How every work is certified, secured and remains unambiguous

    Why certificates are more important today than ever before

    The art market has changed.

    In the past, a signature on the back of a picture was sufficient. Today, it's about transparency, protection against forgery, and trust.

    A work by Brandhoek is not simply a highly professional, museum-quality photographic print – it is part of a limited, documented edition, secured according to international standards.

    Therefore, Brandhoek uses two certification systems that perfectly complement each other:

    1. the Hahnemühle certificate (physical guarantee of authenticity)

    2. the Verisart registration (digital provenance on the blockchain)

    Together they ensure that every Brandhoek work remains unique, comprehensible and distinctive – in the real and digital worlds.

    Hahnemühle

    • Hahnemühle is one of the oldest and most renowned paper manufacturers in the world (founded in 1584, Germany).

      She produces fine art papers for museums, artists and galleries.


      The Hahnemühle certificate is an official, counterfeit-proof document of authenticity, issued together with an individual security system.

    • Each certificate consists of:

      • high-quality paper with hologram embossing

      • an individual serial number

      • a second hologram sticker for the artwork itself


      Both holograms carry the same code –

      One remains on the certificate, one is permanently attached to the back of the artwork.

    • When a Brandhoek plant is produced:

      1. It receives an edition number (e.g. 7/25).

      2. This number will be noted on the certificate.

      3. The Hahnemühle hologram with serial code is affixed to the back of the work.

      4. The second, identical hologram remains on the paper certificate.

      This creates a unique connection between:

      • the physical work,

      • the certificate,

      • and the official edition list of Brandhoek.

    This system prevents a work from being easily copied or reprinted. Because: no other copy in the world bears the same hologram number.

    The Hahnemühle certificate therefore proves the physical authenticity of the work – it belongs exactly to this copy and to no other edition.

    VERISART

    • Verisart is an international platform for the digital certification of artworks,

      Founded in London in 2015, and now a global leader in the field of “Blockchain Provenance”.


      Verisart can be thought of as an unalterable digital archive,

      in which the most important data of a work of art are permanently stored –

      comparable to a digital passport.

    • When a Brandhoek plant is registered, Verisart stores the following information:

      • Title of the work

      • Artist's name

      • Edition and size

      • Date of creation

      • Serial number (from the Hahnemühle certificate)

      • and a digital fingerprint ( hash )


      This data set is secured in a so-called blockchain.

      This is a decentralized digital network that runs on thousands of independent computers worldwide.


      Each data record there receives a timestamp and a unique code.

      and can never be changed or deleted again.


      Thus it is recorded forever:

      This work exists.

      It was created on [date].

      It belongs to the edition [x/25].

      It was officially registered by Brandhoek.

    • A buyer can check online – no matter where in the world,

      whether his work is genuine, by:

      1. scans the QR code on the certificate or

      2. Enters the serial number at Verisart.


      He then sees on the Verisart website:

      • the work,

      • the artist,

      • the edition,

      • and the blockchain proof of authenticity.


      Even if the paper certificate is lost,

      The digital proof will remain accessible forever.

    The interplay between Hahnemühle and Verisart

    Both systems complement each other – one protects the object, the other the information.

    Result: The work is clearly identifiable; its provenance is traceable.

    Together they create an authenticity network consisting of three parts:

    1. The physical work (on fine art paper and acrylic in a Brandhoek ArtBox frame)

    2. The Hahnemühle certificate (paper with hologram and code)

    3. The Verisart registration (digital, tamper-proof blockchain database)


    Verisart is one of the most widely used provenance systems in the world.

    Users include:

    • Sotheby’s – one of the world’s largest auction houses

    • Saatchi Art – the largest online gallery for contemporary art

    • Unit London – leading gallery for digital art

    • Sarabande Foundation (Alexander McQueen Foundation)

    • Rhizomes / New Museum New York

    • Serpentine Galleries London

    Verisart is also used in cooperation with Hahnemühle, Christie’s , Artsy, SuperRare and numerous museums.


    As a result, the technology is internationally established, tested and recognized.

    Brandhoek stands for authenticity, precision and longevity.

    The combination of Hahnemühle & Verisart ensures these values ​​on two levels:

    1. Material quality – each work is created on certified paper, in a tested production process, with a visible guarantee of authenticity.

    2. Digital security – every work is immutably registered and can be verified worldwide.


    This ensures that Brandhoek remains transparent, counterfeit-proof and worthy of collectors –

    whether in a living room in Mallorca, a hotel in Cape Town or a gallery in Zurich.


    Brandhoek