Hi all,

just thought I’d share some of the enthusiasm we have been experiencing here in the DAAO team about working with the DAAO’s new relational structure. Much of the thrust behind the redesigned architecture of the DAAO, changing the the database from, in lay terms, a flat table structure into multiple tables was so we could link the data better. Ie, if an exhibition is represented then the exhibition itself becomes a record and it is easier to link each artist and the work they exhibited to the exhibition. Then we can start discerning patterns. Who exhibits together frequently? What crossovers are there?

Excited by the Sydney Biennale (BOS18), and in the middle of User Experience revision of the site,  I thought it might be timely to create a record on the Biennale, so we can update existing’s artist’s exhibition records and use the exhibition itself as motivator to add some artist’s records. I created project on the daao http://www.daao.org.au/projects/sydney-biennale-18-for-18-sprint/*.

I began with Khaled Sabsabi http://www.daao.org.au/bio/khaled-sabsabi/#artist_summary who previously was only mentioned as an associate of http://www.daao.org.au/bio/mazin-ahmad/ ( please note I haven’t written a biography- so please feel free to contribute if you have expertise on Khaled’s work!).  I connected him to the BOS http://www.daao.org.au/bio/event/biennale-of-sydney-4/ and then to  The Edge of Elsewhere http://www.daao.org.au/bio/event/edge-of-elsewhere/ where I noted  Phaptawan-Suwannakudtthat  http://www.daao.org.au/bio/phaptawan-suwannakudt/ also exhibited. Phaptawan is also at the BOS18 as is  Jonathon Jones  http://www.daao.org.au/bio/jonathon-jones/ who is also showing at at the Indigenous Triennal  ‘unDisclosed’ http://www.daao.org.au/bio/event/undisclosed/ as is Nyapanyapa Yunupingu http://www.daao.org.au/bio/nyapanyapa-yunupingu/ as is Alick Tipoti  http://www.daao.org.au/bio/alick-tipoti/ who are both exhibiting at BoS18.

Link, link, link. It gets addictive. I start adding in works for each artist exhibiting at BoS18 and then associated prizes and then what collection the work is in. More links. I get happy as go back to a previously slight record and watch it build. I get excited when I see my activity stats rise and think I want to get on the front page as a ‘most active member’. Michael Bogle is currently no 2 and  Joanna Mendelsohn is no 5. How can I knock them off their position? My competiveness and compulsion unfurl even more. But more than that, I just like watching the records get richer, more meaningful, more complete. Its satisfying.

I am not even half way through the Biennale of Sydney project. There are still biographies to complete, works, exhibitions and collections to update. Exhibition records can get big, particularly once you get the linking bug and follow trails into other artists and exhibitions. But its FUN. really!  and the good news is that soon it will be easier!

Now that the site has been up and running for 9  months, we are getting a good idea of what is working and what isn’t. Olivia is currently working with House of Laudanum ( our UX designers) to revise the contributing procedures to the site, particularly in the edit form. This process should be mainly complete by Oct 15. But don’t wait till then. Jump in- its compulsive AND you’re helping to create richer records on Australian Art and Design and that is, dare i say it, also a really worthwhile contribution to Australia’s cultural heritage.

*The BoS 18 x 18 sprint is a featured project on the home page of DAAO as is Joanna Mendelsohn, Catherine de Lorenzo, Alison Inglis, and Cathy Speck ( with others) ARC funded Curator’s Project and Melbourne University Special Collections Artist book project being run by Emily Wubben.