The Swiss Artistic Research Network SARN represents artists and researchers from the seven Swiss Universities of the Arts as well as independent artists and researchers engaged in artistic research. It promotes the significance of artistic research in the arts, other fields of academia and wider societal contexts in Switzerland and internationally. SARN seeks to enrich conditions and contexts for artistic researchers in Switzerland through open exchange, work group activities, publications, workshops and symposia. SARN facilitates debate and dialogue about issues concerning artistic research between artistic research communities, institutions of higher education, foundations and public and private competence centers. SARN was established 2011 by the Swiss Universities of Art and Design Conference (KHKD)

SARN pursues the following objectives:

  • Increasing the number of artistic research representatives in governmental and academic bodies, funding agencies, selection committees, etc.
  • Working towards adapting the review structures of funding agencies.
  • Improving the academic standing of artistic research at Swiss institutions of higher education.
  • Promoting the right of Swiss Universities of the Arts to award doctorates/PhD’s to artists.
  • Providing a competent point of contact for the public, artists, political bodies, and/or academia regarding the subject of artistic research.
  • Increasing the visibility of artistic research, both nationally and internationally.

SARN supports its members by contributing to artistic research in the following ways:

  • Informing members about projects, publications and positions in the field of artistic research.
  • Promoting exchange between members and other stakeholders through conferences, workshops and working groups.
  • Building and maintaining national and international networks.
  • Publishing activities.

SARN partners with the following networks:

The association is constituted by its members and supported by the following institutions: