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Host (H): Good evening, everyone! Welcome to another exciting episode of “ART PRESENTATIONS.” I’m your host, Douglas.
Cohost (CH): And I’m Lisa, your cohost. We’ve got a fantastic show lined up for you tonight.
H: Absolutely, Lisa. First up, we’re diving into the world of art technology with a special guest HAMZA YASIN. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this revelation.
CH: I am full of anticipation.
H: And for our tech enthusiasts, we have the latest gadget reviews. We’ll show you what’s hot and what’s not in the tech world.
CH: Plus, a heartwarming story that will remind us all about the power of community and kindness.
H: It’s going to be a jam-packed evening, so sit back, relax, and let’s get started!
CH: But before we dive in, we want to hear from you. Send us your questions and comments on social media, and we’ll try to answer them live on air.
H: That’s right, Lisa. We’re all about connecting with our viewers. Now, let’s get this show on the road!
Hey everyone, welcome back. Ready for another deep dive?
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CH: Always. What are we exploring today?
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H: Today, we’re stepping into the world of VR art galleries.
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CH: Oh, interesting.
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H: Yeah, we came across this marketing pamphlet actually for a platform that’s like really going all in on VR galleries.
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CH: OK, yeah, well VR seems like, well, obviously it seems like a natural fit for experiencing art. So I’m curious to see what this platform is all about.
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H: Yeah, me too. I think there’s always this question of how technology changes, Y’ know, like well established fields, and the artworld is no exception.
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CH: exactly
Right. Like, how is technology changing how art is made, how it’s shown, how it’s bought and sold.
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H: Exactly so lets dive in and see what they are proposing
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CH: Sounds good to me.
H: Okay, so right off the bat…
They kind of present this idea of VR galleries as this third way.
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CH: A third way. It sounds kind of dramatic.
Yeah.
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H: But it’s like this alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar galleries, you know, those physical spaces, and then just like basic websites.
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CH: Okay, so they’re trying to position themselves as something that’s distinct from both of those.
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H: Right. And, you know, we all know physical galleries can be really expensive to run.
to maintain.
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CH: Yeah, absolutely. Both for the gallery owner and for the artists who are showing there.
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H: Right, there’s a lot of overheads. And then websites, you know, while they’re great for like reaching a broad audience
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CH: M’mm
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H: it’s not quite the same as like that in-person experience, right?
CH: Yeah, you lose that sense of scale, of texture, of really being present with the art.
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H: Exactly. You know, you can’t like walk around a sculpture, get up close to see the brushstrokes on a painting.
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CH: Right, right.
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H: And this platform, they really emphasize like the immersive visual experience that they offer
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CH: Oh, so they’re going for the high-fidelity, like, really trying to recreate that physical gallery feeling.
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H: Exactly. They even mention using NVIDIA 4090 graphics.
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CH: Oh, wow. Okay, so they’re not messing around. That’s, like, top-of-the-line stuff.
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H: Right. Like, they’re really going for that.
that really high quality, immersive experience.
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CH: I’m curious, do they talk about the hardware requirements on the user end at all?
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H: Ah, well
You know I mean
I think they kind of assume that you’ve got a pretty decent piece of technology if you’re interested in this kind of platform, you know?
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CH: Yeah, that makes sense. This is probably targeting a certain niche within the art world.
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H: Yeah, I’d say so. People who are like comfortable with technology and maybe already have.
VR headsets and stuff like that.
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CH: For sure.
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H: They also, and this I thought was really interesting, they emphasize enhanced privacy and security.
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CH: Okay, so how do they, how do they talk about it?
mm-hmm
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H: Well, they even did compare it to a cold storage wallet.
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CH: Oh, wow. Okay, so they’re definitely speaking to a tech-savvy audience there, maybe even people who are familiar with cryptocurrency in that kind of world.
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H: Yeah, it’s like they’re appealing to that.
sense of like wanting to protect your assets.
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CH: Yeah, and in the art world that makes a lot of sense. I mean we’re talking about high-value items, you know, there’s a lot at stake.
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H: Exactly, and speaking of, you know, appealing to different audiences, they have this whole thing about flexible leasing, which I thought was really interesting.
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CH: Flexible leasing?
