Project Title: The Transcultural Dynamics of Art: A Case Study Approach to Art Collections in Manchester/Liverpool to Test the Viability and Future Possibilities of Online Exhibitions
Supervisors: Professor Alaric Searle & Dr. Toni Sant
Abstract
This research project examines digital curation in relation to local art collections in the Greater Manchester and Liverpool area. A case study approach will be adopted which includes four separate groups of artists’ works, drawn from British and Chinese art collections held in: the University of Salford Art Collection; the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA), Manchester; the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool; and, the Tate Liverpool. My practical methodology will take Sino–British perspective and contemporary art history on digital curation. Through these case studies, practical aspects of digital curation will be demonstrated by the use of supporting photographs, information on the artists, the archiving and the presentation of the respective works of art. In terms of the works of art to be digitized, the focus is on contemporary art in the UK and China, especially the post-1945 Chinese art collections in Manchester/Liverpool. By including Chinese art held in UK collections, transnational aspects in the application of digital curation will be explored in greater detail. Via the comparative dimensions to the project, the similarities and differences between Chinese and British art in the northwest of England will be highlighted, while an analysis of international commonality and local characteristics will offer nuance to the study. Therefore, this study will aim to make a new contribution to knowledge as little research has been conducted into cross-cultural and transnational aspects of digital curation. It will be an interdisciplinary research project, involving digital curation, art history and the study of Sino-British contemporary art. This study will also explore the possibility of the online exhibition as a platform for cultural diplomacy since national culture has become a manifestation of soft power.
Bio
I am a PhD candidate, examining the new discipline of Digital Curation. I research in the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology, University of Salford. My research interests include online exhibitions, art history and Sino-British contemporary art. After achieving a First in my BA in Fine Arts at Shanghai University, I was an Erasmus student in the University of Maribor from 2017 to 2018. During my master’s studies, I participated in a group workshop called Ljubljana: Transformation of Art Systems after Political Turns 1945 and 1989/91 organized by the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. After starting my PhD studies, I received a Cumberland Lodge Scholarship to attend the “Life Beyond the PhD” conference in August 2021. I also have a comprehensive understanding of Chinese landscape and brush flower-and-bird paintings. I have work experience in art and design, management and sales in galleries and auction houses as well.
Links
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yanxi_Wu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanxi-wu/