The Evolution of the Art Tech Landscape
$69.3 million. That was the closing price of artist Beeple’s digital collage “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” that was sold with a unique NFT (Non-fungible token), which verifies the artwork through blockchain technology. This sale was groundbreaking because no major auction house had ever offered a digital NFT work before, and no auction house had ever accepted cryptocurrency before. Beeple’s sale at Christie’s is just one of many indications that the world of art is moving inextricably towards the world of tech. Even before this monumental sale, companies have already begun to disrupt the art market and exhibit experience.
Why Digital?
From warehousing to selling, companies have begun to disrupt the art world in the last decade. The primary focus of many companies has been to establish the art’s provenance, the history of buyers and sellers from the original artist that authenticates the piece. Provenance is very important for any art collector or institution. Often, if an artwork has passed through notable owners or galleries, this will increase the price the owner can fetch at market. On the other hand, if the artwork has questionable provenance or gaps in the ownership history, it may be difficult not only to sell the piece but also to establish the authenticity. Stories abound of unknowing purchasers discovering art fraud filling in the gaps of their piece’s missing provenance.
To address this prevalent concern among collectors, companies across the globe are leveraging blockchain technology to establish a verified and permanent thread of history for artworks. 4Art-Technologies is one such company working with clients across 61 countries. They offer an all-in-one digital app that addresses “transparency, security, process-efficiency and a significant reduction in costs” with digital fingerprinting, secured provenance, and reporting. Blockchain Art Collective provides a tamper-evident blockchain seal to certify authenticity of an artwork for its entire lifetime. In the world of art finance, Maecenas has created an innovative art investment platform that also increases accessibility to art. Users have access to their global tokenized platform where anyone can purchase a digital art token as a “share” of the piece of art. These are just a few examples of the way companies have begun to leverage technology to secure and innovate a traditionally tactile industry.
The Evolution of the Visitor’s Experience
Beyond the art sale side, the digital experience has also changed for museum and gallery visitors. Even prior to COVID-19, companies began experimenting with a digital experience for art viewers. In 2018, Google launched Pocket Gallery as a feature for their Arts & Culture app. In the first exhibit, the gallery uses augmented reality technology so that viewers can see 36 paintings from Johannes Vermeer, including the missing and stolen artworks like “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and “The Concert.”
Now with COVID-19 and social distancing measures in place, more venues and exhibits are coming up with creative ways for visitors. Currently touring the United States, the popular Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit uses over 60,000 video frames to create 500,000 cubic feet of projections. Massimiliano Siccardi, pioneer of digital art experiences in Europe and creator of the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit, enhances the experience for viewers as the images move and shift. The animated experience is so moving that visitors have been seen leaving in tears.
COVID-19’s Impact on the Art Industry
While technology has changed and shaped the experience of art for many, some artists have struggled to translate their works to online. Brooklyn-based artist, Anicka Yi, creates art with algae and bacteria where a sense of smell is a critical component in interacting with her art. For her newest project, Yi is remotely collaborating with a global team of 30 for a show at the Tate Modern in London. When visitors are allowed to go back into the museum, they will be met with “historical scentscapes” reminiscent of the re-Cambrian, Jurassic, and Industrial periods. As Yi says, “as much as I want to smell that JPEG, we don’t have that technology yet.”
For other artists, digital art has been a positive change during COVID-19. They are able to show their art to a much wider audience. Simon Denny’s 2020 exhibition Mine has created an interactive game that exists both in a physical space in Dusseldorf but also in the Minecraft game. The server was “flocked” by gamers who probably would not have sought out the art otherwise. While Denny was able to embrace the digital movement this year and Yi less so, it will be interesting to see how the world of art adapts after pandemic times.
How do you think technology will change the art world next?
Sources:
https://www.wired.com/story/art-future-covid-19/
https://news.artnet.com/market/the-importance-of-provenance-in-determining-authenticity-29953