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H: So it’s not just like, you know, big galleries can rent space on this platform, it’s like individual artists could…
Rent a virtual space to showcase their work.
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CH: Okay, that’s interesting. So you’re saying it’s like potentially opening up the art world to a much broader range of artists.
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H: Like imagine an artist who you know works out of a tiny studio apartment suddenly has the ability to like you know
Display their I don’t know like large-scale sculptures in this huge virtual gallery space.
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CH: Yeah, that’s a really cool idea Like it could be a game-changer for emerging artists for artists who haven’t had the opportunity to show their work in a physical gallery
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H: Like it kind of levels the playing field.
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CH: Yeah, and you know, it also ties into what they’re saying about You know enhanced privacy and security like if you’re an artist and you’re working with digital art or you know You’re selling your work online Security is a huge concern.
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H: Yeah, absolutely You don’t want your work to be copied or stolen or you know
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CH: exactly
so this platform if it can offer that level of security I think that would be a huge draw for a lot of artists, right?
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H: And they talk a lot about remote accessibility, which I think is another really key aspect of this
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CH: So what do they mean by remote accessibility?
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H: Well, it means that artists could have you know pieces that are physically located in different places like all over the world
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CH: Oh, okay. Interesting.
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H: They could all be displayed together in this one unified virtual space
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CH: So like an artist could have I don’t know paintings that are in London and sculptures that are in Tokyo But they could all be shown in this one VR gallery
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H: exactly. So it’s like their physical location doesn’t even matter anymore
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CH: Right. That’s huge. I mean, that really speaks to the globalized nature of the art world today, right?
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H: Yeah. Artists are traveling, they’re working in different places, their collectors are all over the world and this kind of platform…
really allows them to connect with people.
across those boundaries.
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CH: It’s like breaking down those geographical barriers.
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H: Yeah. And they also talk about, it’s not just about like static displays of art, right?
They talk about.
hosting dynamic events.
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CH: Dynamic events? So, like, what kind of events are we talking about?
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H: They mention virtual openings, artist talks, even auctions.
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CH: Wow, that’s really interesting. So…
You could be, like, sitting in your living room in, I don’t know, Seattle, and you could be attending a virtual opening for a gallery in Paris.
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H: Yeah, Like, it’s pretty mind-blowing when you think about it.
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CH: That could really change the game for accessibility to the art world, too.
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H: Right. Like, anyone with an internet connection could potentially participate in these events.
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CH: That’s a really cool idea.
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H: Then when I got to the list of, like, integrated functionalities, that’s when I was like, okay, this is something else.
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CH: Okay, so tell me about these functionalities. What did they list?
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H: So first of all, they have auction plug-ins.
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CH: Auction plug-ins?
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H: Yeah, so like you could actually have auctions happening within these VR galleries.
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CH: Okay, so they’re like directly challenging traditional auction houses then.
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H: Right. Like it’s a whole new way to buy and sell art.
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CH: Yeah, that could be really disruptive.
I’m curious, do they say anything about how they’re handling like the authentication of the art? You know, provenance and all that.
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H: Well, I mean, I think they kind of touch on that later on when they talk about blockchain.
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CH: Okay, yeah, that makes sense. Blockchain could play a big role there.
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H: Yeah, so they’ve got auction plug-ins, they’ve got Zoom integration.
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CH: Zoom, okay, so you could have like…
virtual meetings, expert panels happening inside the gallery.
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H: Exactly. Imagine a panel discussion on contemporary sculpture with experts from all over the world, all beamed into this VR gallery space.
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CH: That’s wild! Right.
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H: It’s like blending the familiar with the futuristic. They also have this thing called SEO analytics for each artwork.
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CH: SEO analytics for the artwork.
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H: Yeah. So artists could see how people are engaging with their work, like how long they’re looking at it, what parts are drawing their attention.
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CH: Oh, wow. That’s really interesting. So artists could get real-time feedback on how people are responding to their work.
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H: Yeah, that’s pretty incredible. And then they have this thing that’s called ERC-721/ ERC-20, Decentralized Swap Exchange.
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CH: Okay, hold on. That’s a mouthful. Can you break that down for us non-techie folks?
