Introducing the Elevate Metadata Standard v1.0

Today, we're excited to announce the release of the Elevate Metadata Standard v1.0, a comprehensive framework for documenting, verifying, and preserving artwork information in the digital age.

Why Metadata Matters

In the art world, provenance is everything. The story of an artwork – who created it, who owned it, where it's been displayed – is often as valuable as the piece itself. Yet traditional documentation methods are fragmented, prone to loss, and difficult to verify.

Digital art and NFTs have highlighted these challenges even more starkly. How do we ensure that digital artworks maintain their connection to their creators? How do we track ownership in a way that's both transparent and privacy-preserving?

The Elevate Approach

Our metadata standard is built on three core principles:

1. Artist-First Design

Artists retain control over their narrative through the elevate:artistControlled section. This includes their statement, cultural context, and preferred crediting. No more lost artist intentions or misrepresented work.

2. Institutional-Grade Verification

We've worked with museums, galleries, and authentication experts to create a verification system that meets institutional standards while remaining accessible to individual artists and collectors.

3. Extensible and Interoperable

Using established namespaces (AIS, W3C VC) alongside our custom elevate: extensions ensures compatibility with existing systems while allowing for innovation.

Key Features

Comprehensive Tracking

• Ownership History: Complete chain of custody with cryptographic verification
• Exhibition Records: Where and when the work has been displayed
• Market Data: Transparent pricing history and current valuations
• Conservation Records: Condition reports and treatment history

Trust Scoring

Every piece of metadata can have its own trust score, allowing for granular verification. A museum-verified exhibition record might have a trust score of 1.0, while a self-reported artist statement might start at 0.7 and increase as it's corroborated.

Privacy Controls

Not all information should be public. Our access control system allows for field-level privacy settings:

• Public: Basic artwork information, artist statement
• Collector Only: Valuation, insurance details
• Institutional: Conservation records, security details

Implementation

We're rolling out the standard in three phases:

Phase 1: Core Registry (Q3 2025)

Basic metadata fields, ownership tracking, and simple verification. This phase is funded by our Creative Victoria grant and will establish the foundation.

Phase 2: Enhanced Features (Q4 2025)

Market integration, rights management, and advanced verification methods. We're seeking additional funding through the Creative Futures Fund.

Phase 3: Full Ecosystem (2026)

IoT device integration, real-time monitoring, and enterprise API features for institutional partners.

For Developers

The standard is fully documented with JSON Schema validation. Check out our API documentation for implementation details. We're also releasing SDKs for JavaScript, Python, and Go.

// Example: Creating artwork metadata
const metadata = {
  "@context": {
    "ais": "https://www.artidstandard.org/",
    "elevate": "https://elevate.art/standard/"
  },
  "@type": "ais:Artwork",
  "ais:title": "Sunset Over Mountains",
  "ais:creator": {
    "name": "Jane Artist",
    "artistID": "did:art:artist-123"
  },
  "elevate:artistControlled": {
    "statement": "Inspired by the Australian Alps at dusk",
    "tags": ["landscape", "nature", "mountains"]
  }
};
      

Join the Standard

We're building this standard in the open, with input from artists, technologists, and institutions. Join our GitHub repository to contribute or follow development.

The art world is evolving, and its infrastructure must evolve too. The Elevate Metadata Standard is our contribution to ensuring that as art moves into the digital age, nothing is lost – not provenance, not artist intent, not the rich stories that make each piece unique.

Together, we're not just preserving art history; we're building the foundation for its future.