Artistic Research Lab

On Notation

2026-27 Edition

To note. To become aware of. To mention. To write.

There is something about trying to grasp what is fleeting, a note being something written to help someone remember something, a short and informal letter, a mark made before the moment slips away.

Notation can be understood as a system of signs and symbols used to represent elements or to communicate ideas, either within a structured way, as in musical notation, or to create new types of communication to transmit ideas. The word comes from the Latin notatio, meaning the action of marking or annotating. As such, notation can be understood as both the result of the markings and the transmission of these markings.

To note is to lay down ideas, to mark–most likely on a piece of paper–thoughts, movements, or sounds, amongst others. Noting can also mean to notice, to describe, and mark something mentally or in an abstract sense.

In any case, to think of notation and the rendering of notes in artistic research, and to reflect on their possible forms and shapes, is to engage in a critical discourse around how artistic research can be transmitted.

As a para-academic and para-institutional experimental space, the Artistic Research Lab at Casino Display offers grounds to challenge and to explore alternative ways of documenting and/or transmitting a research project, and to envision the methods and approaches to share and disseminate the results of artistic research in concrete forms other than academic or exhibition formats.

As such, this year’s edition of the Artistic Research Lab will be pondering upon the implications of thinking about notation—the way of noting, writing, and communicating, as an alternative way of transmitting but also showing artistic research through methods that are closer to the artistic practices themselves, rather than exclusively relying on written forms, which, while valuable as part of notation, should not be the only means of expression. Notation is here thought of as an alternative method to explore the epistemological potential of artistic research and the sharing of it. It is about the process of moving between the first inscription, the transformation of these into published and shared inscriptions.

The Artistic Research Lab is a European Hub in collective artistic research and experimentation divided between a Post-Master program and a forum for Master’s students. This Post-Master’s program is dedicated to bridging diverse artistic research traditions across Europe, establishing a hub for shared knowledge, experimentation, collaboration, and collective artistic inquiry that transcends borders and disciplinary boundaries. It is led by a consortium composed of Casino Display – Space for artistic research and Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’art contemporain (Luxembourg), École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels de La Cambre (La Cambre - Brussels, Belgium), Haute École des Arts du Rhin (HEAR - Strasbourg/Mulhouse, France), Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (KABK - The Hague, Netherlands), and École Nationale Supérieure d’Art et de Design de Nancy (Ensad Nancy - France).

Program Focus

The Artistic Research Lab invites participants to engage in an in-depth exploration of artistic research methodologies, fostering new approaches to knowledge creation through practice-led experimentation. Emphasizing collective thinking, the program challenges the traditional modernist view of the artist as a solitary creator. Instead, it cultivates a collaborative model of artistic practice, where resonance and dialogue emerge between artist-researchers, notwithstanding their thematic focuses.

Process-Driven Exploration

At the core of the program lies the concept of l’art en train de se faire — art in the making. This process-driven approach encourages participants to embrace the fluidity of artistic creation, prioritizing the evolution of ideas, methods, and practices over finalized artworks. By immersing themselves in experimental and transitory artistic processes, participants move beyond static outcomes, engaging deeply with the unfolding nature of creative work.

Para-Academic and Para-Institutional Approach

While the Artistic Research Lab operates alongside traditional academic and institutional frameworks, it remains intentionally para-academic and para-institutional. This positioning enables the program to maintain an open-ended, dynamic engagement with academia and cultural institutions while fostering alternative methodologies and questioning established norms. Supported by a consortium of art schools and a cultural institution, the Artistic Research Lab grants participants access to institutional expertise and resources while preserving its commitment to independent, exploratory approaches.

Experimentation and Transdisciplinarity

Situated within a transdisciplinary meeting space, the program encourages participants to explore uncharted territories of knowledge through experimentation. Artist-researchers are invited to test unfinished ideas, engage with emerging concepts, and challenge fixed ontologies in favor of more fluid, adaptable frameworks. This environment prioritizes a logic of deceleration, allowing ideas to mature and develop without the immediate pressure of finalized production.

The Artistic Research Lab promotes a space where transdisciplinary boundaries are questioned and where embracing uncertainty is a vital part of the artistic research process. Through cross-cultural exchange, collaborative inquiry, and innovative practices, the program fuels the creation of new knowledge and understanding in contemporary art.

Institutional Network and Collaboration

The Artistic Research Lab is supported by a consortium of European art schools and cultural institutions, including Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’art contemporain and Casino Display (Luxembourg), École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels de La Cambre (La Cambre - Brussels, Belgium), Haute École des Arts du Rhin (HEAR - Strasbourg/Mulhouse, France), Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (KABK - The Hague, Netherlands), and École Nationale Supérieure d’Art et de Design de Nancy (Ensad Nancy - France). Through these partnerships, participants engage with professionals from the cultural sector, gaining valuable research and experimental opportunities. By the end of the program, participants will be uniquely positioned to navigate both institutional and academic spaces with confidence and insight.

For the 2026-27 edition, the program will feature an institutional collaboration with Centre d'art contemporain – la synagogue de Delme with one of the research week taking place at the the old presbytery of Lindre-Basse, in the framework of their residency program in collaboration with the Lorraine Regional Nature Park and the municipality of Lindre-Basse. The specific context of the rural setting will allow the post-master fellows to continue their project and opening up new questions and perspectives.

What is covered?

Travel costs to Luxembourg and back within Europe

Accommodation and per diem in Luxembourg during the research weeks

Production budget of EUR 2,000 per participant

Access to the technical facilities and equipment of Casino Display

Who is eligible?

Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria: 

- Hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent)

- Reside within the European Union 

- Have completed their degree within the six academic years preceding the 2026–27 academic year

Research Weeks

From 28 September to 2 October 2026