A jump into the Metaverse with EY, Innovation Partner for the 32nd edition

Digital turn for the Biennale Internazionale dell'Antiquariato, which reached its 32nd edition

The extension of the Biennale to encompass contemporary art has become a genuine strength of the event, whose recent history boasts works by the likes of Henry Moore, Jeff Koons and Urs  Fisher. It leads to increasingly intense cross-fertilisation between past and future, in which EY, a world leader in professional services with particular expertise in digital transformation, uses technology to turn this year’s BIAF into a bridge between the classical art of the past and the new art of the future.

The EY area at the Biennale creates a museum within the metaverse, in which paintings and artworks that have won prizes in previous editions of BIAF are displayed, offering an immersive experience, albeit remotely, to all art lovers. The metaverse exhibition is packed with interactive digital activities and makes it possible to use neuroesthetic techniques to measure the emotional reactions aroused when viewing art. As a record of their experience, visitors can also obtain a NFT (Non-Fungible Token).

Alongside the metaverse, NFTs play a crucial role in the art world, allowing users to ascertain the uniqueness, non-replicability and authenticity of digital artworks, or even authorised and authenticated copies. Indeed, the metaverse and NFTs constitute an innovative new ecosystem for the creation, enjoyment and trading of digital art.

In order to further explore the role of technology in the art world, at 4 pm on 29 September EY will host a Biennale panel on the subject, as part of its programme to improve the accessibility of art. Within this undertaking, technology is a fundamental means to support the transformation of art to the digital realm.