‘Back up your art’ with Culture Ark, Feb 27 – 28th, at Block T, Smithfield

By @SimonCocking

Great to hear that Culture Ark continue to go from strength to strength. They will be offering Irish artists the chance to ‘back up their art’ with archive-resolution digital imaging that will preserve their images for posterity and allow them to start earning income from them right away.

At a special pop-up studio on Friday 27 February and Saturday 28 February in Block T in Smithfield, Dublin, CultureArk will showcase their specialist processes which capture paintings and objects with a detail and accuracy that has not been available before outside of major galleries. Only 30 slots are available to artists each day.

CultureArk’s service creates gallery-quality images and stores them in a secure online repository, putting artists in control of their work. The best-possible reproduction is available should something happen to a work or should it be sold, and the repository allows artists to start earning income from reproductions, prints, posters, calendars or any other object they can think of.

CultureArk is currently engaged in capturing the entire art collection of Cork University Hospital. With each capture taking 15 minutes, the process will take six weeks. Cork University Hospital is the first gallery in Europe to have its whole collection captured in this way and a book made from the images will be launched by President Michael D. Higgins.

The images are of a quality that could be used in books, catalogues, online galleries or to make submissions to galleries and shows, and the system creates an easily browsable archive of all of an artist’s work.

As a special offer on February 27th and 28th CultureArk will provide one free capture of a piece for every three captures bought, and will give every artist their own dedicated online vault in which to host and store captures of their work. 

CultureArk is a fast-growing startup which has already been backed by the NDRC, Rubicon Innovation Centre and the West Cork LEO. It is now based in the Digital Hub in Dublin and has its roots in the artistic communities of West Cork. Founders Deirdre Ní Luasaigh and Adrian Legg were trained in California in the use of their capturing technology, which was invented by Apple pioneer Robyn Myers and Mike Collette.

“This technology for the first time gives artists the security of knowing that their work has been captured under perfect conditions and to gallery quality so that they can begin distributing and profiting from it right away,” said Ní Luasaigh. “Even when the works are sold to collectors they will keep the best-possible copy and a full history of their work.”

“We know from talking to artists that no matter how good a camera or lights they use they are always disappointed with photographs of their work, and this is where our specialist processes come in,” said Ní Luasaigh. “We have the equipment, the expertise and the secure online systems to bring gallery-quality flawless archiving within reach of all artists for the first time.”

The capturing process is suitable for paintings, collages, sculpture, 3D objects, textiles, tapestries, coins, photographs and other objects.

This event is on 27th-28th February in BLOCK T, Smithfield. Only 30 slots for artists are available each day so early booking is advised.