WHAT IS NEXT?
16TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARTISTIC RESEARCH FROM 7-9 MAY 2025, IN PORTO
The 16th International Conference on Artistic Research is hosted by i2ADS, University of Porto. Organised in collaboration with the Society of Artistic Research (SAR), it is the largest conference on practice-based research through the arts. The SAR Conference brings together leading practitioners, scholars and policymakers to showcase exemplary artistic research projects while focusing on key issues through critical debate.
The past decade witnessed the appearance of new debating spaces within artistic research. At a time when art and culture, local and global policies and events are haunted by societal challenges as vast as they are unpredictable, what can artistic researchers offer in response to these concerns? How can artistic research resonate beyond its specific contexts and disciplinary borders?
Resonance is a prompt to address the transformative nature of artistic research as a connective element that evokes a response and qualifies our experiences as meaningful.
The International Conference on Artistic Research is an academic in-person conference partially supported by registration fees that we try to keep relatively low compared to academic conferences in other disciplines. We want to ensure, however, that participants lacking the institutional affiliation that would cover the fees are not excluded. Therefore, the SAR conference operates with a reduced fee for participants who are individual SAR members without institutional affiliation and employment.
THE SOCIETY FOR ARTISTIC RESEARCH (SAR)
Promoting plurality and diversity
We connect, showcase, facilitate and advocate for artistic research in all its forms, facets, dimensions and across its disciplines. SAR builds and sustains the frameworks necessary to preserve and promote the plurality and diversity of approaches, methods, outcomes and impacts of artistic research.
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Fostering dialogue and cooperation
We value artistic practice and reflection as epistemic inquiry to enhance knowledge, insight, understanding, competences and skills. SAR encourages dialogue and collaboration with established research traditions and emerging forms of research.
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Welcoming individuals and institutions
As a member-driven, not-for-profit association, we supports artistic research within and beyond academic institutions or university contexts. SAR pays particular attention to individual, independent and early career researchers.
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Building community and mutual support
Empowered by professionals working in self-organising and cross-functional teams, SAR offers unique opportunities to its institutional and individual members as well as to the international artistic research community.
MoreThe Research Catalogue
SAR maintains and develops the Research Catalogue as an open platform for the documentation and presentation of artistic research. We encourage and support individuals, projects and institutions across the artistic research community to use this independent digital infrastructure.
International Conferences
We articulate the needs and represents the interests of artistic researchers and their institutions by providing opportunities for exchange, dialogue and debate at annual conferences, in person and remotely. SAR engages with policy makers at local, regional and international levels.
Journal for Artistic Research
SAR showcases excellence in artistic research by encouraging and facilitating the discussion of methods and findings among peers. We publish regular issues of the Journal for Artistic Research as a top international peer-reviewed publication, and collaborates with related journals.
SAR Board and Staff Members
SAR special interest groups (SIG)
Our core values
OPENNESS AND FREEDOM
SAR aims to protect and promote artistic and academic freedom
by committing to the principles of open data and open science,
supporting open access and accessibility, and harnessing the
impact and power of open-source development.
RESPECT AND MUTUAL TRUST
SAR supports the recognition of authorship, invention and creation while
celebrating diversity and respecting differences, valuing responsiveness and responsibility for environmental, aesthetic and economic sustainability
COMMITMENT AND SOLIDARITY
SAR continues to build a strong and growing membership community by
collaborating across geographical and disciplinary boundaries while facilitating shared ownership and mutual support
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ANNOUNCEMENT SERVICE
SAR allows members and non-members to share announcements of relevance to artistic research—such as conferences, exhibitions, publications, and job openings—via a dedicated email list reaching 14,000 subscribers and the 30,000 users of the Research Catalogue.
- Sign Up
SAR NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to SAR’s newsletter to stay informed about conferences, publications, and new opportunities in artistic research. Receive updates on SAR's advocacy, community dialogues, and initiatives supporting artistic research across disciplines and institutions.
WEBINARS AND COURSES
SAR offers webinars and courses to its members and registered users covering a wide range of topics and themes. Taking place monthly, they are also accessible as recordings.
MEMBER DRIVEN
As a member-driven, not-for-profit association, SAR supports artistic research practices within and beyond academic institutions or university contexts.
Our resources
The activities of the Society for Artistic Research draw on a wide range of resources
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Large user base
After more than 10 years, the Research Catalogue has nearly 30,000 registered users who published more than 5,000 artistic research expositions.
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OPEN SOURCE CODE
The functionality, sustainability and extensibility of the Research Catalogue code is made possible through open source development.
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Long term commitment
The long term commitment of more than 30 portal partners as co-owners of the Research Catalogue ensure reliable operations and stability.
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Experience and expertise
The RC management team has the experience and expertise to support a growing number of portal partners and their needs.
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Diversity and excellence
The JAR editorial team and its peer reviewers ensure diversity, showcase excellence, and facilitate exchange within the artistic research community.
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Credibility and trust
Representatives of the SAR at all levels provide a high degree of credibility, specific expertise and academic experience.
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Reputation
Presentations and discussions at SAR's conferences allow early career researchers to build a track record of documented experience.
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Impact and value
Dynamic, member-led initiatives such as SAR's Special Interest Groups (SIG), create impact and value for institutional and individual members
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Collective intelligence
SAR draws on the collective intelligence of all its members and the international research community.
What SAR members say
We have asked our members to identify the key benefits of joing the Society for Artistic Research
Being a member of SAR allows me to network with peers and become part of the international artistic research community at an early stage in my career.
Prerna Bishnoi
PhD candidate, NTNU
SAR offers unique opportunities for a contemporary art museum in a rural and remote area to increase its local impact and international outreach.
Joe Lockwood
Genalguacil Pueblo Museo
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Henk Borgdorff
Professor emeritus, Leiden
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Marie-Hélène Gutberlet
Professor HFG Offenbach
LEARN MORE ABOUT SAR
INTERESTS AND NEEDS
SAR aims to articulate the needs and represent the interests of artistic researchers and their institutions by providing opportunities for exchange, dialogue and debate at annual conferences, in person and remotely. SAR engages with policy makers at local, regional and international levels.
EXCELLENCE AND PEER SUPPORT
SAR showcases excellence in artistic research by encouraging advanced practices in artistic research to discuss their methods and findings among peers. SAR publishes regular issues of the Journal for Artistic Research as a top international peer-reviewed publication, while working closely and sharing infrastructure with related journals
IMPACT AND REACH
SAR extends the impact and reach of artistic research by maintaining the Research Catalogue as an open platform for the entire artistic research community. This includes encouraging and supporting projects and institutions to make use of this common and independent infrastructure.
BECOME A MEMBER
50€
REDUCED PARTIPATION FEE AT SAR CONFERENCES
FREE ACCESS TO RC WEBINARS
PARTICIPATING IN AND INITIATING SIGs
REDUCED FEE FOR SARA ANNOUNCEMENTS
join1000€
REDUCED PARTICIPATION FEE AT SAR CONFERENCES FOR ALL STAFF MEMBERS
FREE ACCESS TO RC WEBINARS FOR ALL STAFF MEMBERS
PARTICIPATING IN AND INITIATING SIGs FOR ALL STAFF MEMBERS
REDUCED FEE FOR SARA ANNOUNCEMENTS
joinSAR Member Institutions
The Society for Artistic Research has currently 78 institutions as its members.
