Australian-born Blaquiere is the founder of Muse Frame, a hardware company that creates elegant, high-fidelity frames exclusively for the display of digital art. He is also the CEO of Sedition, the first ever platform built for digital art, after recently acquiring it late last year. The service allows collectors to stream artwork directly onto Muse Frame devices via an app, or through any Smart TV with a simple QR code scan. Think Netflix for digital art. Sedition and Muse Frame are sponsors of Digitalism at British Art Fair. Jessica Wood interviewed Dyl from his home in Dusseldorf to find out how ordinary folk can collect, enjoy and display digital art (and maybe make some money out of it, too).
Art has always used new technologies and practices, so what makes digital art new?
The newness is around accessibility, collecting and display. Previously, digital art was hard to enjoy outside of a computer without having equipment that only museums or galleries had access to, now anyone can enjoy it on a Muse Frame or their Smart TV.
I don’t have a clue about collecting digital art. Where should I start?
Take out a trial subscription on Sedition (of course!) or a similar curated platform where, at low cost, you can access thousands of the best works of digital art. You don’t have to buy anything – first you can discover what you like. When you have worked that out, you can consider buying a digital edition. You then get a certificate of authenticity and can sell it, at a later date.
You mean I might make money out of it? Tell me how…
Yes, you can buy and sell on our trade platform, for example. Early digital collections by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Refik Anadol, for example, sell for many times their original purchase price.
Please advise us on how not to get scammed.
Like anything online, if you are not careful you can get scammed, as there are plenty of fake sites out there that take your money. It is best to go to a well-known platform (think of them as a dealer), just as you would for a traditional painting: someone established in the field, who you trust, and who has expertise in the area. In terms of provenance, Blockchain technology is excellent as it gives a stamp of authenticity to each purchase, avoids plagiarism and gives artists a royalty for each sale.
How do I display digital art at home?
On an LED high-resolution flat screen, preferably with anti glare glass. We sell specific ones: Muse Frames.
OK. But how do Muse Frames differ from any other LED screen?
They are connected to an art-specific app – so you can easily curate playlists and cast via your phone (like Spotify but with visual art). On other systems you have to connect your laptop via a USB cable and programme each artwork in – it’s more complicated. Muse Frames are more attractive than regular LED screens as they are made for purpose.
Name five artists currently on your own ‘playlist’.
Tracy Emin, Sougwen Chung, LIA, Terry Flaxton, Andreas Nicolas Fischer.
Meet Dyl at Digitalism, British Art Fair, September 25-28, Saatchi Gallery, London. britishartfair.co.uk