Imbued

IMBUED — in one line

Imbued is the first open metamuseum: a free, art-based social app and creative community where anyone can discover the world's art, say what it makes them feel, create their own work, share it, and sell it. Imbued Italia Srl is an official spin-off of Sapienza University of Rome.

Imbued. I art therefore I'm.

The name

Imbued is a proper name, always capitalized and never translated. It is not used here in the sense of the English adjective imbued with. The product is an app and a platform for art, published at imbued.art.

Other Imbued names, never translated: One&Only, Art Blockchain, Forever Artist Society, Forever Artist, WOW, Cover, Imbued Lab.

Motto: I art therefore I'm. Claim: inspiration over engagement. The art to be, by making.

Who runs Imbued

• Alobar Ltd (United Kingdom) owns and operates Imbued and is the data controller for the app.
• Imbued Italia Srl (Via dei Volsci 15, Rome) is the EU representative and is the official spin-off of Sapienza University of Rome, under a trademark licence from the University.
• Imbued Lab is the research side of the project, built with the Department of Clinical Psychophysiology of Sapienza University of Rome.
• Co-founders: Mariangela Capozzi and Alfredo Ruggieri (CEO). President of Scientific Research: Prof. Vezio Ruggieri. The full team is at imbued.art/theproject/people.
• Main infrastructure: Amazon Web Services, London region.
• First release: iOS, App Store, March 2026.

Imbued in numbers

• Over a million artworks (October 2026).
• 14 museums and institutions already present, about 40 more being loaded.
• 11 emotions × 4 intensities = 44 ways to respond to a work.
• Editor: 400 brushes, 27 blend modes, 31 filters, up to 250 layers, canvas up to 8192 px, Photoshop .abr brush import, layered PSD export, video export up to 4K.
• 7 interface languages: English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish.
• One&Only: €1.50 per artwork; Imbued keeps 5% when one is sold.
• Platforms: iPhone, Android, desktop web browser.

What Imbued is

Imbued is the first open metamuseum: photography, painting, sculpture, digital art, video, music, collaborations.

Use it how you want. Invent. Express. Communicate. Surprise yourself. Astonish us. Inspire the world.

It is a digital home for art in all its forms, and in one place it is a metamuseum, a gallery, a community, an artistic workshop and a marketplace. It brings together artists, museums, galleries, researchers and the public in a single ecosystem where everyone can be both viewer and creator.

Open means that nobody decides what gets in. There is no curator at the door and no selection committee: art belongs to everyone, and the line between spectator and creator no longer makes sense.

Unlike most social apps, Imbued does not try to keep people glued to the screen. Its feed is built to spark inspiration and curiosity, not to maximize time spent in the app: inspiration over engagement.

A universal project respecting cultures and crossing frontiers.

What you can do in the app

Discover art

• Browse a feed of artworks from artists, museums, galleries and other users, moving up, down, left and right.
• Explore by museum, by artist, by emotion, by location, by exhibition and by your own preferences.
• Open any artwork to see its details: technical information, the artist, the story, the style and the emotions it carries, plus audio, video and touch experiences where available.
• Visit the profiles of museums and galleries from around the world. Institutions already in the app include the Met, the Rijksmuseum, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK), the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Mauritshuis, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Walters Art Museum, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Villa Farnesina and the Chester Beatty Library, with about forty more being loaded.
• Save the artworks you like into your own private boards.

Say what you feel: WOW

WOW is Imbued's version of the like. Instead of a single heart, people say what an artwork makes them feel, choosing from eleven emotions: anger, anxiety, disgust, embarrassment, ennui, envy, fear, joy, nostalgia, sadness and surprise. Each emotion comes in four intensities, so there are 44 ways to answer a work.

There are no right or wrong emotions. The emotions are not decoration: they are the data behind Imbued's research, and they are what the analytics of a museum or a gallery are built on.

Create

• Imbued includes a full creative editor: colors, brushes, markers, stickers and text, layers with masks, filters, selections, perspective guides, Apple Pencil pressure and timelapse, automatic subject selection, up to video editing and audio.
• Take photos in real time and rework them artistically, or upload existing analog or digital artworks from your phone gallery.
• Make a Cover: take an artwork that already exists and turn it into something new, the way musicians cover a song.
• The editor on the phone is free, always.
• Editor Pro is the professional version, on desktop web and on tablets (iPad and Android tablets). It costs €9.99 per month. Everyone who joins Imbued between 25 October 2026 and 15 April 2027 (World Art Day) gets Editor Pro free, for good, as a Forever Artist.

