experimental online databse - what say you?

Hello there!

My name is Paul Rousseau, I work as the senior cataloguer for A Database (www.adatabase.org)

A Database is one of the key projects for A Foundation (www.afoundation.org.uk), a British Arts charity established to support the development and exhibition of contemporary art in Liverpool and East London. A Database was jointly funded by A Foundation and Arts Council UK.

A Database aims to be a key open-access online archive for artists, collectors, galleries and students. Users are able to upload, catalogue, store, record, research and study information and visual records of contemporary art and visual culture, with meta-data structured using VRA core4 to meet museum quality cataloguing standards.

The power of the programme enables the relationships and links that exist between people, art, places and events to be fully mapped, with the aim of giving as a full a social and historical context to those subjects as possible.

As we roll out the project, and look at ways of ramping up the content and getting our project out into the world, we would be very interested in comments from all quarters of international arts communities.

In particular we seek critical comment and opinions on the intuitive usability for our programme.

We would also be most happy to hear from those seeking an online home for their own archive of contemporary art, as well as those with experience of trying to build an online archive such as this.

Please, get in touch, we look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Paul Rousseau
Senior Cataloguer
[email protected]

A Database Ltd
Studio J, Rochelle School
Arnold Circus
Shoreditch
London E2 7ES