Each year, an art institution’s world-renowned fairs draw thousands of art enthusiasts from around the globe, immersing them in dynamic exhibitions and groundbreaking contemporary art. However, with the rise in visitors and evolving expectations, this organization recognized an opportunity to make art even more accessible and engaging for all. They were determined to blend the world of art with the power of technology, breaking down traditional barriers to art appreciation and creating new pathways for exploration. To help achieve this vision, the international art fair partnered with Valorem Reply to develop an Azure AI-powered art recognition feature within their mobile app. With this innovation, visitors can scan or upload images of artworks to instantly access detailed information about the pieces, artists, and galleries—bringing a world of knowledge to their fingertips. This feature is being rolled out in two phases: first, with model development and testing at one fair, and next with scalability and enhanced integration for the following event. By breaking down barriers to information, Valorem Reply’s AI-powered solution is poised to redefine art discovery for thousands of visitors, enhancing every moment of the journey from creating excitement in pre-fair planning to on-site discovery and access to a post-fair digest. 

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

• Need for a seamless, accessible way for visitors to learn about exhibited artwork in real time.
• Limited access to information on artworks and artists for on-site and remote visitors.
• High volume of visitors requiring a scalable and responsive solution.
• Integrating AI-driven recognition technology while maintaining ease of use for diverse audiences. 

SOLUTIONS

• Build an AI-driven art recognition feature powered by Azure, integrated into a mobile app.
• Develop a robust backend and API infrastructure to support high-volume image recognition and data retrieval.
• Implement a scalable architecture capable of handling over 70,000 attendees.
• Use AI to generate artwork descriptions to augment gallery provided information.
• Phased rollout to optimize initial model performance and prepare for broader scalability. 

RESULTS

• Seamless access to detailed artwork information, making art discovery richer and more interactive.
• Increased visitor engagement and satisfaction with an immersive and informative on-site experience.
• Enhanced accessibility to art, broadening audience appeal and reducing barriers to art appreciation.
• Ability for attendees to share their art fair experience on social media, promote gallery information, and showcase individual artwork details—ultimately driving greater engagement and sales.
• A foundation for future expansion of AI-driven features to continually enrich the art fair experiences.