Milan's Arch of Peace enters the metaverse as AI DATAPORTAL_ARCH OF LIGHT

The international collective Ouchhh created a virtual copy of Milan's Arco della Pace, named AI DATAPORTAL_ARCH OF LIGHT, which debuted around New Year's in the metaverse. According to organizers, this neoclassical arch from the 19th century at Parco Sempione is the first monumental structure to enter the metaverse. The initiative, curated by Reasoned Art in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia belle arti e paesaggio di Milano and under the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, involved covering the arch with an innovative 360-degree architectural data sculpture. This covering, generated by an algorithm, consists of continuously changing images selected by the collective. Over 320 artists reinterpreted 20,000 works from Italian art history across various periods and movements, including digitization of literary heritage spanning more than seventeen centuries and annual data from NASA's Italian sky map. The project aligns with Ouchhh's mission to explore the intersection of art, science, and technology by creating hybrid environments that redefine the future of art. The work will be transformed into an NFT, with proceeds from the sale of the unique digital certificate going toward creating an educational and experimental space for digital art, science, and technology, benefiting young curators, artists, and enthusiasts through scholarships, in line with European projects like S+T+ARTS and New European Bauhaus.