01 · Establish identity
Verify the owner, representative and any authority to sign on behalf of an organisation.
Identification
Owner, custodian and authority to sell · development concept
Who owns the artwork? Who holds it? And who may sell it? For the future Kunstmarkt auction, these three roles must be clear and supported by evidence for each artwork.
Three roles, three different questions
Owner
The person or organisation that owns the artwork. The file contains documents supporting ownership and transfer.
Custodian
The party that physically holds the artwork. A gallery, museum or storage facility can be its custodian without owning it.
Representative
The party authorised by the owner to sell. A sales mandate specifies which artworks are covered and under what terms.
The planned verification process
A profile, upload or self-completed checkbox does not constitute verification. Each file relates to one specific artwork.
02 · Record the artwork
Record photographs, dimensions, materials, signature, condition, artwork reference number and physical location.
03 · Assess ownership and provenance
Examine purchase invoices, transfer documents and provenance information. A certificate of authenticity does not, by itself, prove ownership.
04 · Confirm the sales mandate
Record a signed mandate for each artwork, specifying the minimum price, sale method, commission and duration. The owner confirms through a separate verified channel.
05 · Carry out further checks
Where necessary, obtain independent expert advice, physically inspect the artwork and check for loss or theft. Missing or conflicting documents require further investigation.
06 · Document admission
An authorised reviewer documents the decision. Unresolved questions prevent admission to a real auction.
What an artwork file establishes
Identity, ownership, authenticity and authority to sell are assessed separately. Documents can support an investigation; uploading them does not provide automatic approval or a guarantee.
The verification process must prevent an artwork from being admitted for sale while relevant questions about ownership or the right to sell remain unresolved.
Representation and commission
The owner and representative agree on the sales mandate and commission for each artwork. Whether the buyer scans the QR code or receives assistance at the fair stand, payment and the agreed distribution are handled through Kunstmarkt.be.
A subscription, fair stand and auction participation are separate agreements. Platform results may contribute to visibility for selection; admission follows an assessment.
For future platform development
Secure document storage, reviewer access permissions, owner confirmation and a decision log must support the file. Sensitive supporting documents must not be publicly visible.
A curator or jury member does not assess their own artworks or artworks they represent.
This page describes a development concept. The prototype does not carry out official identity, ownership or provenance checks. Do not upload identity documents here.
Discuss this with us
We want to develop this process carefully together with future partners.