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H: Yeah. So basically, this is where the blockchain stuff comes in.
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CH: Okay.
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H: It allows for buying, selling and trading of digital art that’s secured through blockchain technology
CH: So like nft’s?
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Right
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H: So they’re incorporating that whole world of digital ownership and blockchain verification into this platform
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H: And you know, for people who might not be super familiar with blockchain…
It’s essentially like a digital certificate of authenticity. So, when you buy a piece of art in this VR gallery…
You’re not just buying a file, you’re getting this unique, verifiable token on a blockchain.
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CH: So it’s like proof of ownership that can’t be forged or tampered with. Right, and it brings a lot of transparency and trust to the world of digital art.
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Yeah, that’s a big deal, especially when you’re talking about high-value digital artworks. There’s been a lot of skepticism and concern about how you prove ownership, how you prevent fraud.
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H: Exactly. And then they also mentioned art literacy database. Art literacy database. Yeah, so imagine going into this VR gallery, and not only can you see the art, but you can access all this information about the artists, the movements, the historical context.
CH: Oh, that’s a really cool idea. So it’s like turning a VR gallery into an educational resource as well.
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H: Yeah, it could be a really powerful tool for art education. It would be, but it also raises the question of who’s curating this database? Who’s deciding what information is included? How is it being presented?
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CH: That’s a really important point. How do you ensure the accuracy and the objectivity of that information?
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Speaking of curation, they mentioned AI curated assistance, which is bound to be a controversial topic.
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CH: Right, like what role will AI play in the curation of art in the future?
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Yeah, will it be a tool to assist human curators?
Or will it eventually, you know, replace them all together?
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H: That’s a deep question
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CH: And it makes you think about, like, what is the role of human interpretation in art?
Can a machine truly understand the nuances, the emotions, the context that a human curator can?
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H: Yeah, that’s a really deep question. Like, does art require that human interpretation to be meaningful? Exactly.
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CH: I mean, it’s a debate that’s been going on for a long time, you know, ever since, like, the first computer started generating art. I think, you know, with AI becoming more and more sophisticated, that debate is only going to intensify.
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H: Yeah, for sure. And then, kind of wrapping things up, they have this thing called industry community membership.
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CH: Okay. Industry community membership.
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H: It’s a little bit vague. Yeah. But it sounds like it’s all about, you know, building a network in this virtual space.
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CH: So, like, a way for artists to connect with each other, with collectors, with, you know, other people in the art world.
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H: Yeah. And maybe it offers, you know, exclusive access to events or…
Mentorship programs
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CH: could be or just a way for you know like-minded people to kind of come together and share their passion for art
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H: Exactly.
I thought this was interesting. They offer contact via the secure messaging app, Threema.
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CH: Threema?
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H: Yeah. It’s like this super secure encrypted messaging app.
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CH: Okay, so they’re really leaning into that privacy angle.
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H: Yeah.
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CH: Okay, it seems like they’re targeting a specific type of collector someone who values privacy and security very highly
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Yeah, for sure Someone who’s maybe dealing with you know, very high value artworks and wants to keep their transactions and their identity under wraps
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H: Exactly. So, you know, after going through all this, I’m just like…
Whoa! VR galleries have the potential to completely reshape the art world.
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CH: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it’s a lot to take in, but it’s super exciting.
It’s like, they could empower artists , it could make art more accessible to everyone, it could revolutionize how we buy, sell, and experience art.
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H: A whole new frontier, really.
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CH: But it also raises some really big questions, you know? Like what? Like what happens to the role of the human curator in an age of AI?
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H: That’s a big one.
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CH: Does art require human interpretation to be truly meaningful?
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H: Yeah, that’s a really profound question.
And I don’t think there’s an easy answer.
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CH: Right. And that’s what makes all of this so fascinating, you know? It’s like we’re on the cusp of something.
really big, something that could change the art world as we know it.
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H: And it’s going to be really interesting to see how it all unfolds.
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CH: Absolutely. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for VR galleries and for the art world as a whole.
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H: Yeah, me too.
and thanks for diving into this with me today.
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CH: It was my pleasure. Always a good time exploring the intersection of art and technology.
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H: Absolutely.
And, to all our listeners, thanks for tuning in, until next time!