“A database provides all kinds of possibilities because it is accessible to the largest population.”

World known art curator Han Ulrich Obrist describes curators as hunters in the fields all over the world. In the past, art curators had to travel extensively for their pursuits of ideas and materials, nowadays they can hunt through cloud database accessible from all over the world. In response to the trend of art and the needs of art creators, The Association of the Visual Art in Taiwan(AVAT) established a cloud database Taiwan Contemporary Art Archive(TCAA). The preparation of TCAA began in July 2013 and it inaugurated in Feb 19, 2014. TCAA is a free online platform for the public with sections covering the growing genres of Taiwan’s contemporary art. It is an integral database connecting local artists to the international art society as well as the academic world. From researchers to curators, any user of TCAA will be informed with the development of Taiwan’s contemporary art.

The Archive is a lasting long-term project, it kicked off when the objectives of the early phase has achieved and will continue to expand its content. Users are provided with the most comprehensive and updated materials for their academic or curatorial work. The Index of the database is in accordance with the commonly accepted art categories. They are: Performance Art, Video Art, New Media Art, Installation Art, Photographic Art, Painting Art, Sculptural Art, and Curators/Art Critics. The keywords of each section help outline and connect artists, their works and exhibitions, art events, art discourse among other issues. The information gathered here dates back to the 1980s, documenting the recent development and the conditions of contemporary Taiwanese art. Each section contains the biographies of artists, their artistic/curatorial concepts and major art activities, such as significant exhibitions. Introduction of artist groups, criticism of individual artworks as well as art exhibitions are also included. The format of the information are digitalized texts, images, video, documents or manuscripts. The crew of TCAA consists of volunteered curators, artists, art critics, researchers and students from graduate schools. Each year the members reteam according to the new missions in order to construct a platform that can best serve its users. The members entrusted their cooperative partner A COPY OF A COPY with the database’s information architecture design, web design and programming.