This computer ontology is intended to describe in an explicit and formal way the features of a collection display or an exhibition (identification of the exhibition, proximity and contiguity of the works, vis-à-vis, etc.). It is aimed to facilitate the recording of historical information about displays and proposes solutions to account for uncertainty and documentary gaps. It will be compatible with the CIDOC-CRM ontology, a conceptual reference model promoted by the International Organization of Museums, of which it will form an extension to cover the specific domain of displays and exhibitions. The resulted model will be published for comments (Request for Comments) within the museum documentation community (LinkedArt, CIDOC, CHIN).
The functionalities offered by the data model and the application are based on a spatial approach and the use of 3D modeling to facilitate the reconstruction of collection displays. The system exploits the digitization of data to propose calculated reconstructions based on the analysis of the spatial constraints of the exhibition spaces and information on the works exhibited (dimensions, weight, lighting).