Finnish National Gallery launches digital content publishing platform

The Finnish National Gallery is implementing the project with Next Generation EU funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The platform is a blockchain-based digital content platform that provides creative people, groups and communities with tools for publishing and sharing new types of content.  

"It is important for museums to be part of the technological evolution. At the same time as we look for new ways to interact as a museum with artists, audiences and art lovers. We are looking for new ways and means to implement the Finnish National Gallery's mission to strengthen cultural heritage and artistic education, and to contribute to the development of the museum sector," says Kimmo Levä, Director General of the Finnish National Gallery. 

Tools for the community, new skills for all 

Alusta provides artists and creative professionals with the tools to publish and manage their digital creations, opening up new ways of expression and ownership on the internet. Alusta is built on top of the Ethereum blockchain, so publishing and collecting content requires a blockchain wallet. Instead, the content of the platform can be enjoyed free of charge via an internet browser at alusta.art. 

Alusta is part of the wider Digital National Gallery programme, which is looking for ways to digitise museums and make the national art collection managed by the National Gallery more widely available. "Alusta is free of geographical boundaries, which means that it is international in scope. We hope that its tools will be found by a diverse, innovative and forward-looking community that will shape and expand the field of digital content production. It would be great if it could also inspire other communities and companies to come up with new projects and partnerships", says Johanna Eiramo, Director of the Digital Finnish National Gallery programme. "Maintaining the platform and the community is a key part of our everyday work, but as a part of that we will also inspire the community to get involved, for example with the generative art competition to be launched in early 2024."