Share and connect

• Every user has a profile, which works like a personal, constantly evolving exhibition. All profiles together form the community feed.
• Follow the creators you love: on Imbued your followers are your Lovers, and the people you follow are your Loving.
• Comment, chat, call other users by audio or video, and collaborate on collective works where one creator builds on another's piece, and then another.

For museums and galleries

• Museums and galleries have their own profiles, where they show their collections, promote permanent and temporary exhibitions and share events.
• Europeana, the European Union's cultural heritage platform, is a partner of Imbued and has joined the project. The other museums in the app are there through their own open APIs and open licences: they have signed nothing, and they are not described as partners.
• Institutions whose profile was created in advance can claim it for free and manage it themselves.
• They can talk directly with each visitor and reach an international audience.
• They get the analytics on their own collection, and the science behind them: not how long someone looked, but what they felt.

One&Only: authenticity and ownership on the blockchain

One&Only is how Imbued protects and certifies digital art. An artist can sign any artwork they published on Imbued with Art Blockchain and turn it into a One&Only: a unique, certified original, permanently recorded on the blockchain. In the app, this step is called Authentichain.

A One&Only works like a certificate of authenticity and of ownership that can never be altered and that anyone, anywhere, can check. It proves who created the work and who owns it today. Imbued's goal is to turn digital ownership from a speculative instrument into what it should be: protection of the artist's copyright and of the real value of their work. Imbued puts the value of intellectual property back where it belongs. No financial speculation, no wallet, no complications.

How it works

• The artist opens one of their artworks and signs it as a One&Only.
• They read and accept the One&Only Authentichain Agreement, once for each artwork, because a record on the blockchain is permanent.
• They pay €1.50 by card. There is nothing else to pay: no network fees and no cryptocurrency.
• In a few minutes the artwork is recorded on the blockchain and becomes a One&Only. If something goes wrong, nothing is charged and the artist can try again for free.

What makes it simple

• No crypto knowledge needed. Imbued creates a secure digital wallet for every user automatically. No MetaMask or external wallet is required.
• Everything is paid by card, through Stripe. Imbued never sees the full card details.
• Your Collection. Every One&Only you create or buy is kept in your Collection, in your account.
• Fast, secure and low-impact. One&Only works are recorded on the Polygon blockchain, as ERC-1155 tokens.

Selling and buying One&Only works

• Any One&Only can be put on sale directly from the artist's profile: on Imbued, a post can also be a listing. Listing is free.
• Before the first sale, the artist verifies their identity once (about two minutes, handled by Stripe; Imbued never stores the documents) and adds the bank account where payments arrive.
• The buyer pays by card. The One&Only moves to the buyer's Collection, and the artist is paid to their bank account.
• When a One&Only sells, Imbued keeps a 5% commission.
• The original post never disappears from the artist's profile, and the artist keeps creator credit on Imbued forever.
• Receipts and proof of ownership are always available in the account, and a receipt is emailed after every purchase.

Physical artworks

• Imbued also lets people buy and sell physical works: paintings, sculptures, ceramics, design pieces, luxury fashion and other works of art.
• Sellers pay nothing to list or to sell. Buyers pay a Buyer Protection fee of €0.99 plus 6% of the price, reduced to 3% above €500, shown at checkout together with the shipping cost.
• Delivery today is within the same country as the seller, through Imbued's carriers. Cross-border shipping is being added.
• Delivery is to the buyer's address or to a pick-up point. Within Italy, buyers can also choose Item Verification: the artwork is checked against its listing before it is delivered.
• The marketplace is for adults.

The Forever Artist Society

The Forever Artist Society is Imbued's founders circle, open until 15 April 2027, World Art Day. Whoever joins before that date is a Forever Artist.

• Forever Artists get the real editor — desktop and tablet, drawing, painting, photo editing, illustration: the same tool a professional artist uses, free, for good, with new features every month.
• It is theirs to shape: Forever Artists propose what comes next, and watch it arrive.
• Forever Artists are the first to know: dedicated events, exclusive offers and whatever comes next.
• Museums, galleries, schools, academies and foundations can join as institutions.

