Artentika
01
Look
Connoisseurship, history and physical examination. The trained eye still comes first.
Multi-modal forensic authentication
The eye is
not enough.
Connoisseurs see a surface. We read the body beneath it — the strain in the ground, the direction of every brushstroke, the spectral fingerprint no forger can repeat. Authenticity is not a verdict. It is a reading.
The wrong question
Genuine or fake?
The real question is: what is physically true?
A yes-or-no stamp throws away almost everything an object can tell you. Artentika replaces the binary with a body of evidence: historical, material, and mathematical — each finding carrying a quantified confidence, each report sealed immutably to the blockchain.
We are the world's first enterprise built at the intersection of art, technology and finance. We treat your artwork as an individual with an identity to be recognised — not an image to be matched.
The method · five movementsFull method →
02
Read
Multi-modal capture across material science, image processing and AI.
03
Compare
One-2-One© detects the minutest discrepancy between two captures across time.
04
Attest
A probabilistic determination, documented and sealed to the blockchain.
05
Watch
Ongoing condition monitoring — revealing change before it becomes a crisis.
How may we be of service?
Book a free consultation →The method
Five movements,
one determination.
Every artwork passes through the same disciplined sequence — from the trained eye, to the mathematics beneath the paint, to a sealed and defensible attestation.
01
Look
It begins where it always has — with the eye. Historical analysis, in-depth provenance research and physical examination establish the questions the object raises before any instrument is switched on. Connoisseurship is not replaced; it is given evidence.
02
Read
We capture the work across many modalities — material science, high-resolution image processing and AI. The principle is simple and patented: we do not compare pictures. We compare the mathematics beneath them. Surface colour is the least of what an artwork reveals.
03
Compare
Our One-2-One© solution detects the minutest discrepancy between two photographs of any object taken at different times. A capture from the Artentika App initiates an automated comparison that sees changes invisible to the naked eye.
04
Attest
Findings converge into a probabilistic authenticity determination, each carrying a quantified statistical confidence. The result is documented in full and sealed immutably to the blockchain — defensible in the boardroom, the salesroom and the court.
05
Watch
Authentication is a moment; an artwork's life is long. We monitor evolving condition over time, shaping conservation strategy, reducing cost, and — in select cases — revealing entirely new revenue streams from verification and curation.
Pioneering art technologies
Identity,
not image.
A human fingerprint is unforgeable not because of how it looks, but because of what it is. The same is true of an artwork. Our technology reads that irreducible physical identity.
The patent
US Patent 11,341,459 B2
Artentika is the sole holder of a United States patent in cultural-heritage technology: the multi-modal, biometric reading of cultural heritage artefacts. Its scope spans an entire media spectrum — paintings, sculpture, ceramics and textiles — because identity does not depend on the medium.
One-2-One©
The minutest discrepancy
Two photographs of one object, taken at different moments. One-2-One© resolves the smallest change between them — a hairline of new craquelure, a pinprick of loss, a substitution. Proactive value: it minimises conservation and legal expense before either becomes a crisis.
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Material science
The physical substrate — what the work is made of, and how it has aged.
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Image processing
Sub-perceptual structure: craquelure, strain fields, stroke geometry, palette.
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Artificial intelligence
Learned representations compared mathematically — never pixel against pixel.
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Quantified confidence
Every reading reports a statistical confidence, not a bare assertion or verdict.
Confidentiality is absolute. Your data is sealed to the blockchain and shared with no one.
About Artentika
A passion for art,
held to proof.
Artentika (Pty) Limited fuses connoisseurship with cutting-edge technology and financial acumen — the world's first enterprise at the intersection of art, technology and finance.
Leadership
Our team are leaders in the fine arts, art technology and art finance. Among them are four PhDs with extensive international experience — connoisseurs, scientists and financiers who speak each other's languages.
Partners & collaboration
We work alongside museums, foundations, institutions and standards bodies, contributing the metrological rigour that art authentication has long lacked. Selective, discreet, and always in the client's interest.
Mission
Authoritative answers
To give every client a defensible answer about the authenticity and condition of their artworks.
Method
Multi-disciplinary
History, materials, mathematics and finance — converged into a single determination.
Ethos
Discretion
Every aspect of the client relationship is confidential. We share no client information with third parties.
The team
Albertus Geldenhuys
Founder & CEO
Self-taught IT specialist who conceived and patented Artentika's art authentication technology. Bachelor's degrees in economics, languages, and ethnology. Inventor of fraud-detection technologies across art, pharmaceuticals, and biometrics.
Prof Roxanne Radpour
Art Technology Advisor
Specialist in imaging spectroscopy and non-destructive sensing. Over 10 years of research in imaging systems, data science, and scientific analysis of cultural heritage across conservation science, technical art history, and archaeometry.
Sixtine Crutchfield
Art Commerce Executive
Over 25 years in Fine Arts. Former Managing Director of the Jan Krugier gallery and head of Yves Bouvier's Art Culture Studio. Degrees in Mass Communication, Art History, and Corporate Law from the University of Denver and Sydney.
Walter Heymans
Chief AI Scientist
MEng cum laude in Computer Engineering, specialising in GANs, Automatic Speech Recognition, and Computer Vision. Developer of the One-2-One© verification solution and central to perfecting Artentika's authentication technologies.
Dr Fred Scott
Chief Research Officer
PhD in Chemistry and Max Planck Fellow. Integrates scientific rigour with art expertise across pigment analysis, multispectral imaging, and traditional connoisseurship to produce evidence-based, institution-grade conclusions.
