The Asia Art Archive's Collections Go Online
LOS ANGELES — As the Asian art market grows, so does the need for archiving the growing bodies of work being exhibited across the continent and beyond. Last month, I received word that the Asian Art Archive (AAA), the leading organization working on just that goal, has launched its collection online
LOS ANGELES — As the Asian art market grows, so does the need for archiving the growing bodies of work being exhibited across the continent and beyond. Last month, I received word that the Asian Art Archive (AAA), the leading organization working on just that goal, has launched its collection online, with over 3,000 works available to date.
Consisting largely of donated works, the archive’s collection spans across the majority of the continent, with offices from South Asia to East and Southeast. Until recently, however, it was difficult for researchers outside the key geographic areas to get access to the vast troves of material collected by the Archive.
“There is a significant shift in the way information is presented on the new site,” said Claire Hsu, AAA’s executive director, in a press release. “Not only is there more material, but it is carefully interlinked; we hope users will be able to navigate it in ways that will be more personally useful.”
I spoke over email with Ringo Bunoan, who recently added the works of Roberto Chabet, the father of conceptual art in the Philippines (whose art I reviewed briefly a few months ago). She wrote about the importance of the archive in disseminating information:
AAA’s Collection Online’s goal is really to preserve materials, especially primary ones, not only by digitizing but also by sharing. I think its very important that the public gains access to these records which otherwise would be lost or only seen by a few people. Many artists/institutions, especially in the Philippines, have no means to publish and through this Collection Online we are able to bring out very important documents which would greatly enrich our art history.
Bunoan noted that her work is far from finished; she hopes to add her research on artist-run spaces in Manila, along with the works of other artists involved in the Philippines contemporary art scene. While all the global money and attention are focused on China’s art scene, the archive is playing a crucial role in ensuring that works from other parts of the continent are preserved and shared.
And the project is just beginning. “There are actually so many materials that need to be archived, but we can’t do them all at the same time,” Bunoan told me. “Perhaps even if I devote my whole life archiving, I will never be finished.”
“But hopefully through these efforts,” she continued. “I can inspire the next generation of artists/archivists so that they can continue and build on this work which we have started.”
The Asia Art Archive collection online is available for your perusal at www.aaa.org.hk/Collection/COLLECTIONONLINE.
