Art critic reflects on home viewing benefits during confinement, citing online film programs and gallery initiatives

The author describes how their early art experiences were mediated through home activities like coloring and later through magazines, music videos, and films, contrasting with traditional artworld narratives centered on metropolitan networking. They argue that current circumstances allowing home viewing feel like a return to these origins rather than a deprivation. Several online art programs are highlighted: This Long Century's artist film program with works by Ben Rivers, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Jodie Mack, divided into 'Inside' and 'Outside' themes; Sara Cwynar's 'Red Film' (2018) viewed via David Zwirner's Platform London; and Darren Bader's video 'file (BTD)' hosted by Von Ammon Co. in Washington, DC. The author notes watching Chantal Akerman's 'No Home Movie' (2015) on BFI Player and discovering related works like Moyra Davey's 'Hemlock Forest' (2016) on Vimeo, leading to Isaac Julien's 'Baltimore' (2003) from Metro Pictures. They mention that galleries and museums might shift resources to delivering art online, using combinations of images, video, and text to frame collections, as seen with the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The author acknowledges that while art can survive translation into portable media, they miss discussing it with friends and plan future gatherings with films and beers.