The art market has always had to deal with an endemic problem: counterfeiting. All art is historically at risk of being copied and sold fraudulently by counterfeiters. A report by the Swiss Fine Art Expert Institute estimates that over half of all the artwork in circulation is fake. All this creates an incalculable loss of value for the entire market, including artists, auction houses, insurance companies and of course the end buyers, who often find themselves spending considerable sums of money only to end up with worthless pieces or even get into legal trouble. Works of art are generally not protected with dedicated security devices that uniquely identify the work itself. The problem historically originates from the requirement not to visibly alter the artwork itself and from the relative lack of security of existing non-invasive solutions.
Our team at Politecnico di Milano has developed a printable new anti-counterfeiting system (PYPAINT) based on a group of nanostructures with a specific optoelectronic response. This makes it possible to create an artwork's unique identifier code invisible to the human eye and only readable using a special optical reader. Thanks to the invisibility of inks, it is possible to print them directly on the artwork, or on a transparent label. The verification of PYPAINT allows access to a remote database to guarantee not only its authenticity but also its history and relationship with the rest of the artist's works, creating a true digital reliable medium, available to the owner. The reading of PYPAINT codes allows to identify and retrieve all the information of interest through a multi-level security protocol. Moreover, PYPAINT is safe for the environment and health, using only carbon-based molecules (no heavy metals or other toxic compounds) in almost negligible concentrations. Our novel anticounterfeiting solution can contribute to increase the security of artworks, hindering the circulation of fakes within the European Union.
