Artsy launches new technology for art fairs at The Armory Show–including a personalized fair guide for iPhone that acts as a mobile mapping and information tool, and freestanding digital display screens that show up-to-the-minute data on popular artists, artworks, and exhibitors. The press release follows.
Artsy is also exclusively hosting the ADAA and Moving Image fairs online.
Lastly, this Thursday, Artsy and NOWNESS release their first collaborative film, an interview with Xu Zhen (The Armory Show’s 2014 commissioned artist) at his Shanghai studio.
Artsy is investing in technology both online and offline to expand how we may find, learn about, and buy artwork on view at leading galleries, art fairs, and museums around the world, with the dual mission to support both education and commerce. Its designs for art fairs is another way in which Artsy offers a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in art, from students to seasoned collectors and arts professionals.
The new features include:
Improved online fair platform. The Armory Show on Artsy–where viewers may explore the fair online, contact galleries with inquiries, and view contextual information and editorial content–features a new scrolling layout and better search capabilities for artists and exhibitors.
Digital display screens. Six freestanding Artsy Columns installed in Piers 92 and 94 will help fair-goers navigate their visit by mapping booth and facility locations and displaying real-time information on popular artists, artworks, and exhibitors.
Personal mobile guide. Onsite at The Armory Show, the Artsy app for iPhone will be your customized guide, mapping the fair and pinpointing your favorite artists, works, and exhibitors. It will suggest related works and information, such as artist bios and price (where available).
What’s popular now. The Artsy Columns and iPhone app will highlight the fair’s most popular galleries and artists online and on mobile devices at any moment, updated in realtime.
“I’m very excited that Artsy can step outside of the computer screen to enhance the in-person experience at major art world events, including art fairs,” says Carter Cleveland, Founder and CEO of Artsy. “With the introduction of Artsy Columns, we’re adding a new physical dimension to what has so far only been available online. I’m also excited that our new iPhone app will give visitors a personal tour of the fair, directing them to the physical locations of their favorite artworks, artists, and galleries via our new mapping functionality. We believe this will make the sometimes overwhelming fair experience easier to navigate and more engaging for everyone, and will drive sales for galleries as collectors can more efficiently locate their favorite works and artists.”
Noah Horowitz, Executive Director of The Armory Show, says,
“While The Armory Show is inspired by a historic moment that took place over 100 years ago, we are also looking ahead to the future of art fairs. We want to be a leader in digital innovation, which is transforming the industry. Our partnership with Artsy has already given us the means to reach a global audience, and the launch of Artsy’s innovative technology at The Armory Show will enhance the experience of our fair visitors on the ground.”
Onsite at The Armory Show visitors may stop by the Artsy booth to meet with an Artsy Specialist, for an in-person demo of The Armory Show online and Artsy’s new art fair technology, as well as other special collector services.
About Artsy
Artsy is the definitive online resource for discovering, learning about, and collecting art via the latest technology. Artsy is built by world-class engineers and designers in collaboration with leading arts professionals. Artsy has created one of the largest online collections of contemporary art and is powered by The Art Genome Project. It currently features over 100,000 artworks from over 1,500 renowned galleries and 200 institutional partners including museums and foundations from around the globe. Artsy launched publicly in October 2012 and since has grown to over 230,000 registered users, serving over 300+ million artwork impressions to an international audience across 180+ countries. Artsy launched its iPhone app last fall, which was downloaded over 100,000 times in its first month and featured by Apple as a “Best New App.” Since its launch, Artsy has introduced significant new features including partnerships with leading art fairs, bidding functionality for online benefit auctions, ecommerce payment processing, and the ability for enthusiasts and experts alike to contribute insights and anecdotes through posts. By bringing together art, science, design and engineering, Artsy aims to foster new generations of art lovers, museum-goers, collectors, and patrons.
