Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

With inflationary pressures heightening the effects of a lack of long-term investment, British museums and galleries are being forced to charge admission fees. This move might further disengage those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds from art, exacerbating cultural deprivation.

As we move towards increasing engagement with art online, tech is proving increasingly influential in people’s cultural consumption. But how exactly are buyers using algorithms to discover and appreciate art? Can trust in NFTs be repaired? And in what ways are digital spaces democratising art?

Through both individual and collaborative efforts, people are taking on the gatekeepers who determine what’s relevant in culture, politics, and history. By surfacing lesser-known stories from the past and providing an alternative spin on current arts and events, they’re showing how peer-led networks may challenge the influence of traditional narratives and institutions.

Museums previously held a monopoly over what art is deemed significant enough to preserve and worthy enough to display. But Arkive is overhauling the museum experience by using crypto to build the world’s first decentralised museum, tapping into meaningful collectives and tech-powered preservation.