Museums are often stereotypically considered obsolete institutions with no technology use; it seems that time stops here. Yet, this view cannot be further from the truth. Modern art collections, both private and public, have been increasingly harnessing advanced technologies in expositions, customer communication, and collection management. The latter sphere has been particularly affected by modern online tools that help organize, catalog, and manage large fine art collections. Below, we go through the main technologies that make collection management systems more efficient and reliable.

Collection Management Systems Reshaped by Technologies

Application Programming Interface (API) is one of the key technologies that made collection management more efficient. API is a basis for applications or websites that act as platforms where data about each piece in the collection are integrated and easily accessible. Instead of writing everything down on paper, art collection managers now work with sophisticated databases that enable quick retrieval, addition, and management of data. APIs are also essential for integrating collection management systems with other digital asset management systems, websites, and exhibition engagement apps.

Cloud-based collection management is also on the rise. Numerous free and subscription cloud solutions allow for easy file management and data storage and retrieval. Access to the cloud-based collection catalog is available from any device and location, which is ideal for private collectors. In addition, cloud tools are highly customizable, which makes them suitable for art collections of any type and size.

Complex computational technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can also facilitate art collection administration. These are particularly valuable for large public collections of art that contain thousands of pieces impossible to describe and catalog with human efforts alone. While AI tools have emerged only recently, it is believed that they can help process, analyze, and synthesize collection data much quicker and more efficiently than collection managers.

The Future of Collection Management

There is no point in resisting digital transformations of art collections. In the future, most work will be managed by various smart technologies that ensure better accuracy, efficiency, and coherence of collection management. Experts also predict that technologies will enable easier trading and exhibition of fine art.

What’s more, these technologies will continue to evolve, so it is important to keep track of innovations to ensure that collection administration does not become obsolete. Meanwhile, collection managers will be able to focus on more creative, communication-related aspects of their work instead of wasting time on tedious tasks.