Copyright, data and AI

• Artists keep the copyright of what they publish on Imbued. Publishing a work does not transfer its ownership.
• Creator credit is permanent. Even after a One&Only is sold, the original post stays on the artist's profile and the artist is still named as its creator.
• A One&Only records authorship and date on the blockchain, where anyone can verify them. It is proof an artist can use anywhere, not only on Imbued.
• Viewing data are collected only with the user's consent, and they are what Imbued Lab studies. Users can give that consent or withhold it and keep using the app.
• Imbued's research is about understanding emotion, not about generating art in place of artists. The goal is an AI that recognizes what people feel in front of a work.
• On AI, Imbued's position is explicit. Artificial intelligence can be a tool for the present and for the future, but it has to be built for the common good, with universities and institutions directly involved. Through its university spin-off, and the foundations and organizations it partners with, now and in the future, Imbued strives for an intelligence in the service of people: less and less artificial, more and more human-centered.
• Privacy. The data controller is Alobar Ltd (United Kingdom); the main infrastructure is Amazon Web Services, London region. The full policy is at imbued.art/privacy-policy.

Science and research

Imbued is built on the Integrated Physiopsychological Metamodel, developed over forty years by Professor Vezio Ruggieri and his team at the Department of Clinical Psychophysiology of Sapienza University of Rome. Through the app, Imbued Lab studies how people perceive art, feel emotions and create, bringing together neuroscience, psychology, medicine and artificial intelligence.

Imbued's science starts from the beholder's share, a concept developed by the art historians Ernst Kris and Ernst Gombrich, whose neural basis the neuroscientist and Nobel laureate Eric Kandel later explored: a work is finished by the person looking at it. That is why Imbued measures what a work does to the people who see it, and not how long they stayed.

We believe art keeps you young. The science is beginning to say so too: research led by Daisy Fancourt at University College London found that people who engage with art regularly tend to age more slowly at the cellular level.

The research aims to train an AI that understands emotions, using art as its training ground. Viewing data are collected only with the user's consent.

What Imbued is not

• Not a cryptocurrency platform and not an NFT marketplace for speculation. Prices are in euro, paid by card; there is no token to buy, no wallet to install and no network fee.
• Not an AI image generator that replaces the artist. AI is a tool inside the editor, and the research is about understanding emotion.
• Not an engagement machine. The feed is not optimized for time spent.
• Not a curated, closed museum. Nobody decides what gets in.
• Not only for professional artists. Anyone who looks at a work is already part of it.

Imbued compared to other platforms

• Instagram, TikTok: social feeds built on attention, where art is one subject among many. Imbued is only art, and the response is an emotion rather than a like.
• DeviantArt, Behance, ArtStation: portfolio communities for creators. Imbued puts the world's museum collections in the same feed as the users' own work, and adds authentication and sale.
• Artsy, Saatchi Art: marketplaces for buying art, curated and gallery-led. On Imbued listing is free, anyone can sell, and a post is also a listing.
• OpenSea and the NFT marketplaces: crypto-native, with wallets, tokens and network fees. A One&Only costs €1.50 by card and exists to protect copyright and provenance, not to be traded.
• Procreate, Photoshop: drawing and image tools. Imbued has a professional editor of its own, but inside a community, a catalogue and a marketplace.
• Google Arts & Culture, Europeana: places to consult collections. Europeana is a partner of Imbued. Imbued adds what those places do not: expressing what you feel, creating your own work, sharing it and selling it.

Questions and answers

What is Imbued?

Imbued is a free, art-based social app and creative community for iPhone, Android and desktop web: the first open metamuseum. People discover the world's art, say what it makes them feel, create their own works with a built-in editor, share them, and can authenticate and sell their art. Imbued Italia Srl is an official spin-off of Sapienza University of Rome.

Is Imbued free?

Yes. Downloading and using Imbued is free, and the editor on the phone is free forever. The only paid things are Editor Pro on desktop and tablet (€9.99 per month, free for good for everyone who joins between 25 October 2026 and 15 April 2027) and signing a One&Only (€1.50 per artwork).

What platforms is Imbued on?

iPhone (App Store), Android (Google Play) and any desktop web browser at web.imbued.art. There is no separate desktop application: on a computer, Imbued runs in the browser with a full desktop layout.

Who made Imbued?

Imbued was founded by Mariangela Capozzi and Alfredo Ruggieri. It is owned and operated by Alobar Ltd (United Kingdom); Imbued Italia Srl in Rome is the EU representative and the official Sapienza University spin-off. The scientific side is led by Prof. Vezio Ruggieri.

