This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 22, 2024 - April 28, 2024

In an era where digital platforms play an ever-growing role, the fusion of art and technology has given rise to initiatives like Love and Support Art. This independent and self-funded project, which has an estimated valuation of RM2 million, serves as a curated space dedicated to uplifting artists and fostering a dynamic community of art enthusiasts.

Leading this initiative is Lina Ali, programme director and an artist herself, who emphasises the importance of crafting a seamless experience when viewing and purchasing art pieces within a digital platform.

With more than a decade of experience in the digital industry, Lina underscores the importance of user experience and responsive website design, ensuring that Love and Support Art provides a harmonious journey for both artist and art lover.

“The goal with this platform is to help artists expand their reach and utilise technology to their advantage,” she says.

The platform’s inception involved meticulous planning, as Lina and her team endeavoured to streamline the onboarding process for artists.

“By simplifying the upload process and offering comprehensive support, the aim was to empower artists while maintaining quality control,” Lina says.

“We created an online form for artists to submit their artworks and details, as many required extensive assistance. Our team then took the lead in uploading them onto the platform, streamlining the process. Additionally, we developed profile management and a transparent sales process. After uploading, artists were invited to review their listings and request any necessary changes before going live.

“By streamlining the process from our side, we not only helped artists navigate the platform more easily, but also ensured better quality logistics-wise. This enabled us to gain deeper insights into the issues some artists faced [such as marketing their art, providing sto­rage and transporting art pieces], allowing us to develop effective solutions for the future.”

The platform’s features are designed to elevate the visual allure of artworks.

“Prioritising high-resolution imagery, artist commentary and immersive virtual displays are pivotal to captivating our audience,” explains Lina.

The platform was created with the art enthusiast and visitor experience in mind, akin to that of visiting galleries, she says.

“With its clean and uncluttered appearance, the virtual art gallery immediately captures the eye of its online visitors. Abundant white space ensures a gentle viewing experience. [This design approach] allows art enthusiasts to fully immerse themselves in the art, reminiscent of the experience one would have when visiting a physical gallery,” she adds.

Enhancing the visual appeal of artworks on the platform is necessary to provide an immersive and captivating experience for art enthusiasts. Thus, the platform employs a range of features aimed at elevating the viewing pleasure and ensuring that each artwork is presented in the best possible light.

Highlighting high-quality imagery offers art lovers the opportunity to appreciate the finest detail and nuance of every piece, Lina says. High-resolution images are meticulously captured and digitally enhanced to ensure that the essence of each artwork is conveyed to the viewer. The site also provides a virtual room display for each artwork, allowing visitors to envision how it would complement their own space.

Forthcoming plans include displaying even higher-resolution images with advanced colour enhancement technology, akin to the immersive experience found in art auctions.

Besides the art pieces, the platform also highlights the value of providing additional context and depth to each artwork. Therefore, artist commentary, stories or background information about the creation process are included alongside the artwork.

“This enriches the viewer’s understanding and appreciation of the art, fostering a deeper connection between the viewer and the artwork,” Lina says.

The virtual curator, powered by site-embedded artificial intelligence (AI), further enhances the discovery experience by suggesting artworks tailored to the user’s preferences. AI is also used to upscale images and provide auto-translation options.

“Technology offers diverse avenues to enrich the presentation of artworks. To maintain the original artwork’s aesthetic, AI is used to upscale certain images. As a result, ultra-high-resolution images offer viewers the ability to explore the artwork in depth, highlighting intricate details in each painting.”

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the online art marketplace, Lina has a comprehensive set of strategies in place, encompassing various aspects such as differentiation in the market and continuous improvement in quality curation and diverse artist representation.

A pivotal strategy involves integrating art programmes and events participated by artists with the platform. This integration facilitates direct purchasing of art by collectors and buyers during physical events or online through the platform.

“The seamless integration of art programmes and events with the online marketplace serves multiple purposes, including assisting artists in their growth, boosting the local arts industry and supporting the local economy.”

Continuous improvement of the quality curation and ensuring diverse artist representation are other key aspects of the long-term sustainability strategy.

“As Malaysia’s art scene continues to evolve, commitment to exploring and implementing measures such as patent rights, copyrights and certificates of authentication to protect artists and their creations remains our priority and we would offer our expertise on that to local artists,” she says.

The art theme of Love and Support is designed to showcase the talents of Malaysian artists, highlighting artworks that depict Malaysian culture, heritage, animals and buildings to a global audience.

“In terms of ensuring the sustainability of the online marketplace, the team employs a balanced selection process based on various criteria including the quality of work, diversity and representation. Thus, factors such as originality, artistic merit, relevance to current themes or trends, cultural significance and unique perspective are taken into account,” says Lina.

Currently, the platform features 38 talented local artists, with plans to expand and accept more as the platform grows. Lina believes the platform will serve as a source of inspiration for artists to enhance their skills, encourage veteran and disabled artists to showcase their talents, and foster unity and diversity within the arts community.

When considering the future of the platform’s technological enhancements, Lina says, exploration is underway for integrating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), alongside other interactive elements, to provide users with an even richer experience such as virtual gallery tours.

The goal of these innovations is to revolutionise how art is experienced and appreciated in the digital realm, says Lina.

“Regarding the utilisation of AR and VR technologies, there is indeed a concrete plan in place to incorporate them into our platform in the near future. This initiative is driven by the desire to enhance user engagement and understanding of artworks, thereby enriching their overall experience.”

The current focus lies in two key areas, which are artwork visualisation and interactive educational experiences.

“Firstly, we aim to enable viewers to immerse themselves in artworks or visualise them within their own environment through VR technology. This immersive experience will require each artwork to be converted into a three-dimensional object, a process that our team is diligently researching and developing solutions for.

“Additionally, we envision the integration of interactive educational experiences into our platform, catering to users who seek to delve deeper into the world of art. We aspire to create modules that offer courses on art history, specific techniques or artistic movements.”

Lina is also enthusiastic about fostering and adopting a culture of innovation by regularly exploring and integrating emerging technologies like AI, VR, AR, blockchain and non-fungible tokens to enhance user experience and public engagement on the Love and Support Art website.

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