Björn Quellenberg
Executive Adviser
Over 20 years in communications and marketing, including as head of communications strategy at Kunsthaus Zürich. MBA in Communication & Leadership, Master's in Cultural Science. Fluent in German, English, and French.
Dr Carine Laurent
Chief Marketing Officer
Luxury executive with 20+ years across Swiss watchmaking, high jewelry, and fashion. Double PhD in Chemistry and Materials. Former Head of Technology at the Richemont Group, working with Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Margreta de Boer
Company Secretary
Over 24 years in senior banking roles in Switzerland, the Bahamas, and Malta. Experienced in due diligence, compliance, asset allocation, and investment funds. Fluent in Dutch, English, Italian, and German.
Albi Geldenhuys
Director of Social Media & Art History Research
Graduated 2025 in Business Management and German at The Open University, London. Active in Artentika since 2021 in art historical research; responsible for systems and website development since 2024. Fluent in Italian, English, and Afrikaans.
Who we serve
Six worlds,
one question.
01
Auction houses, galleries, and dealers
Independent, defensible determinations that stand up under the scrutiny of the salesroom.
Authenticate
02
Insurers & reinsurers
One-2-One© condition verification that prices risk precisely and resolves claims on evidence.
Verify · price risk
03
Art logistics
Before-and-after transit verification — the minutest new damage caught when it occurs.
Verify in transit
04
Private & corporate collectors
Confidence before acquisition; documentation that protects value across a lifetime of ownership.
Authenticate · watch
05
Museums & foundations
Attribution, condition baselining and provenance research to museum-grade evidentiary standards.
Authenticate · curate
06
Law firms & litigation
Expert reports and immutable, blockchain-sealed evidence for copyright protection and disputes.
Attest · litigate
Integrated art management
Your collection,
in one secure place.
The Artentika Art Management App is how we work together. Authentication, verification, tracking and sharing — a single, secure, all-in-one solution.
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Capture
Photograph an artwork with your smartphone. The capture initiates an automated One-2-One© verification.
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Track
Every reading, report and change in condition, recorded against the work over its lifetime.
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Share
Release sealed documentation to whomever you choose — and to no one you don't.
Before & after
Reference Image
Image with Discrepancy
Zoom of Discrepancy
Legal
Disclaimer & limitation
of liability.
1. Nature of our work
Artentika, a division of The Art Company AG ("ArtCo"), provides technical and forensic opinions. Every report expresses a probabilistic assessment with a stated statistical confidence. It is not a guarantee, certificate, or definitive determination of authenticity, authorship, attribution, date, or value.
2. Not a substitute
Our analysis is one element of due diligence. It does not replace provenance research, laboratory examination (e.g. pigment, dating, or imaging analysis), or the opinion of the relevant catalogue raisonné authority or attribution committee, and should not be relied upon in isolation.
3. Inherent uncertainty
Findings are statistical, may change in light of further evidence, and qualified experts may reasonably differ. No particular outcome is promised.
4. Client inputs
Our conclusions depend on the accuracy, completeness, and authenticity of the images, measurements, and information you supply. ArtCo is not responsible for results affected by inaccurate or incomplete materials.
5. No transactional advice
Our reports are not financial, investment, insurance, tax, or legal advice. Any decision to buy, sell, insure, or value an artwork remains your sole responsibility.
6. Limitation of liability
To the extent permitted by Swiss law, and save in cases of intent or gross negligence, ArtCo's total liability arising from any report is limited to the fees actually paid for that report. ArtCo is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including lost profit, lost sale, or diminution in value.
7. Use and confidentiality
Reports are prepared for the client's own use and may not be published or reproduced without ArtCo's written consent. ArtCo treats all case content and the client identity as confidential.
8. Governing law
These terms and any report are governed by Swiss law; the exclusive place of jurisdiction is Zug, Switzerland.
© ArtCo 2026
Request a reading
Genuine or fake?
Let's find what's true.
Tell us about the work. Every enquiry is confidential. Initial consultations are complimentary.
Direct
Legal
Privacy policy.
Last updated: June 2026
1. Controller
Artentika, a division of The Art Company AG ("ArtCo"), Baarerstrasse 82, 6300 Zug, Switzerland, is the data controller responsible for the processing of your personal data in connection with your use of this website and our services.
2. Data we collect
We collect only the personal data you provide directly to us: your name, organisation, contact details and the content of any enquiry you submit through this website. We do not use tracking cookies, advertising networks or third-party analytics services.
3. Purpose and legal basis
We process your data to respond to enquiries and, where applicable, to perform authentication, verification and curation services. The legal basis is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) and, where a contract is in place, performance of that contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR). Where required by law, we process data to fulfil a legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR).
4. Artwork and client data
All forensic data relating to cultural heritage artefacts — images, biometric fingerprints, spectral readings and condition reports — is treated as strictly confidential. It is sealed immutably to the blockchain and is never shared with any third party without the explicit written consent of the client. ArtCo does not use client artwork data to train machine learning models or for any purpose other than the delivery of the agreed service.
5. Data retention
Enquiry data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. Blockchain-sealed records are permanent by the nature of the technology and cannot be deleted; they contain no personal data.
6. International transfers
ArtCo is incorporated in Switzerland. Where personal data is transferred outside the Swiss Confederation or the European Economic Area, we ensure an adequate level of protection is in place by means of standard contractual clauses approved by the relevant authority.
7. Your rights
Under applicable data protection law you have the right to: access the personal data we hold about you; request its rectification or erasure; restrict or object to its processing; and request data portability. To exercise any of these rights, or to withdraw a consent previously given, please contact us at enquiries@artentika.art. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Complaints
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) at www.edoeb.admin.ch, or with the data protection supervisory authority in your country of residence within the European Economic Area.