Provenance & Authentication

The traceability of the origin and life history of works of art and collectors’ items has always played a decisive role – for their cultural significance, but also for their financial valuation. Too often, too little attention is paid to the timely creation of a meaningful provenance. It is difficult to reconstruct it without gaps afterwards, often it is an almost impossible undertaking. The creation of a complete provenance is also at the heart of the art dealer’s duty of care in every purchase and sale transaction.

The Swiss Art Market Association is committed to the development and use of new technologies in order to provide the best possible protection for artists, dealers and collectors. As a location for innovation, Switzerland offers a wide range of solutions that are already available and we would like to promote their use, especially for programme galleries and local dealers. Particular attention will be paid to the areas of digital identification and authentication of artworks and collectibles, as well as the use of blockchain technology to create certificates and secure relevant provenance documentation.

If you are interested, you will find a list of partners and specialists pre-selected by the SAMA here. As a SAMA member, you will receive special preferential conditions with these partners and specialists selected by the SAMA.