The workshop is a collaborative effort of SBHK and LI-MA and was led by Ariënne Boelens, co-coordinator of the SBHK (Foundation for the Preservation of Contemporary Art) and Joost Dofferhoff, registrar at LI-MA and coordinator of the Digital Art Data Workshop. The first part of the workshop had a more introductory nature, the participants placed their collection on a scale from 0 to 100% , indicating how far along they are with making their collections searchable and finable through Linked Open Data.

The collections represented included Kanal Centre Pompidou, Collectie Almere, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, and Studio Erwin Olaf.

Linked Open Data, Persistent Identifiers and More!

The second part of the workshop featured a detailed presentation by Mirjam Verloop, developer of digital projects in the cultural heritage sector, who explained the principles that the NDE applies for publishing data. Key topics included Persistent Identifiers, the use of the network and dataset register, and the five checkmarks for becoming NDE-compatible, such as publishing data as Linked Open Data and using terminology standardised in the Termennetwerk.

Expectations for the Digital Art Data Workshop

After a lunch break, the group of participants were divided into two groups and asked questions regarding their own digital art collections and their expectations or wishes regarding the Digital Art Data workshop. Their answers were discussed within the groups to see where their collections differed from each other and where they had similarities.

After lunch, participants divided into groups to discuss their own digital art collections and share their expectations for the Digital Art Data Workshop. While some collections were already well advanced in making their data NDE-compatible and findable through linked data, others were still in the early stages. Despite these differences, all participants agreed on the need for a standardised vocabulary for digital and media art. Many institutions struggle to describe their collections using coherent terminology, and the Digital Art Data Workshop could serve as a key node for developing this collectively.

Another priority identified was the need to address the specifics of digital art preservation, which differs significantly from the preservation of traditional heritage. Artworks require a different approach than documents, and guidance on these nuances would benefit many collections. The Digital Art Data Workshop will take both of these topics forward, with plans to develop vocabulary and preservation strategies next year.

Lastly, participants suggested organising a workshop or tutorial on registering digital art. Although some attendees had experience with registration, there is not yet a widely adopted standard. A tutorial could provide essential skills for registering digital artworks and clarify the metadata requirements.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The second Digital Art Data Workshop proved a success, building on previous discussions and generating new ideas for future initiatives. Many digital art collections and institutions are progressing towards NDE compatibility and greater online discoverability, but ongoing advice and support from the Digital Art Data Workshop remain crucial. LI-MA, SBHK and the NDE will address the themes and questions that emerged, with plans for new events, digital art registration tutorials, and published guides. If you or your institution are interested in these topics or future events, please sign up for the newsletter by emailing info@sbhk.nl.