Dear colleagues,

The Finnish National Gallery plans to start using the ICONCLASS
classification in the FNG=92s collection=92s management and documentation
system. However, in discussions  lots of questions have arisen particularl=
y
about its suitability as concerns modern and contemporary art.

I have been asked to inquire about experiences elsewhere. So I hereby
turn to colleagues asking for help. I am interested in experiences in gene=
ral,
but especially I would like to have answers to the following questions,
which have been posed to me:

1) How can Fluxus art be classified according to ICONCLASS?

2) How can ICONCLASS be used when it comes to contemporary
art? Has this kind of indexing proved to be useful for art historical
research? What are the main purposes in which the ICONCLASS
classification has been applied? (For the research of contemporary art,
collecting theme exhibitions, searching subject matters for a specific
purpose, etc)?

3) In which way has been solved the problem of works of art which
lie between figurative and non-figurative art? Has anyone tried to
classify them by using the ICONCLASS?

4) How many codes (notations/textual correlates) is usually used for
one art work on an average?

Looking forward to your kind answers,
sincerely

Sirkka Valanto

.

Sirkka Valanto
Senior adviser
Finnish National Gallery
Kaivokatu 2, 00100 Helsinki Finland
tel. 358-0-1733 6244, fax 358-0-1733 6248
email: [log in to unmask]