Blockchain and Art Collection Management

Blockchain could be the key to bringing both historic and contemporary art institutions more fully into the modern age.

The art world has been gridlocked for years, but blockchain could finally be changing that. The potential of this technology and its impacts on the art market is enormous - from verifying authenticity and provenance all the way to new approaches towards collecting artwork or even creating an entire genre!

How does blockchain work? Blockchain is a record-keeping system for digital data. It hosts information on tons of computers simultaneously and cannot be altered because it uses cryptography to protect itself from hackers. This makes blockchain one of the most secure ways to transfer data.

Blockchain has the potential to solve many problems for the art market including one of authenticity. By implementing timestamps and signatures on transactions, Blockchain can ensure that data integrity through accurate recordkeeping for both buyer-to seller.

This session follows how auction house, Christie’s partnered with Artory, a blockchain-powered digital registry. They established provenance and created trackable records for art sales through the encrypted registration of works sold in its Barney A. Ebsworth Collection sale.

Experts on Blockchain and Art: Nanne Dekking, Sharon Soloff and Dr. Jennifer Mass

This panel, made up of Nanne Dekking, Founder and CEO at Artory; Sharon Soloff, Partner at FisherBroyles, LLP; and Dr. Jennifer Mass, President at Scientific Analysis of Fine Art, will address:

• Using Blockchain to authenticate art
• Collection management – using a distributed identities network to scale blockchain
• Increasing transparency and increasing the value for art purchasers

This talk was originally filmed during The Business of Art Observed.

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Speakers

Sharon B. Soloff

Esq., Partner at FisherBroyles, LLP
Ms. Soloff is a partner in the Private Client Services, Trusts and Estates and Tax groups at FisherBroyles, LLP. She has over thirty years of experience advising high net worth clients on domestic and international gift and estate tax planning, advising owners of closely held businesses, and planning with non-profit organizations. A focus of Ms....

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Nanne Dekking

Founder and CEO at Artory
Nanne is the Founder and CEO of Artory and Chairman of the Board of TEFAF. Artory’s core product, the Artory Registry, is a secure, digital registry of verified information about artworks and collectibles. Previous positions include, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman and Worldwide Head of Private Sales, Vice President of Wildenstein & Co, and founder and principal...

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Jennifer Mass

Ph.D., President at Scientific Analysis of Fine Art
Jennifer L. Mass, Ph.D. is the Founder and President of Scientific Analysis of Fine Art (SAFA), LLC. She founded SAFA in 2007 to address a growing need for objective material assessment of works in the art market, complementing connoisseurship and conservation assessments. SAFA assists lawyers, insurers, collectors, dealers, auction...

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