Why is the project called Vektor?

We view all those taking an active part in the production and distribution processes of contemporary art as vectors, which in turn refer to other active parties: from the individual production of an artwork, through the personal and local sphere of a gallery, to media distribution up to its presentation at international festivals - each of these manifestations represent directional dimensions in a realm, which they form and are formed by. VEKTOR seeks to represent this complex and dynamic spatial structure and to make it accessible in a visually new and graphically appealing form.

Aren‘t all problems of standardisation already solved, there are well-functioning library systems.

Proven methods for standardising data registration used in the large library networks as for instance bibos, are not appropriate for archives dealing with contemporary art, because both the archived objects and their contents are too heterogeneous. The documentation of the medium "book" allows for a more comprehensive standardisation than that of the variety of media present in contemporary art: art works, exhibition catalogues, posters, newspaper articles, invitation cards, artists’ portfolios, the correspondence of a gallery, or the internet sites of a museum. In addition, most art archives seldom have the sufficient institutional capacity in order to restructure archival systems according to international standards. VEKTOR has therefore taken on as its task a minimum of standardisation with a maximum of compatibility for registered data and of user friendly access.

Why is the aspect of mediation so important?

Collecting and preserving materials as well as processing and linking data according to certain standards does not guarantee that these data are really accessible. The accessibility does not end with the presence somewhere in the Internet, which users know from their own experiences. Besides dealing with the preservation of cultural heritage, all participating institutions are interested in the mediation of information on contemporary art. It is not enough to offer a few areas where you can insert the names of individuals, institutions, key terms or years. Imagining vectors in a spatial situation equals a 3-D animation, where you can choose the relation of one person to a certain institution (museums, collections), to certain art forms and other individuals. Moreover, upon working with databases, you‘d have to include the latest research about user strategies, for example whether browsing lists or free strings are preferred.

Is it possible to become a member of the VEKTOR research group?

The project consortium of the research project VEKTOR is kept relatively small out of administrative reasons. Institutions, which host materials on contemporary art and which are interested in an active participation, could have the possibility to participate in the VEKTOR project as associated partners. Please contact us if you are interested. In the long run, the central interface should be programmed that everyone offering data of one of the basic categories can enter the network. The discussion forum is always open to all Internet users for comments and questions.

How do you deal with copyright issues?

The distribution of images and text affect the rights of the originator. A special work group within VEKTOR has been set up to discuss the consequences of pursuant regulations for archives in effect within European law and the laws of member countries.

Are there any related projects?

We will shortly provide an annotated list of links to related projects.
Do you have any further questions? You can pose them in our discussion forum or contact us via email. Thank you for your interest.