The Networked Artistic Learning Algorithm (NALA), a pioneering digital platform for art discovery and collecting, has announced the launch of its marketplace, paired with an upgrade to its advanced recommendation algorithm. With this, it’s bound to deliver a more personalized, intuitive, and diverse art exploration experience for its global community of users.
NALA’s new algorithm uses an autoencoder to analyze each artwork in its vast database, extracting over 200 distinct features, from color schemes and thematic elements to stylistic nuances. Unique annotations are tagged in each piece, which fortifies NALA’s dual recommender system.
This system encompasses two parallel engines. One is focused on artist-based suggestions while the other prioritizes artwork-specific visual attributes. The algorithm recalibrates users’ feeds as they like or dislike artworks, selectively introducing works outside their typical genre but with similar stylistic characteristics. “For example, if a user likes bold pop art with vibrant colors, they might also see visually aligned pieces from impressionist or cubist styles,” founder Ben Gulak explains.
Available on the App Store and Google Play, NALA allows users to swipe through artworks, express preferences, and upload photos of art they admire to find similar pieces available for purchase. The platform helps art lovers encounter familiar and unexpected pieces by recalibrating and refreshing each user’s feed based on in-app behavior. This approach is similar to the genre-crossing recommendation methods of platforms like Netflix. Dubbed “the Spotify for art,” NALA ensures a curated but expanding gallery that continues to refine itself as users interact.
ECHO, NALA’s latest feature, introduces a powerful visual search tool that enables users to upload photos of art they admire, may they be from galleries, museums, or social media, and see pieces that show similar aesthetics. It makes art discovery more accessible, as it provides highly accurate matches based on style, color, and composition.
The founder is thrilled to announce that users are now able to complete purchases seamlessly within the app via Stripe, with shipping supported by Arta. “These integrations make finding, buying, and receiving the perfect art piece easier than ever,” he states.
Ben, a Canadian artist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alumnus, created NALA to remove the traditional barriers in the art market. He and his team of data scientists from MIT and seasoned art professionals developed the platform to help artists sell directly to collectors, bypass costly middlemen, and provide fairer compensation while giving art lovers access to pieces that align with their tastes. They shaped NALA’s approach to art discovery, which revolves around combining technology with creative understanding.
NALA houses one of the most extensive art collections on the market. Therefore, it offers a vast database featuring artists from around the globe, from well-known names to emerging voices. With accessibility and empowerment as its foundation, the leading art market’s matchmaker supports creative independence by connecting artists directly with collectors. This means NALA benefits emerging and established artists by providing them with a global platform to build their careers on their terms.
“More than a marketplace, we describe NALA as a dynamic ecosystem that brings art to life for collectors and enthusiasts,” says Ben. “We believe discovering and acquiring art should be a personal and enjoyable experience for everyone, and that’s why we made it our goal to bridge the gap between artists and collectors.”
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