How four original engineering architecture artworks were protected and made verifiable through blockchain notarisation
On the occasion of MARCAPIANO – Art, Architecture and Design, hosted at Politecnico di Milano, Notarify supported contemporary artist Marcapiano as a technology partner, certifying four original works of engineering architecture.
The project brought together two worlds that may seem distant at first: artistic research, built on vision, design and creative identity, and blockchain technology, capable of creating verifiable proof of a work’s existence, integrity and registration date.
The challenge: protecting a work from the moment it is created
In the art and design market, protecting an artist’s work is not limited to the final piece. Its value begins at the concept stage: in prototypes, preliminary studies and design steps that document the development of a creation.
For Marcapiano, the public presentation of four new works represented an important moment. Showing them to an audience also meant needing a transparent and verifiable way to document their existence and integrity before their exhibition.
The objective was clear: to create reliable digital proof of each work and its registration date, without altering the creative process or disclosing sensitive content publicly.
The Notarify solution: four artworks certified on four public blockchains
Using Notarify’s technology, each of the four works was digitally notarised and registered across four public blockchains: Bitcoin, Ethereum, TON and Solana.
For every artwork, a digital proof associated with a unique timestamp was generated, enabling verification of:
- the existence of the work at a specific point in time;
- the integrity of the certified content;
- the information associated with the work and its author;
- the possibility of verifying the registered proof over time.
The notarisation process does not require the complete artwork file to be made public. Instead, a cryptographic proof is registered on blockchain, making it possible to demonstrate that a specific file existed in that precise form at a specific date.
This allows an artist to present, share and enhance the value of their work while retaining independent, immutable and verifiable digital evidence.
From a physical artwork to a verifiable digital identity
The Marcapiano case demonstrates how technology can enter the fields of art and design without replacing their human or creative value.
Blockchain does not reduce an artwork to a digital record. Instead, it strengthens its history: when it was registered, what evidence supports its integrity and how this information can be verified over time.
For artists, designers, collectors, cultural institutions and galleries, this approach creates new opportunities to:
- certify artworks and prototypes before public presentation;
- support the protection of creative authorship;
- associate a physical work with verifiable digital proof;
- strengthen transparency in exhibitions, archives and transactions;
- build a more reliable art and design value chain, from concept to public display.
The project at Politecnico di Milano
The four notarised works were presented during MARCAPIANO – Art, Architecture and Design, an event curated by Erica Broilo and promoted by the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC) of Politecnico di Milano.
Hosted at the Parterre of the Edificio Trifoglio within the university’s Architecture Campus, the event explored the relationship between artistic languages, architecture, design and innovation, with contributions from Stefano Capolongo, Roberto Dulio, Riccardo Mazza and Erica Broilo.
Within this setting, the digital certification of the artworks was not simply a technical addition. It became part of a broader reflection: contemporary creativity needs not only spaces in which to be presented, but also practical tools to protect origin, integrity and value.
The result: verifiable proof for contemporary art
Through the Marcapiano project, Notarify applied its technology to a field in which trust, provenance and authenticity are essential.
Four original artworks. Four registrations on public blockchains. One verifiable digital proof for each work’s existence and integrity.
This is a concrete example of how innovation can support contemporary art, strengthening the protection of creative work, increasing transparency around provenance and making value easier to demonstrate over time.
Notarify brings technology wherever authenticity matters: from documents to creative works, from industrial processes to design, from digital certification to verifiable trust.
CERTIFY ARTWORKS, PROTOTYPES AND CREATIVE ASSETS WITH NOTARIFY
With Notarify, artists, designers and institutions can protect the integrity and registration date of their creative works through notarisation on public blockchains.