11000tegning

11000tegning is a digital archive and study project that curates a repository of 11,000 drawings produced across Nordic countries. Initiated in 2019, it gathers works from contemporary artists, educators, illustrators, and public collections to examine drawing as a practice, medium, and cultural document. The project emphasizes openness and reproducibility, providing metadata and image data under open licenses to support research, education, and creative work.

The name combines the numeral 11,000 with the Norwegian/Danish word tegning, meaning drawing, signaling both scale and regional origin. The collection encompasses a range of media including pencil, ink, markers, charcoal, and digital drawing, as well as preparatory sketches and finished pieces. The time span covers roughly mid-20th century to the present, with a focus on Nordic activity but with international contributions.

A joint effort by libraries, museums, universities, and artist groups, 11000tegning is managed by a non-profit coordination team. It uses standardized metadata (title, date, technique, size, provenance) and supports IIIF for image delivery. Images are released under open licenses, with attribution required where applicable.

Access is via a web portal and an API that supports programmatic search and export. The project is used in research on drawing techniques, pedagogy, and digital humanities, and serves as a resource for artists and curators. Ongoing work includes expansion to additional items and deeper integration with related archives.

See also: digital art archive, IIIF, Creative Commons.