As the world’s first art fair, ART COLOGNE has long been regarded as one of the most important international meeting points for art lovers and professionals. In recent years, however, the fair risked falling behind digitally. To address this, we developed a digital platform to replace the former online catalog.
Following a public tender, we were awarded the contract to build a gallery platform for ART COLOGNE that enables direct contact between galleries and potential buyers. From the very beginning, the collaboration with ART COLOGNE directors Daniel Hug and Benjamin Agert was marked by mutual trust and a strong team spirit.
“We worked as one large, joint team—and there was no stress ahead of the deadline.”
Peter Ebersbach, rising systems
After the initial go-live, user feedback showed that visitors wanted more background information about the exhibited artworks. We responded by developing a second version of the platform with a significantly improved customer experience. The result was so convincing that the solution has since been seamlessly integrated into the overall digital presence of Koelnmesse.
Almost all year round, galleries now present their works on the platform—carefully curated and hand-selected. Exhibitors benefit from an intuitive interface that allows them to easily upload artworks and manage their online presence. At the same time, the platform serves as a valuable after-sales channel, enabling interested buyers to get in touch directly with galleries and art dealers.
Anyone capable of building gallery platforms like this is well equipped to meet the diverse online requirements of modern commerce—flexibly, reliably, and with close attention to the specific business case. As with this project, our work often focuses on intelligently connecting e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail. Whether this is achieved through a custom-built solution or—very often at the point of sale—using our preferred ERP system Odoo, is something we decide together with our clients. How can we support you?
read the full ART COLOGNE Story