Archive
The set of documents, records and historical materials generated by an artist, collective or institution throughout its trajectory. It may include email correspondence, digital sketches, previous versions of code, screenshots, technical software documentation, or manuals explaining how an interactive piece was meant to be executed.
Collection
A set of artworks selected and brought together according to an aesthetic, thematic or ownership-based criterion.
Fonds
A set of documents that a person or entity has naturally produced or received throughout its trajectory. Unlike a collection, which is selected, a fonds is generated through natural accumulation. It may contain the full digital and operational trace of artistic activity: software licence agreements, hard drives with source code, web server logs, invoices for hardware purchases or installation plans for an interactive artwork.
Repository
A centralised site where digital information is stored, organised, maintained and disseminated. It is the technical infrastructure where archives or code live. It may be an institutional digital preservation repository, a GitHub or GitLab repository for generative or software art, or a decentralised storage system such as IPFS for NFT metadata and files.
Platform
The digital environment, interface or online service that enables the creation, exhibition, distribution or commercialisation of art.
Relevant Practice
The methodologies, workflows, habits or technical strategies applied so that digital art can survive or be managed. Examples include emulation, format migration, video documentation of interactive performance, or conservation practices based on open-source code.