2022-05-13, Gisler, Priska, Mader, Rachel, Gusberti, Maia, Koehle, Petra, Martini, Federica, Müller, Pablo, Converso, Silvia, Pensa, Iolanda, Caviezel, Flavia

«To conference» means finding a way to get together, sharing experiences, approaches, methods, processes and results. As an experimental form of conferencing Traversing Topologies: Imagining worlds and knowledge with/through artistic research has been interested in ways of experiencing real topologies in alignment with the numerous versions of their abstraction and generalization. The conference revealed geographical and disciplinary fringes, took place partly online but mainly in real space, and connected three linguistic regions – Central Switzerland, Valais and Ticino – with the Gotthard Area as the central knot between them. As member of the SARN Board, Flavia Caviezel collaborated on the conference concept, and conceptualized and organised the conference workshop 'Stop or Go' with Priska Gisler, in cooperation with SUPSI.

2017-12-08, Caviezel, Flavia, Schwander, Markus, Schenker, Christoph, Preisig, Barbara, Rüegger, Romy, Gisler, Priska, Mader, Rachel, Peyer, Siri, Koehle, Petra, Hürzeler, Luzia

Collaboration of the SARN Board member Flavia Caviezel with the other members and organizers on the conference concept; conducting a table talk at the SARN conference Art Research Work. The 2017 SARN Conference explored the working conditions prevailing within artistic research. In the last 20 years, an institutionalization and academization of artistic work known as “artistic research” has taken place. Arts universities are establishing research institutes, promoting PhD programs, and competing against universities for funding. Most artists only have small workloads in institution-based research. As much time is spent on projects and exhibitions as on teaching and earning a living. Although much of this work receives great symbolic recognition, it remains unremunerated. Working in such diverse contexts demands great flexibility regarding methods, skills, and the ability to reconcile several roles. The two-day SARN Conference reflected on the processes involved in institutionalizing the changing material and ideological preconditions of artistic research in recent years from the perspective of artistic researchers. The conference aimed to better understand the current situation of artistic researchers, to outline concrete ideas for future work-life strategies and for other funding and job opportunities, and to formulate concrete demands for self-determined artistic research. The Conference took place at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). In line with the conference topic, we reflected on working conditions at ZHdK’s new building.