On behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, the Zurich Centre for Creative Economies is organizing the first edition of the:
- Biennale der Kulturforschung in der Schweiz
- Biennale sulla ricerca culturale in Svizzera
- Biennale sur la recherche culturelle en Suisse
- Biennala da la perscrutaziun da la cultura en la Svizra
- Biennale on Cultural Research in Switzerland
The event will take place on 8 October 2026 at the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich.
This national symposium will bring together researchers, institutional representatives, cultural practitioners, and professionals working in the fields of culture, the arts, cultural policy, the creative economy, digital culture, and related areas of research from across Switzerland. We are honoured that Ms. Carine Bachmann, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, will personally chair this inaugural event.
We strongly believe that this initiative, which aims to strengthen dialogue, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and increase the visibility of cultural research in Switzerland, represents an important step in the development of this emerging field. The Biennale is intended to become a recurring event, held every two years in different Swiss cities and hosted by various universities and institutions.
The objectives of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture are to:
- Promote networking and exchange among researchers working in the fields of cultural policy and the creative economy in Switzerland;
- Strengthen and consolidate research in this field and encourage joint initiatives;
- Connect researchers with cultural institutions and other stakeholders that have research needs, challenges, or topics to propose.
In addition, this gathering will provide an opportunity to collectively shape the future of the network: to define its mission, governance structure, and rhythm of activity; to discuss its development as a recurring biennial event; and to identify universities, research centres, or cultural institutions that may host future editions from 2028 onwards.
The full programme will be sent to you in early September. In the meantime, please register via the following link:
→ Biennale on Cultural Research in Switzerland – Formular ausfüllen
We would be grateful if you could also share this link with colleagues and networks engaged in cultural research, whether in academia, think tanks, public institutions, foundations, cultural organisations, corporations, or the broader cultural sector.
For further information or any questions, please contact: Frederic Martel