Metaverse – Polish version, or works of art in SmartVerum

Tokenization, or the use of blockchain technology, is increasingly entering the world of art and high culture. SmartVerum, a Polish startup, using solutions known e.g. from the cryptocurrency market, wants to create a decentralized world in which artists and audience will be able to coexist even more fully. The artistic Metaverse will allow high culture to be enjoyed from anywhere in the world, and will also remind Mark Zuckeberg that he can’t be king of the independent internet.

Blockchain technology is still shrouded in mystery for many. Almost everyone has heard of cryptocurrencies, which use this very method of storing and transferring information. Many banking institutions, but also state institutions, use blockchain to secure our data, and in Europe it is mainly Estonia that is leading the way.

– For now, most of the society is not fully aware of the fact that the blockchain is wrapping us more and more tightly. But we do not have to be afraid of it, it is important to understand that this is a technology that is revolutionizing many areas of life, and cryptocurrencies or data security are just the beginning – says Bartosz Bilicki, founder and CEO of SmartVerum startup.

Digital artists are breaking records

Blockchain technology is gaining footholds, for example on the art market through the so-called “blockchain”. tokenization of. What it’s all about? In a nutshell, the process is based on the fact that auction houses can sell paintings or other works of art in a slightly different way than they used to. A customer no longer has to buy the rights to the whole, but just a fraction of a particular artist’s work. This reduces costs and although you can’t e.g. the purchased work to be permanently placed in their private museum, but the investment field is increased. In the future, that fraction of access will probably be worth more than it was at the time of purchase. Such are the laws of art investment. As a rule, they “age” expensively.

– So you don’t need to have millions to start an equity commitment with an eye on future profits. Blockchain technology definitely increases the transparency of such transactions, and works of art are available to a wider range of customers. Security of transactions is also at the highest level achievable today – concludes Bartosz Bilicki.

The first such sale took place in 2018, with smart contracts (i.e. using blockchain technology) to sell shares in a work by Andy’Warhol. It was decided to liquidate 49% of the shares, so that the image physically remains in the gallery.

In the following years, the tokenization of cultural works has only gained momentum. However, the milestone can be described as yet another event in the world of culture, namely the sale of a completely digital work of art. A digital collage by an artist nicknamed Beeple has found a new buyer for $70 million. Mike’s work was created over five thousand days and combines as many abstract, fantastic, grotesque or surreal images into one (digital) whole.

Covid – technological revolutionary

The founders of the Polish startup SmartVerum want to go a step further. – We believe that we are able to create a transparent ecosystem operating according to the idea of web3, i.e. decentralization based on blockchain technology, in which together we will find new ways of communication, forms of expression or even models of monetization in the world of art – emphasizes Bartosz Bilicki and adds: – It is commonly believed that the COVID-19 pandemic gave the most effective impulse for technological change. As of 2020, we are seeing a global yet powerful acceleration in the digitization of every aspect of our lives. You can’t get away from it anymore, and it’s probably just not worth resisting as new developments make our lives easier. All that needs to be done is to make sure that the users, and in consequence all of us, are safe, and that the process is not based on the inclinations of one particular company.

The founders of SmartVerum argue that they remember that art escapes all criteria. On the one hand, it constantly strives to create something new or reinterpret existing ideas, but it is also often quite conservative when it comes to the choice of form. The art world, although it has accepted the digital world, still looks most readily at works available in physical form.

– And this is the moment when SmartVerum begins to write the next chapters of art history. We believe that our idea is the missing link between traditional and digital art. Understanding the needs of representatives of the art market, we define the NFT standard (virtual certificate confirming ownership of a digital object – dop. red.) in a new way, building an open and flexible structure that does not limit the creativity of artists and at the same time is understandable for collectors – notes Bartosz Bilicki from SmartVerum.

To achieve this, they are inviting those thirsty for artistic experiences to go even deeper online. But not the one we know today, but the one that is the network of the future, the artistic Meteverse. – Mark Zuckerberg wants to pioneer the Internet under the code name “meta,” but a true decentralized network cannot be pigeonholed. There will be places for everyone who wants to create something that connects people. With the best security in the form of NFT tokens, we know that we are able to create something that will be a digital reflection of hundreds of thousands of art galleries based on a completely new mechanics – “play to earn”, or play and earn – adds Bilicki.

In the SmartVerum metaverse, audiences will find hundreds of ways to experience art while collecting unique rewards or cryptocurrencies. The statistics are clear – more and more people will professionally engage in playing mobile, browser or computer games.

Teleportation is possible

The final piece of the puzzle is the Square modular screen, which will enrich and enhance the interior of any smart home or modern gallery, displaying works of art in the most appropriate way for the consumer and in the highest possible quality.

But where will we get the content we need? Sharing economy is one of the key economic trends that is revolutionizing the approach to consumerism. Thanks to Art as a Service solutions, artists will be able to earn money not only by selling their works but also by making them available on a temporary basis, like movies or music, so that the user can enjoy them whenever he or she wants. Thanks to a global network of partners (art galleries, museums, modern cultural institutions, but also shopping malls or smart homes) artists gain a huge market for their works earning them in the formula of pay per view.

– In short it will be Spotify for artworks. For the consumer, however, it will not be an expense that will ruin his pocket. It will certainly be cheaper than a ticket to a gallery, to which you have to travel and often also pay for accommodation. Not everyone has time to go to a gallery in New York or Tokyo. Moreover, we don’t always need all the exhibits to satisfy our need to interact with great art. With our service, you will be able to order access to several works, just one, or even just an excerpt – describes Bartosz Bilicki.

SmartVerum will pilot its platform in Poland, but the main market in the initial phase of development will be East Asian countries (mainly Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.). Subsequent expansion plans consistently include all major art and cultural centers of the world. This is to be facilitated by the creation of a digital artists’ bible, the NFT Artist Guidebook.