheet of this digital revolution reveals less a triumph of the virtual than a rebalancing of power between artists, galleries, and algorithms.

01The myth of democratization: who really buys art online?

The pure players’ strongest argument has always been their ability to make art accessible. But the data only partly supports this claim. A 2023 Hiscox study found that 62% of online buyers had already purchased a work in a physical gallery, and 78% of them spend between €5,000 and €50,000 a year on art—figures that place them well above the casual collector. specialist online galleries, one of France’s most dynamic players, confirms this trend: "Our top three clients in 2024 each spent over €200,000 on works, mostly by young African artists like Amoako Boafo or Njideka Akunyili Crosby," explains its director, Vera Kempf.

The real shift lies less in expanding the collector base than in altering their behavior. Online buyers visit an average of 12 pages before finalizing a purchase, compared to just three for a gallery visitor. This hyper-exposure to offerings has created an unprecedented phenomenon: "decision fatigue." "We had to limit the number of works visible at once on our platform, because our tests showed collectors abandoned their carts after seeing more than 40 pieces," reveals a former specialist online platforms executive.

02Have algorithms replaced gallerists?

Algorithmic curation has become the beating heart of pure players. specialist online platforms’s "Art Genome Project" classifies works according to 1,200 characteristics—a system that works well for established artists but struggles to highlight emerging talent. "Our algorithm naturally favors artists who are already in demand, creating a feedback loop that marginalizes newcomers," admits one of the platform’s engineers.

In response to this criticism, some online galleries have developed alternative models. Copenhagen-based Artland relies on a hybrid curation: 70% algorithms, 30% human intervention. "We employ five full-time curators who manually select featured artists. Their job is to spot works that slip through quantitative criteria—a particular texture, an emotion that’s hard to code," explains its founder, Morten Rask.

This tension between automation and human expertise reveals a fundamental paradox: the more efficient pure players become, the more they replicate the biases of the traditional market. A 2023 study in The Art Newspaper found that works by women artists account for just 19% of online sales, compared to 36% in physical galleries—a gap partly explained by recommendation algorithms, which favor artists already overrepresented in institutional collections.

03The logistics headache: when the artwork arrives damaged

One of the most underestimated challenges for online galleries is logistics. In 2022, 1stDibs had to refund $1.2 million worth of works damaged in transit—a sum that nearly sank the company. "The problem isn’t so much the transport itself as the preparation of the works. A poorly packed canvas, a loose frame, and the gallery’s credibility is called into question," explains Sophie Durand, logistics manager at specialist online galleries.

To mitigate risks, pure players have developed strict protocols: Standardized packaging: exclusive use of museum-certified wooden crates for works over €10,000., "Nail-to-nail" insurance: full coverage from the artist’s studio to the buyer’s wall. et Video quality control: a video of the work is sent before shipping, with the buyer’s electronic signature for approval.

Despite these precautions, disputes remain frequent. In 2023, online gallery Artsper was ordered to pay €45,000 to a collector whose Fabienne Verdier painting was damaged in transit. "We had to overhaul our entire logistics chain, even training our own packers. Today, every work is handled by at least two people trained in conservation techniques," says François-Xavier Trancart, its CEO.

04The business model: between exorbitant commissions and squeezed margins

Pure players’ business models rest on two pillars: commissions and subscriptions. Yet these revenues struggle to cover rising marketing and technology costs. specialist online platforms, the sector leader, takes between 30% and 50% of each sale—rates that make gallery partners wince. "At that level of commission, we lose money on most transactions. specialist online platforms’s real business is the subscriptions galleries pay to appear at the top of search results," confides an anonymous Parisian gallerist.

Facing this criticism, some platforms have adopted alternative models: specialist online galleries: splits revenue 50/50 with artists but charges additional marketing fees (up to 15%)., Artland: offers monthly subscriptions for galleries (between €200 and €1,500 depending on visibility). et international art marketplaces: charges a flat 30% commission but imposes prohibitive shipping fees for large works.

The real challenge for pure players lies in their dependence on tech giants. In 2023, 42% of specialist online platforms’s traffic came from Google, and 28% from Instagram. "We’re at the mercy of algorithm changes. When Instagram tweaked its feed in 2022, our sales dropped 30% in three months," reveals a platform marketing executive.

05Artists and the digital shift: opportunity or trap?

For artists, online galleries represent both a chance and a risk. Julie Curtiss, whose works sell for between €80,000 and €200,000, built her career through specialist online platforms. "Without this platform, I never could have reached collectors in Asia or the Middle East. The digital space let me control my own distribution," she explains.

Others, however, denounce growing precarity. In 2021, over 100 artists boycotted specialist online galleries to protest its commissions, which they deemed exploitative. "Selling online means accepting that you’re just another product. Algorithms don’t care about your artistic process—only your commercial potential," laments artist Léonard Combier.

This tension plays out in artists’ strategies: Those who use pure players as a springboard: like American sculptor Genesis Belanger, whose works sold for €5,000 on specialist online platforms before landing a show at Perrotin., Those who avoid them: like German artist Thomas Demand, who refuses any online sales, insisting that "art must be experienced in person." et Those who bypass them: like the collective Obvious, which sold its first AI-generated work directly through its own website, without a platform.

06The phygital turn: when digital meets physical

Faced with the limits of fully online models, pure players are embracing the "phygital"—a blend of digital and physical experiences. Three trends are emerging in 2024: Pop-up stores: specialist online platforms organized an ephemeral exhibition in Paris in 2023, with works available both online and in person., Virtual viewing rooms: Hauser & Wirth launched a platform in 2022 allowing collectors to tour 3D exhibitions before visiting the gallery. et Institutional partnerships: The Centre Pompidou collaborated with specialist online galleries on an online sale of works from its reserves, with a percentage going to the museum.

This hybrid approach responds to collectors’ growing demands. "Our clients want the convenience of digital but the emotion of the physical. The phygital delivers both," says Marc Glimcher, president of Pace Gallery.

07The future of pure players: toward a new economy of attention

Will 100% online galleries disappear in five years, absorbed by tech giants or traditional galleries? Nothing is certain. Their survival hinges on solving three major challenges: Market saturation: with over 500 online platforms in 2024, standing out is crucial., Regulation: the EU is preparing a directive on algorithmic transparency, which could upend recommendation models. et Loyalty: pure players must shift from transactional relationships to lasting bonds with collectors.

One thing is clear: the digital shift has permanently changed the game. As gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin puts it, "Before, we said art was a niche market. Today, it’s a market of niches—and digital lets us exploit them all." The question remains: who will profit—artists, collectors, or algorithms?