The V&A has been a participant in the AHRC funded Linked Art Research Network over the current year, working with partner institutions from the USA and Europe on developing a standard for a “Linked Data” model for describing art and artworks. Recently we hosted the first showcase of the work done so far to an audience of peers from the UK and further afield.
Presentations at the event were given by speakers from the J. Paul Getty Trust, Smithsonian, Yale Centre for British Art, National Gallery of Art, Design for Context, Oxford University e-Research Centre and MoMa setting out the background to the development of the data model, why it is LOUD (Linked, Open, Usable, Data), how this will help with questions of provenance research, and how making data available in this way can help an institution in creating a collection site (with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum‘s new collection site as an inspiring example).
The afternoon saw groups discussing various topics and ideas for further development which were picked up in the working group meeting for the rest of the week held at the Oxford e-Research Centre.
The data modelling work will continue through the rest of the year alongside discussions and initial development of a matching API to allow for data exchange. For the V&A this will tie in with our on-going work on a new Collections site and supplementing our existing API.
Slides from the day are now available
