---
title: "ER Model: Art Exhibition"
subtitle: "Linked Open Exhibition"
description: "A unified data model for exhibitions aligned with CIDOC CRM, Wikibase4Research, and Wikidata standards"
date: today
---

## Overview

This data model provides a standardized schema for describing exhibitions and their contextual information within the Linked Open Exhibition ecosystem. It is aligned with three major sector standards:

- **CIDOC CRM** (Conceptual Reference Model) v7.1.3
- **Wikibase4Research** (WB4R) - NFDI4Culture platform
- **Wikidata** - WikiProject Exhibitions

## Quick Reference: Schema Mappings

| Field | Wikidata | CIDOC CRM | Wikibase4Research |
|-------|----------|-----------|-------------------|
| **Instance of** | P31:Q464980 (exhibition) | E21_Person / E55_Type | crm:P2_has_type |
| **Title** | P1476 | P1_is_identified_by (E82_Appellation) | wgm:title (P4) |
| **Location** | P276 | P7_took_place_at | wgm:has_occupation |
| **Start Time** | P580 | P4_has_time-span (E52_Time-Span) | wgm:birth |
| **End Time** | P582 | P4_has_time-span (E52_Time-Span) | wgm:death |
| **Curator** | P1640 | P14_carried_out_by | wgm:classified_as |
| **Participant** | P710 | P11_had_participant (E42_Identifier) | wgm:stated_in |
| **Official Website** | P856 | P1_is_identified_by (E78_Primitive_Data) | not found |
| **Organizer** | P664 | P14_carried_out_by | same as Wikidata |
| **Country** | P17 | P7_took_place_at | same as Wikidata |
| **Language** | P407 | P72_has_language | same as Wikidata |
| **Theme** | P921 | P129_is_about | same as Wikidata |
| **Sponsor** | P859 | not found | not found |
| **Number of Visitors** | P1174 | not found | not found |
| **Reference** | QID | P1_is_identified_by (E42_Identifier) | same as Wikidata |
| **Commons Category** | P373 | P1_is_identified_by (E78_Primitive_Data) | same as Wikidata |

---

## Example: Sprengel Museum Exhibition (Q138573075)

**Name:** Sprengel Museum Exhibition  
**Location:** Sprengel Museum Hannover (Q510144)  
**Start Date:** 2024-01-15  
**End Date:** 2024-06-30  
**Curator:** [Person Item]  
**Participants:** Various artists  
**Official Website:** https://www.sprengel-museum.de/  
**Organizer:** Sprengel Museum  
**Country:** Germany (Q183)  
**Language:** German (Q188)  
**Reference:** [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138573075](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138573075)

---

## Data Structure

### 1. Instance of Exhibition

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | ist ein(e) |
| **English Label** | Instance of |
| **Description** | The item itself is classified as an exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Item |
| **Wikidata Property** | P31 |
| **Recommended Value** | Q464980 (Exhibition) |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P31:Q464980` | Instance of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `E55_Type` | Type classification |
| **WB4R** | `crm:P2_has_type` | Type property in Wikibase4Research |

---

### 2. Title

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Titel |
| **English Label** | Title |
| **Description** | Official name/title of the exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Monolingual text |
| **Wikidata Property** | P1476 |
| **Format** | Plain text |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P1476` | Title of the exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P1_is_identified_by (E82_Appellation)` | Identifies exhibition through naming |
| **WB4R** | `wgm:title (P4)` | Title property in WB4R |

---

### 3. Location

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Ort |
| **English Label** | Location |
| **Description** | The place where the exhibition took place |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to place/institution) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P276 |
| **Example** | Sprengel Museum Hannover (Q510144) |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P276` | Location of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P7_took_place_at` | Event took place at location |
| **WB4R** | `wgm:has_occupation` | Related place reference |

---

### 4. Start Time

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Startzeitpunkt |
| **English Label** | Start time |
| **Description** | Date when the exhibition opened |
| **Data Type** | Point in time |
| **Wikidata Property** | P580 |
| **Format** | YYYY-MM-DD |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P580` | Start time of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P4_has_time-span (E52_Time-Span)` | Event time-span definition |
| **WB4R** | `wgm:birth` | Start date mapping |

---

### 5. End Time

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Endzeitpunkt |
| **English Label** | End time |
| **Description** | Date when the exhibition closed |
| **Data Type** | Point in time |
| **Wikidata Property** | P582 |
| **Format** | YYYY-MM-DD |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P582` | End time of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P4_has_time-span (E52_Time-Span)` | Event time-span definition |
| **WB4R** | `wgm:death` | End date mapping |

---

### 6. Curator

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Kurator |
| **English Label** | Curator |
| **Description** | Person responsible for curating the exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to person) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P1640 |
| **Note** | Create person item if it doesn't exist |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P1640` | Curator of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P14_carried_out_by` | Event carried out by person |
| **WB4R** | `wgm:classified_as (P97)` | Classification reference |

---

### 7. Participant

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Teilnehmer |
| **English Label** | Participant |
| **Description** | Artists or entities participating in the exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to person/artist) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P710 |
| **Note** | Can reference multiple participants |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P710` | Participant in exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P11_had_participant (E42_Identifier)` | Event had participant |
| **WB4R** | `wgm:stated_in` | Stated in reference |

