Open Source Project Ex Situ Maps Displaced Cultural Artifacts

Overview of Ex Situ

Ex Situ is an open-source project designed to create a spatial index that connects museum artifacts to their origin sites. It categorizes artifacts from Western institutions, focusing on collections labeled as Islamic art, ethnological collections, and more. The project offers a unique way for researchers to trace the lineage of these artifacts back to their roots.

Technical Details

The project is built using Next.js and Deck.gl on the frontend, with a Strapi backend. It utilizes a Python ETL process that pulls data from various museum open-access APIs. Images are linked via URLs rather than stored directly, ensuring that the index serves as connective tissue between institutions without duplicating records.

Data Model and User Interface

The index design emphasizes a flat data model to avoid problematic taxonomies, making it easier for researchers to navigate through the data. It uses an origin-first search concept, allowing users to find artifacts based on their origin sites and explore the corresponding institutional collections.

Community Engagement and Future Directions

The creator of Ex Situ is seeking feedback on performance scaling and is open to code contributions or data pipeline ideas to enhance the project's functionality. This ongoing development reflects a growing interest in the intersection of technology and cultural heritage.