Background

Research project about the changing self perception of artists in Switzerland

Initial situation
The survey for the research project THE NEW ARTIST was primarily focusing on today’s artists’ self perception: What does it mean to exist as an artist today in a hybrid, complex world in a chaotic art system? How do artists who have completed art studies work and how do they learn? How do they support their art financially, how do they network, how to they define “success” and what will they be left with one day? Some of today’s common artist types and models have to be questioned and some renewed to an extent.

Field of research
We addressed artists living in Switzerland (regardless of nationality), as well as all Swiss artists living and working abroad, are addressed. The term “visual artist” includes all those active within the artistic profession in the field of visual arts, who either create only partially visual and experienceable works of art and those who work more process-driven, conceptional or in socially. This also includes inter- and transdisciplinary fields of art that include various types of art and even extra-artistic fields.
This survey was NOT for artists whose main artistic focus, production and activity is in performance arts (theatre, dance, film), literature, music or applied arts (design, architecture, fashion applied arts).

Survey
The survey toke place between Oct 12. 2016 and Feb 1st, 2017. The survey consists of 15 demographic and 25 mostly closed content questions about education, production, inspiration, career, success, market, art scene, networks, financing, purpose and future. The survey was created in collaboration with artists and art and social sciences researchers. The survey will be conducted by the survey institute management tools.
The survey was completed by approximately 500 artists and was available in German, French and English. The duration of the survey was about 30 minutes and took take place online on a specially programmed panel.

Findings and results
The study results have been published in March 2017 in the form of tables and various graphics with various breaks on this website. Thereafter, the findings will be analysed and interpreted scientifically on an artistic and social level. Then, derived therefrom ten thesis’s about the changing of artists’ self perception will be formulated. The research project will be supported and followed by this website, which will inform about the project, is the platform where the survey will take place and where the results will be published.

The research project is led by the art researcher and artist Johannes M. Hedinger,  who in 2014-15 conducted two national, socio-cultural surveys in collaboration with Point de Suisse and has compiled an Oral History-Archive with Methods of Art.