Thank You for Joining the 16th. SAR International Conference on Artistic Research

Dear SAR Community,

We are still reflecting on the rich exchanges, insights, and inspiring dialogues that marked the 16th SAR International Conference on Artistic Research, held from May 7-9, 2025, at the University of Porto in Portugal. Organised by i2ADS in collaboration with the Society for Artistic Research, this year’s conference brought together a vibrant community of artists, researchers, and thinkers to engage with the theme of Resonance.

To eplore the conference and its presentations, please visit:
https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/2759372/2831091

 

Again this year, the artistic research community demonstrated the important role of artistic research in understanding and encountering the world. Fostering dynamic interplay between art and society, encouraging mutual transformation and creating new spaces for critical reflection and dialogue. Artistic research is a connective element that not only interprets societal issues but also actively participates in shaping transformative meeting spaces. Sustaining the field of artistic research is crucial for imagining sustainable futures, developing counterfactual ways of thinking and fostering cross-cultural understanding.

During the conference, an important message was shared regarding the future of the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts (ACPA) – the only Dutch institute that hosts full PhD programs for research in visual art/design and music; PhDArts and docARTES. Leiden University’s decision to phase out funding for ACPA threatens the future of these programs as well as the existence of the institute itself. ACPA has been one of the driving forces in establishing SAR and the Research Catalogue, central to the whole field's development. The SAR Executive Board has already signed the petition to secure the future of ACPA. You will find the opportunity to join this petition here.

 

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Resonance

This year’s theme, Resonance, considered how artistic research can move beyond the boundaries of disciplines, contexts, and cultures and encourages us to explore how artistic practices resonate with contemporary challenges. The program included over 50 thought-provoking presentations, reflecting the diverse interdisciplinarity and critical perspectives that exist within our field.

 

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Keynote Presentations

We were honored to welcome three extraordinary keynote speakers, each of whom brought a unique perspective to the theme of Resonance:

• Matthew Fuller explored the idea of art as a metadiscipline, highlighting how artists work with the tools, epistemologies, and objects of other fields. Matthew Fuller is a cultural theorist specializing in art, technology, politics, and aesthetics. He is a Professor of Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a member of the editorial collective for Computational Culture, a journal of software studies.

• Yinka Esi Graves delved into flamenco’s Afro-diasporic roots, exploring optics, residence time, and deep implicancy. Through her solo work 'The Disappearing Act', she raised profound questions around visibility, erasure, and the dynamics of Black performance, asking, "What is possible when you set the tone of your own erasure?" and "What happens when hiding is normalised?". Yinka Esi Graves is a British dance maker and flamenco artist whose work delves into the intersections between flamenco and contemporary forms rooted in the African diaspora.

• Juliana Hodkinson is a composer whose artistic practice encompasses social composition, object performance with instruments, electroacoustics, and orchestral, vocal, and chamber music. She transformed her keynote into an immersive, collective experience, inviting participants to actively engage with her research practice as a living exploration of resonance, assembly, and assemblage through intersubjective listening.

 

We extend our sincere thanks to these keynote speakers for their time and generous contributions, which sparked critical reflections and set the tone for the rich discussions that followed.

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Early Career Researcher Initiative

The early career encounters at the conference responded to a need to connect artistic researchers within a community. The aim of the encounter was to provide a dedicated space for early career researchers to share the needs and modes of connecting they might be missing.

We would like to continue this conversation with you, to develop a way of communicating, presenting yourselves, and establishing a hub or home for such a network. Therefore, the online survey is still open until 1st. September 2025 - please head over here to add your thoughts!

 

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Poster Session

The Poster Session offered a visually rich and interactive space where participants could present their research in an open, less formal setting. This format sparked spontaneous conversations, fostered new connections, and highlighted the diverse approaches to artistic inquiry within our community.

 

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Individual Members Meeting

During the conference the first Individual Members meeting took place - A meeting that enabled individual members to make contact with one another and discuss urgent needs and wishes for the future. We are thankful for everyone’s input, engagement and thoughtful contributions, and excited about the future. In order to continue the discussion, all individual members are invited to join an online follow up meeting in October 2025, organised by fellow individual members.

Later this week, details on how to participate and contribute will be shared in a separate announcement. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

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General Assembly

On Saturday 10th. of May 2025 the SAR General Assembly was held at the Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto. The assembly was marked by constructive dialogue and valuable insights that underscored SAR members’ commitment to our shared mission. During the assembly, members approved the President’s Annual Report, which highlighted significant progress in advocacy for artistic research and ongoing efforts to expand SAR’s influence and reach, including new partnerships and improved communication platforms such as the new SAR website. The Annual Financial Statement 2024 and the working budget 2025 was also approved.

Additionally, we welcomed several new RC portal partners, including Brera Academy of Fine Arts (Italy), Rome Academy of Fine Arts (Italy), Institute for Creativity, University of Galway (Ireland), University of the Arts Bremen (Germany) and Iceland University of the Arts, further strengthening our international network.

The open discussion fostered an engaging exchange of ideas, allowing members to share insights, raise questions and propose ideas.

Thank you to everyone who participated - Your voices are instrumental in shaping our path forward, and we appreciate your ongoing support.

 

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New website

During the last 6 months, SAR has invested considerable time and work into establishing a completely new website, which was launched at the General Assembly.

The website relaunch is part of SAR’s strategic development and broader communication strategy, aimed at improving communication with members and stakeholders through a more structured and robust online environment, while also enhancing member and user experience and engagement. This initiative is designed to offer clear value propositions for members and to support more effective interaction within the SAR community.

With the new website, we aim to improve communication both internally (among members) and externally (with the wider artistic research community), and to increase visibility and outreach, fostering connections across artistic, academic, and nonacademic research fields.

Whilst the new website will come alive during the Porto Conference, it is important to note that pages are still being refined and further functionality—such as membership payment options and dedicated member sections for individual, institutional, and Portal Partner members—is still under development and will be introduced in the coming months.

https://societyforartisticresearch.org/

 

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Conference Feedback

We would love to hear about your experiences at the conference and invite all attendees to share their thoughts and feedback by writing to SAR’s Communication Officer Linnea Langfjord Kristensen: communication@societyforartisticresearch.org

Your insights are essential in shaping future gatherings and fostering a vibrant artistic research community!

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Sustaining the Conversation - HUB Open Call #6 Resonance +

While the conference has concluded, the conversations need not! We encourage you to continue these critical reflections, share your findings, and engage with the SAR community.

The peer-reviewed journal HUB (published twice a year by i2ADS – Research Institute in Art, Design and Society (University of Porto, Portugal)) invites submissions for its sixth issue, themed “Resonance +”, scheduled for publication in Spring 2026.

This theme revisits the concept of resonance following the SAR 2025 Conference and submissions may expand upon perspectives presented at SAR 2025 or independently engage with the theme - highlighting its relevance to contemporary artistic research.

Read more about the open call here.

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The SAR International Artistic Research Forum 2026

Next year, The SAR International Artistic Research Forum 2026 will take place at The University of Galway in late Spring. More details to follow soon!

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Thank you all once again - presenters, participants and the amazing organising team at i2ADS and Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto - for making this conference edition possible!