Building a transnational image database: Case study of the Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project digital collections

Abstract

The Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project (DCADP) is a collaborative international initiative carried out by the University of Chicago’s Center for the Art of East Asia and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China to digitally capture dispersed sculptures and mural fragments that were originally inside caves, temples and funerary complexes in China. By researching the history of the art and architecture of these cultural sites and using digital imaging technologies and creating digital reconstructions to place the dispersed sculptures back in their original environments, researchers and the public will have a better and more comprehensive understanding of Chinese culture. The goal of the DCADP database is to record and preserve such important born-digital materials, ranging from photographs, three-dimensional object scans, multimedia files and related textual references. This article explains the background and goals of the DCADP research and elaborates on the process of the early-stage planning of the DCADP database, and the challenges encountered. The author concludes with three key takeaways from the experiences, including being adaptable, experimenting with bilingual metadata and engaging in the community of learning.