The art market comes to a mobile near you

The art market is waking up to the importance of mobile technology. In September, the art technology company Artlogic—which designs websites and provides integrated systems for galleries including Victoria Miro, Thomas Dane and Paul Kasmin—is launching a new version of its database, with an emphasis on mobile devices. In July, the annual Hiscox Online Art Trade Report identified that mobile usage has grown significantly during 2016 and now accounts for an average of 40% of online traffic and 24% of bids or transactions. The report cites data from BI Intelligence that predicts that by 2020 mobile commerce will account for 45% (or $284bn) of total e-commerce sales. Peter Chater, the founding director of Artlogic, says that “the immediacy we have created will be a total game changer.”