ANTWERP.- Forward-thinking companies like Amazon and Spotify have demonstrated that physical property is increasingly being replaced by convenient and affordable access to digital content.
Much like books and music, art is also on the threshold of a digital 'renaissance', with evermore ways to unlock and consume art over the Internet.
ARTPLUS, an international startup founded by experienced digital media art specialists, has built a secure and easy-to-use system to protect both buyers and sellers when unique digital media art (moving image, still image and sound art) artworks are traded online.
The ARTPLUS platform allows artists or their representatives to upload digital media art to the cloud, from where the content can be streamed 24/7 from ARTPLUS' secured servers to a wide range of devices, from flat-screens to tablets and smartphones. All transactions are encrypted, while artworks are guaranteed to be authentic and exclusive to all buyers.
ARTPLUS's strength lies in sidestepping the technical, practical and legal complications that are today associated with the procurement and collection of digital media art.
Theft, loss or destruction is due to become a thing of the past, as source files are stored in the ARTPLUS vault of The Luxembourg Freeport. Constant upgrades to the latest technological standards guarantee straightforward and hassle-free maintenance.
The single biggest advantage of ARTPLUS is its absolute transparency. Origin and provenance of works are clear at all times. Internationally-renowned consultancy firm Deloitte will monitor transactions and the issue of certificates of ownership and authenticity.
ARTPLUS was founded in 2014 by digital art experts David Dehaeck and Nathalie Haveman, who have previously set up ARTPLUS as a virtual platform for art lovers and collectors.
The system was successfully used in 2013 to host and organize BiennaleOnline, the world’s first virtual art biennale, in which 30 internationally-renowned curators presented works by 180 promising emerging artists.
“Media art is the art of our time; unlocking it’s full potential will trigger a new way of thinking in the art world,” said ARTPLUS co-founder Nathalie Haveman.
“Screens are the new canvas and an art renaissance 2.0 is upon us. Bill Viola’s work in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is the best example. ARTPLUS is ready to reinvent the way media art is traded and enjoyed online as we enter into a new era for visual artists,” added David Dehaeck.
ARTPLUS has already been recognized as a potential game changer in the art market by artists worldwide. Internationally renowned New York-based video artist Kristin Grey Apple puts it this way: “ARTPLUS is a gift to the artist in that it provides the opportunity for innumerable openings in one’s vision. Our ready exchange of questions and meanings doesn’t meet any walls.”
ARTPLUS is currently accessible in private Alpha at alpha.artplus.com and will open for Beta access in October 2014. ARTPLUS charges a transaction fee of 4% fee on transfers of ownership. The transaction fees are calculated as a percentage of the total transaction amount.
Art enthusiasts’ that sign up to participate in beta testing have a chance to win a work by Kristin Grey Apple.
