Art You Can Explore and Verify: TAGBASE at Joshua Maurer’s Vienna Vernissage

At Joshua Maurer Socia & Socius vernissage in Vienna, one moment stood out to us: guests weren’t just looking at the paintings. They were tapping the NFC tags with their phones, exploring information about each work, and talking about what they discovered.

Josh’s collection reflects on how smartphones shape our attention and the way we connect with one another. That gave the experience an interesting twist. Visitors first encountered the physical artwork in the gallery. When they wanted to learn more, a tap brought them to its digital identity, where they could access additional information and check its authenticity through TAGBASE.

We enjoyed seeing people move between the painting and their phones, then return to the painting with fresh questions. The technology opened up another way to engage with Josh’s work while keeping the artwork at the centre of the experience.

Guests responded especially well to being able to verify an original artwork themselves. They also liked having more information available immediately, without needing to search for it or ask someone nearby. Seeing that curiosity in action was a highlight of the evening for our team.

The biggest surprise was how much interest came from other artists in the room. Several asked how the NFC verification worked and began thinking about what a verifiable digital identity could add to their own physical work. Those conversations made the evening especially memorable for us.

Thank you, Joshua Maurer, for trusting TAGBASE with your original artworks and inviting us to be part of your first solo exhibition. Congratulations on a wonderful opening. Thanks also to ArtReThought and everyone who helped bring the evening together at INSIDEOUT.Wien.

Explore Josh’s work: https://www.joshyz.art/

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