---

### 8. Official Website

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | offizielle Website |
| **English Label** | Official website |
| **Description** | URL of the exhibition's official website |
| **Data Type** | URL |
| **Wikidata Property** | P856 |
| **Format** | https://... |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P856` | Official website |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P1_is_identified_by (E78_Primitive_Data)` | Digital location identifier |
| **WB4R** | `not found` | No WB4R mapping available |

---

### 9. Organizer

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Veranstalter |
| **English Label** | Organizer |
| **Description** | Institution or person organizing the exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to institution/person) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P664 |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P664` | Organizer of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P14_carried_out_by` | Event carried out by organizer |
| **WB4R** | Same as Wikidata | Aligned with Wikidata |

---

### 10. Country

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Land |
| **English Label** | Country |
| **Description** | Country where the exhibition took place |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to country) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P17 |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P17` | Country |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P7_took_place_at` | Event location (country) |
| **WB4R** | Same as Wikidata | Aligned with Wikidata |

---

### 11. Language

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Sprache |
| **English Label** | Language |
| **Description** | Language(s) of the exhibition materials |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to language) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P407 |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P407` | Language of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P72_has_language` | Entity has language |
| **WB4R** | Same as Wikidata | Aligned with Wikidata |

---

### 12. Theme

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Thema |
| **English Label** | Theme |
| **Description** | Main subject or topic of the exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Item (reference to topic) |
| **Wikidata Property** | P921 |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P921` | Main subject of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P129_is_about` | Entity is about topic |
| **WB4R** | Same as Wikidata | Aligned with Wikidata |

---

### 13. Sponsor

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Sponsor |
| **English Label** | Sponsor |
| **Description** | Organization or entity sponsoring the exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Item |
| **Wikidata Property** | P859 |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P859` | Sponsor of exhibition |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `not found` | No direct CRM mapping |
| **WB4R** | Not found | No WB4R mapping available |

---

### 14. Number of Visitors

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Besucherzahl |
| **English Label** | Number of visitors |
| **Description** | Total number of visitors to the exhibition |
| **Data Type** | Quantity |
| **Wikidata Property** | P1174 |
| **Format** | Numeric value |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P1174` | Number of visitors |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `not found` | No direct CRM mapping |
| **WB4R** | Not found | No WB4R mapping available |

---

### 15. Reference

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Referenz |
| **English Label** | Reference |
| **Description** | Wikidata QID or external identifier URI |
| **Data Type** | URI |
| **Format** | Q-identifier or full URI |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `QID` | Wikidata identifier |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P1_is_identified_by (E42_Identifier)` | Identifier for entity |
| **WB4R** | Same as Wikidata | Aligned with Wikidata |

---

### 16. Commons Category

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **German Label** | Commons-Kategorie |
| **English Label** | Commons category |
| **Description** | Wikimedia Commons category for exhibition images |
| **Data Type** | String |
| **Wikidata Property** | P373 |

#### Schema Mappings

| Standard | Property | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| **Wikidata** | `P373` | Commons category |
| **CIDOC CRM** | `P1_is_identified_by (E78_Primitive_Data)` | Digital resource identifier |
| **WB4R** | Same as Wikidata | Aligned with Wikidata |

---

## Best Practices for Exhibition Records

1. **Use QIDs for References**: Always link to existing Wikidata items when available (Q464980 for exhibitions, institution Q-numbers, country Q-numbers, etc.)

2. **Date Formatting**: Use ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD) for all temporal data. For exhibitions spanning years, precision can be reduced to YYYY (year only).

3. **Multilingual Titles**: Where applicable, add exhibition titles in multiple languages using separate items or monolingual text fields.

4. **Institutional Context**: Link to the organizing institution's Wikidata item (P17 for country, P664 for organizer) to enable cross-institutional exhibition discovery.

5. **Participant Documentation**: Ensure all participating artists have Wikidata items. Create items for lesser-known artists to enrich the knowledge graph.

6. **Commons Integration**: Regularly link exhibition items to Wikimedia Commons categories (P373) to support multimedia documentation and community contributions.

---

## Related Standards & References

- [CIDOC CRM v7.1.3](https://cidoc-crm.org/html/cidoc_crm_v7.1.3.html) - Formal ontology standard for cultural heritage
- [Wikibase4Research (WB4R)](https://gitlab.com/nfdi4culture/wikibase4research/model) - NFDI4Culture platform implementation
- [Wikidata WikiProject Exhibitions](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Exhibitions/Properties) - Community guidelines for exhibition properties
- [Wikidata Main Properties Guide](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Main_Page) - Core Wikidata documentation
- [Linked Open Exhibition Project](https://github.com/NFDI4Culture/linked-open-exhibition) - Project repository

---

## Contact & Contributions

For updates to this data model or suggestions for improvement, please contact the NFDI4Culture Linked Open Exhibition project team or contribute via [GitHub](https://github.com/NFDI4Culture/linked-open-exhibition).

---

## Attribution

This data model documentation was created with assistance from **GitHub Copilot** (powered by Claude Haiku 4.5). The model was aligned against sector standards including CIDOC CRM v7.1.3, Wikibase4Research, and Wikidata WikiProject Exhibitions guidelines through AI-assisted analysis and formatting.