Art meets AI: image recognition enriches the fair experience
With Valorem Reply, Art Basel introduced a mobile image recognition feature that connects audiences to artworks using Microsoft Azure.
#Art exhibition
#User experience
#AI image recognition
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The challenge
To offer visitors an intuitive way to access information about artworks through visual interaction.
SCENARIO
Opening up the art world to every visitor
Each year, Art Basel hosts renowned fairs in Basel, Miami Beach, Paris, Hong Kong and Qatar, bringing together galleries, artists, and visitors from around the world. These events showcase a wide range of art. When an attendee finds a work of art that resonates with them, they often want to engage further with the artwork and artist. As audiences become more digitally fluent, expectations around these interactions are evolving. Art Basel saw an opportunity to enhance how people discover and experience art - not just at the fair, but throughout the entire journey. From planning ahead of the event, to exploring in person, and revisiting afterward, the organization set out to create a more seamless and informed experience.
THE SOLUTION
Using AI to bring artwork details to the visitor’s screen
Valorem Reply partnered with Art Basel to develop the Art Basel Lens, a digital feature integrated into the official fair app (the Art Basel Companion app), enabling visitors to scan artworks using their smartphones and access related information. The solution is powered by a custom AI-based recognition system that visually identifies artworks and links each image to structured data about the artwork, the artist, and the gallery.
Designed to function reliably within the dynamic environment of an art fair, the feature handles a high volume of visual inputs and interactions. It is embedded directly into the app interface, and aligns with the structure and design of Art Basel’s existing digital platform. The solution is adaptable across fair locations, ensuring a consistent user experience across events.
HOW WE DID IT
Engineering the user journey with Microsoft technologies
The project began with a focused research and development phase, during which Valorem Reply designed and tested the AI image recognition pipeline using Microsoft Azure technologies. Azure AI was used to train and host models for creating embeddings and cropping the images with the contribution of Concept Reply, while Azure App Services and Azure Functions supported backend processing and image handling. Azure AI Search was chosen for its comprehensive set of advanced vector search capability for images. Azure Blob Storage was used for secure image storage, and the system was integrated with the artwork database for fast content retrieval.
The system was initially piloted during one Art Basel fair to evaluate model performance, optimize user interaction, and ensure the AI could operate effectively in a live, high-traffic environment.
After validating the pipeline, the solution was expanded and embedded into the official Art Basel app. The rollout required close coordination across product, engineering, and design teams to ensure that the AI recognition feature aligned with the app’s existing navigation and could scale reliably across the fairs.
THE BENEFITS
Making art exploration easier, faster, and smarter
The introduction of the AI-powered recognition feature added a new layer of value to the visitor experience and laid the groundwork for future digital enhancements across Art Basel’s global events. Key benefits include:
Faster access to artwork information
with real-time responses triggered by image scans directly in the app.
Easily share art fair experience on social media
with artist and gallery attribution.
Improved
visitor autonomy
allowing users to explore and discover artworks independently, without relying on printed guides or unsightly, pre-planned labels.
Consistent performance
across fairs
with a scalable architecture supporting deployment in Basel, Miami Beach, Paris, Hong Kong and Qatar.
Seamless integration with existing systems
including smooth data exchange with the artwork database and alignment with the app’s user interface.
Founded by gallerists in 1970, Art Basel is the leading global platform connecting collectors, galleries, and artists. Art Basel's fairs in Basel, Hong Kong, Paris, Miami Beach and Qatar, as well as its Online Viewing Rooms, are a driving force in supporting galleries as they nurture the careers of artists. Their publication The Art Market , co-published with the Lead Partner UBS, is a commitment to increasing the transparency of the art market. Art Basel's Initiatives strive to create unique artist-led experiences and strengthen local art scenes.
Valorem Reply, part of the Reply group, is a prioritized Microsoft Cloud Solutions Partner focused on transforming businesses into intelligent enterprises and helping nonprofits achieve more with AI enabled, cloud native solutions, strategic business outcome focus and user-led design. Through our teams of elite practitioners, our passion for doing good and the power of Microsoft technologies, we securely and rapidly transform the way our clients do business.
Concept Reply is an IoT software developer specializing in the research, development and validation of innovative solutions and supports its customers in the automotive, manufacturing, smart infrastructure and other sectors in all matters related to the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing. The objective is to offer complete solutions throughout the value chain: from the definition of an IoT strategy to the implementation of a concrete solution, including testing and quality assurance.