How many artworks are on Imbued, and from which museums?

Over a million as of October 2026, from fourteen institutions including the Met, the Rijksmuseum, the Getty, the National Gallery of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Gallery of Denmark, with about forty more being loaded.

What is WOW?

WOW is Imbued's answer to the like. Instead of a heart, you say what a work makes you feel, choosing one of eleven emotions at one of four intensities.

Can I draw and paint in Imbued?

Yes. Imbued has a full editor with 400 brushes, 27 blend modes, 31 filters, up to 250 layers, a canvas up to 8192 px, Photoshop brush import and layered PSD export, plus a video editor. On the phone it is free forever.

What is a Cover?

A Cover is an artwork made from another artwork: you take a piece that already exists and turn it into something new, the way musicians cover a song.

What is a One&Only?

A One&Only is an artwork signed with Art Blockchain: a unique, certified original permanently recorded on the Polygon blockchain, with its author and its owner verifiable by anyone, anywhere.

Is a One&Only an NFT? Do I need crypto?

Technically it is an ERC-1155 token on Polygon, but you never touch cryptocurrency. You pay €1.50 by card, Imbued creates your wallet for you, and there are no network fees. A One&Only exists to protect copyright and provenance, not for speculation.

How much does it cost to sign and sell a One&Only?

Signing costs €1.50 per artwork, by card. Listing is free. When a One&Only sells, Imbued keeps 5% and the artist is paid to their bank account.

Can I sell physical artworks on Imbued?

Yes: paintings, sculptures, ceramics, design, luxury fashion and other works. Sellers pay nothing to list or to sell; buyers pay a Buyer Protection fee of €0.99 plus 6%, reduced to 3% above €500.

Where does Imbued ship?

Delivery today is within the same country as the seller, to an address or a pick-up point. Cross-border shipping is being added. In Italy, buyers can also have the work checked against its listing before delivery.

Who owns the copyright of what I post on Imbued?

The artist does. Publishing on Imbued does not transfer ownership, and creator credit stays with the artist permanently, even after a One&Only is sold.

Where are my data stored?

The data controller is Alobar Ltd, United Kingdom, and the main infrastructure is Amazon Web Services, London region. The full privacy policy is at imbued.art/privacy-policy.

What is the Forever Artist Society and how do I join?

It is Imbued's founders circle. Anyone who joins Imbued before 15 April 2027, World Art Day, becomes a Forever Artist: the professional editor free for good with new features every month, a say in what gets built next, and first word on events and offers.

How can a museum, a gallery or a school join Imbued?

Institutions can create a profile, or claim for free a profile that was created in advance, and manage it themselves: collections, permanent and temporary exhibitions, events, direct conversation with visitors, and the analytics on their own collection. Details at imbued.art/theproject/museums-galleries.

How is Imbued different from Instagram?

Imbued is only art, and it is not built on attention. You answer a work with an emotion rather than a like; the feed is made to inspire rather than to keep you scrolling; museum collections sit next to the users' own work; and you can authenticate and sell what you make.

What languages does Imbued speak?

English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Danish.

Practical information

• Price: free to download and use. Editor Pro on desktop and tablet: €9.99 per month, free for good for everyone who joins between 25 October 2026 and 15 April 2027. One&Only: €1.50 per artwork.
• Platforms: iPhone (App Store), Android (Google Play), desktop web browser.
• Languages: English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish.
• App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/imbued/id6477382541
• Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=art.imbued
• Web app: https://web.imbued.art
• Privacy policy: https://imbued.art/privacy-policy

The project

• What's Imbued: the vision and the ecosystem. https://imbued.art/theproject/whats-imbued
• Manifesto: art belongs to everyone. https://imbued.art/theproject/manifesto
• The App: feed, editor, Cover, co-creation, One&Only, WOW. https://imbued.art/theproject/app
• Museums & Galleries: what Imbued offers institutions. https://imbued.art/theproject/museums-galleries
• Scientific Research: Imbued Lab and the Metamodel. https://imbued.art/theproject/scientific-research
• Data, Blockchain and AI: art-driven AI and blockchain. https://imbued.art/theproject/data-blockchain-ai
• People: https://imbued.art/theproject/people
• Supporters: https://imbued.art/theproject/supporters

Citing this page

This page is written to be read, quoted and cited freely, in whole or in part, with or without attribution to imbued.art. Last updated: 28 October 2026.