Writing + Images: Expanding on Questions

Provocations from sourcing images from writing

In the lead up to creating Curaturae, I had aspirations to take my creative pursuits and expertise in programming websites and make a software product I could sell; something that would be of value to a cultural institution. At that time I did not know what I was going to build and how it would add value to an organization.

Since releasing the project, however, one thing I noticed is that this writing tool solicits questions as it is used. “Why does this image show up?” and “Why are certain words highlighted?” are early questions, while “Do images show up in multiple collections?” and “What is the role of algorithmic bias?” go deeper. Questions like this remind me of my 2020 thesis presentation. My research explored how technology brought disparate topics together like Latin and Emojis and artistic juxtaposition raised questions about each topic.

This realization has shifted my appreciation and understanding of Curaturae. Instead of wanting to bring value in the form of a paid product, these questions present an opportunity to educate audiences and bridge the opaque processes of digital arts conservation to the enjoyment of art. The image above is a work-in-progress mockup of how inserting these questions in the tool can offer a jumping off point to a different kind of discussion and engagement.

As I consider how to enhance Curaturae with select questions, I ask you for your participation: do you have questions when using this writing tool?

If so, I would love to hear from you. Hit reply and lets get a conversation going,

—Jono