ABSTRACT
This chapter chronicles the development of the Joan Jonas Knowledge Base (JJKB) from 2017 to its launch in 2021. The JJKB is an open-source digital resource that presents in-depth research on two early art work case studies Organic Honey (1972, 1972/1994) and Mirage (1976, 1976/1994/2005, 1976/2001) and three exhibition case studies. It is a project of the Artist Archives Initiative (AAI) whose mission is to promote research and disseminate knowledge about the display and care of contemporary art. After an introduction to the AAI, the first section of the chapter covers the choice of case studies, the research scope, and the development of the JJKB, with a focus on the collaborative process between the artist, the art history and technology teams of research students, and the network of art institutions that have exhibited and collected Jonas’s work. The second section of the chapter discusses how information about the artist and her work was uploaded into Wikidata to provide cross-institutional and cross-national opportunities for readers to pursue their own research. Data visualization studies, provided on the JJKB website, and tutorials encourage readers to further explore the work of Joan Jonas.
