THE SOCIETY FOR ARTISTIC RESEARCH (SAR)
The Society for Artistic Research (SAR) is an international non-profit society that promotes artistic research. SAR aims to develop, link, and disseminate artistic research as a particular practice of knowledge production. SAR organises and participates in conferences and meetings to facilitate knowledge production through the arts, promote artistic research practices and disseminate artistic research findings.
Early Career Researchers (ECR)
Survey Results and Next Steps
Earlier this year, SAR launched the Early Career Researcher (ECR) initiative, responding to a need to connect those starting out on a career in artistic research within a wider international community.
As part of this initiative, we hosted informal encounters during the SAR 2025 Conference in Porto and opened a dedicated survey to better understand the needs and modes of connecting between early career researchers.
The 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
SAR organises a yearly conference, providing opportunities for exchange, dialogue and debate both in person and remotely. SAR engages with policy makers at local, regional and international levels — representing the interests of artistic researchers and their institutions.
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.
RECENT CONFERENCE
16TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARTISTIC RESEARCH TOOK PLACE FROM 7-9 MAY 2025, IN PORTO
The 16th International Conference on Artistic Research was 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 brought together leading practitioners, scholars and policymakers to showcase exemplary artistic research projects while focusing on key issues through critical debate.
Details about the 2026 Conference will be shared soon!
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.
SAR Board and Staff Members
SAR special interest groups (SIG)
Language-based Artistic Research
Spatial Aesthetics
Arts, economics & management crossings
Sound Research
Facilitation as Creative Practice
Co-Agency: Artistic Research as Transformative Practice
Artist Pedagogy Research Group
APARN – Asia Pacific Artistic Research Network
- Learn More
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
Hege Ertzaas
Head of Office Trondheim Academy of Fine Arts
Matilde Meireles
Sound Artist and Researcher
Paulo Luís Almeida
Director i2ADS – Institute of Research in Art, Design & Society; Associate Professor, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto
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Henk Borgdorff
Professor emeritus, Leiden
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Marie-Hélène Gutberlet
Professor HFG Offenbach
LEARN MORE ABOUT SAR
INTEREST AND NEEDS
SAR represents artistic researchers and their institutions by providing opportunities for exchange, dialogue, and debate at annual conferences and remote meetings. It also engages with policy makers at local, regional, and international levels.
EXCELLENCE AND PEER SUPPORT
SAR promotes artistic research excellence by facilitating peer discussions. It publishes the prestigious Journal for Artistic Research and shares digital infrastructure, collaborating with related journals.
IMPACT AND REACH
The Research Catalogue, maintained by SAR, serves as an open platform for the entire artistic research community, amplifying its impact and reach. It encourages and supports projects and institutions to utilise this shared and independent platform.
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.
