Center for the Art of East Asia

In recent decades, digital imaging technology has rapidly transformed museum practices worldwide. From digital image archives and displays with augmented reality, contemporary digital technologies have become indispensable today, woven into various aspects of art museums' engagement with artworks. However, as digital technologies evolve swiftly, integrating digital archives or displays often necessitates adopting latest technologies, which may become obsolete within a few years. It has also been a concern for many with the intangibility of digital objects that run against the mission of art museums to promote learning through the physical and material manifestations of art. While many believe that digitalization is inevitable, the question remains about how art museums should approach it – as many have asked: what can it do to help us?   

CAEA, since the 2000s, has spearheaded digitalizing dispersed Chinese artifacts in collections outside of China. In 2019, CAEA launched the Dispersed Chinese Art Digitalization Project (DCADP), thanks to the generous support of the Cyrus Tang Foundation, which consolidates our endeavors and expanding the scope of our projects. We believe that the digitization of historical art and cultural relics will ultimately change and re-vision how the public perceives and appreciates art.   

With the vision for the future art museum and DCADP’s efforts to facilitate the critical transition we face today, this forum will invite museum curators, representing institutions from across the United States and Canada, to present on how digital technology has been utilized within their museums, attitudes toward the growing interest in developing digitally enhanced viewing experiences, concerns or issues arising from the digitalization of Chinese artifacts in museum collections, and visions for the future of museum practices in light of new technologies. Afternoon sessions will focus on the following topics: CAEA’s Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project, The Immersive Museum: Multimedia, Technology, and Cultural Heritage, Legal and Ethical Frontiers in Museums: Copyright, Provenance, and Policy, and Interpreting Cultural Heritage Through Multimedia Storytelling. The forum will conclude with final remarks and an open roundtable discussion.  

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Curatorial Forum Schedule 

9-9:30am – Morning reception and opening remarks by Wu Hung 

9:30am-12pm – Curator Presentations  

Kara Ma, University of Michigan Museum of Art

Wen-chien Cheng, Royal Ontario Museum  

Ling-en Lu, Nelson Atkins Museum 

Robert Mintz, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco 

Lisa Niziolek, Field Museum 

Jason Sun, Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Christina Yu, MFA Boston  

Wang Tao and Seung Hee Oh, Art Institute of Chicago 

12-1pm – Lunch 

1-2pm – CAEA’s Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project  

Post-presentation discussion moderator: Wei-Cheng Lin, University of Chicago

Launched in 2019, the Dispersed Chinese Art Digitization Project (DCADP), seeks to document, preserve, and digitally restore artifacts taken from important cultural sites in China, placing them back into their original historical and spatial contexts. The team will introduce collaborations with museums and how the project benefits museums, and will address issues arising from the collaborations in the past. 

2-3pm – The Immersive Museum: Multimedia, Technology, and Cultural Heritage 

Discussion moderator: J. Keith Wilson, National Museum of Asian Art 

As museums embrace digital transformation, how can technology enhance storytelling, accessibility, and engagement with cultural heritage? From virtual reconstructions of historical sites to AI-driven solutions, what are the opportunities and challenges of integrating technology into exhibitions while ensuring cultural sensitivities, ethical considerations, and long-term sustainability? 

3-3:15pm – Break  

3:15-4:15pm – Legal and Ethical Frontiers in Museums: Copyright, Provenance, and Policy 

Discussion moderator: Sonya Rhie Mace, Cleveland Museum of Art

Museums face increasing legal and ethical challenges as they navigate issues of ownership, intellectual property, and responsible curation. This conversation explores the complexities of copyright in digital collections, digital asset stewardship, the ongoing debates surrounding provenance and restitution, and the policies shaping museum practices today. 

4:15-5:15pm – Interpreting Cultural Heritage Through Multimedia Storytelling 

Discussion moderators: Eugene Wang and Lu Chenchen, Harvard University

How do museums incorporate forms of multimedia storytelling to interpret cultural heritage? Integrating humanistic inquiry with cutting-edge technology and design, CAMLab serves as an innovative model, presenting interdisciplinary ways of showcasing art and culture through immersive installations, exhibitions, films, digital publications, and other multimedia forms.  

5:15-6pm – Final Remarks and Open Roundtable Discussion 

Sponsors 

This program is made possible thanks to major support from the Cyrus Tang Foundation.