SINT LUCAS ANTWERPEN RESEARCH GROUP (SLARG)
SLARG (Sint Lucas Antwerpen Research Group) carries out the academic artistic research of Sint Lucas Antwerpen School of Arts KdG, fostering artistic research that combines creative innovation with a strong social commitment. Our research projects include one-year predoctoral and two-year postdoctoral initiatives, led by passionate academic teaching staff. Our PhD in the Arts projects are hosted by ARIA (Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts), a platform uniting the Antwerp Schools of Arts and the University of Antwerp. PhD in the arts projects are selected by an international jury through an open call, ensuring that a wide range of innovative, socially engaged perspectives are brought to the forefront.
Currently, SLARG supports three one-year, three two-year, and fourteen PhD in the arts projects. Many of these projects are focused on addressing social and political issues, as we believe artistic research has the power to explore, challenge, and contribute to meaningful societal change.
SLARG is also home to the Algorithmic Gaze research cluster, led by postdoctoral researcher Frederik Debleser, which aims to democratize technology for the arts. With a focus on developing open-source software for deep learning and data visualization, the cluster empowers artists to actively engage with technology.
In addition, SLARG publishes GROUNDS (previously known as TYPP), an annual journal that features contributions from our researchers in the arts. Each volume, designed by Ward Heirwegh, challenges traditional academic publishing formats, offering fresh and socially conscious perspectives on artistic research.
SLARG is also affiliated with the Advanced Master of Research in Art & Design in a social-political context, Sint Lucas Antwerpen’s unique research in the arts master program. Together, we nurture a space for practice-based research in the arts that values both artistic innovation and a deep engagement with the social and political realities of our world.