Skip to content

The Symphony of Innovation How Active Image and Gradion (formerly NFQ Asia and NFQ Solutions) Protect the Value of Digital Media

The Symphony of Innovation How Active Image and Gradion Protect the Value of Digital Media

Industry

Blockchain

Background

Henning Lohner, a celebrated German-American composer, filmmaker, and artist, founded Active Image to merge creative expression with secure digital distribution. The platform offers both a white-label e-commerce solution and a curated marketplace for exclusive digital media, supported by breakthrough authentication technology. At its core lies IRIS (Integrated Recognition and Identification Signature) – a patented steganographic system developed with engineers at the Fraunhofer Fokus Institute. IRIS invisibly marks each media file, enabling clear identification, provenance, and uniqueness.

Our Services

Unique Identifier Embedding, Subtle Artwork Changes, Artwork Verification via Complimentary App, Unique Encoding for Limited Editions

activeimage.io/

There are truly no words that can describe my gratitude towards the Gradion team and the incredible output they have contributed to our cause. Working with “my” Gradion team has been and is a joy in my life. Successful execution of ideas is a given; completely reliable, authentic, acute, intelligent, dedicated, and with care for the product and the people involved: I wouldn’t know what more to wish for!

Henning Lohner

Managing Director, Active Image

About Active Image

About Active Image

Active Image’s ecosystem includes a dedicated app for streaming authenticated digital art to smart TVs, tablets, phones, and display panels. The platform combines IRIS with blockchain for unmatched content security, enabling creators to distribute their work with confidence.

More than just a marketplace, Active Image supports resale and rental of digital art – generating royalties on secondary transactions and pioneering a new revenue model for artists and media creators. As the digital space grapples with deep fakes and content duplication, IRIS aims to set a new industry standard for verifying digital originality.

The Challenge

Ensuring Authenticity and Exclusivity
Digital media is easily duplicated, making it difficult to preserve uniqueness – a fundamental challenge for retaining artistic and commercial value.

Building Trust in Ownership
Amid growing concerns around AI-generated fakes and manipulated content, establishing a trustworthy protocol for digital verification is essential.

Solution Overview

Embedded Digital Identifiers: Each artwork includes a hidden, tamper-proof token, directly encoded in the image file at pixel level.

Unobtrusive Visual DNA: Subtle alterations are imperceptible to the eye but traceable, ensuring both authenticity and visual fidelity.

Explorer App for Verification: A companion app captures displayed artworks, decodes the embedded signature, and confirms authenticity through proprietary algorithms.

Unique Encoding for Limited Editions: Each copy in a limited series receives its own identifier – securing value and traceability in the digital marketplace.

To meet these challenges, Gradion (formerly NFQ Asia and NFQ Solutions) worked with Active Image to create a secure and intuitive platform integrating IRIS with blockchain-backed authentication. Together with Fraunhofer, they implemented advanced Pixel Steganograph to embed invisible digital signatures into each asset.

The Impact

Verified Authenticity and Trust:

With IRIS and blockchain integration, Gradion (formerly NFQ Asia and NFQ Solutions) ensured each asset is unique and verifiable – establishing Active Image as a trusted space for creators and collectors.

Expanded Accessibility:

The Digital Canvas feature increased reach and engagement by allowing users to enjoy verified artworks across a wide range of devices.

Overcoming Skepticism:

The Explorer App transformed doubts into trust by offering users a transparent, simple way to verify ownership – paving the way for secure digital transactions in art and media.

Ready to get started?

Download PDF →