SAR - Society for Artistic Research
version 0626
1. SCOPE
This Privacy Policy explains how the Society for Artistic Research (SAR) processes personal data when you visit our website, become a member, register for events, subscribe to newsletters, or otherwise interact with SAR services.
This Policy applies to the website operated at societyforartisticresearch.org. Separate notices apply to the Research Catalogue (researchcatalogue.net) and the Journal for Artistic Research (jar-online.net).
SAR processes personal data in compliance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. CONTROLLER
The controller responsible for the processing of personal data on this website is:
Name: Society for Artistic Research (SAR)
Legal form: Association under Articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code (Verein)
Registered address: c/o FIDURIA AG, Bruckfeldstrasse 16, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://societyforartisticresearch.org
3. DATA PROTECTION CONTACT
For all matters relating to data protection, including the exercise of your rights, please contact SAR via the email address above.
4. CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL DATA PROCESSED
Depending on how you interact with SAR, the following categories of personal data may be processed:
Identification data: name, title.
Contact data: postal address, email address, telephone number.
Affiliation data: institution, role, country of practice.
Membership data: membership type, dates, payment status.
Communication data: correspondence, newsletter preferences, opt-in records.
Technical data: IP address, browser metadata, device information, server logs.
Event data: registration details, dietary or accessibility requirements where voluntarily provided.
5. PURPOSES AND LEGAL BASES
SAR processes personal data for the purposes set out in the table below. Where GDPR applies, the legal basis under Article 6 GDPR is identified; the equivalent provisions of the revFADP apply in parallel.
Activity | Data categories | Legal basis | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
Membership administration | Name, contact details, affiliation, payment confirmation | Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR; Art. 31(2)(a) revFADP) | Duration of membership plus 10 years (Swiss accounting retention) |
Payment processing | Name, payment reference, transaction metadata | Contract and legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(b)(c) GDPR) | 10 years (Swiss CO Art. 958f) |
Newsletter distribution | Email address, opt-in record, engagement metrics | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; Art. 6(6) revFADP) | Until withdrawal of consent |
Website operation and security | Server logs, IP address, browser metadata | Legitimate interest in secure operation (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) | Hetzner default is 7 days |
Event registration and meetings | Name, contact details, dietary or accessibility needs where provided | Contract and consent | Up to 12 months after event |
6. RECIPIENTS AND PROCESSORS
SAR engages selected service providers to operate its digital infrastructure. These providers act as data processors. The principal processors are:
| Provider | Location | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
Website hosting | Hetzner Online GmbH | Germany (EU) | Hosting of the SAR website |
Email correspondence | Mailbox or Proton, not decided | Either Germany or Switzerland | SAR email correspondence |
Payment processing | Mollie B.V. | Netherlands (EU) | Membership and event payments |
Newsletter delivery | Sendinblue / Brevo SA | France (EU) | Newsletter distribution |
Bookkeeping and accounting | Administratiekantoor Van Tunen + Partners | Netherlands (EU) | Member payment records and accounting |
Cookie consent management | The SAR website does not collect cookies, apart from one that handles login. This one does not require consent. | Not appliccable | Cookie consent banner and preference storage |
Analytics | Not in use as of now | Aggregate site usage measurement |
SAR does not sell, rent or otherwise transfer personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.
7. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS
Most data processing takes place within the European Economic Area or Switzerland. Where personal data is transferred to a country that does not benefit from an adequacy decision of the Swiss Federal Council or the European Commission, SAR ensures appropriate safeguards, in particular the EU Standard Contractual Clauses with the Swiss addendum where required.
8. RETENTION
Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by Swiss accounting and tax law, in particular Article 958f of the Swiss Code of Obligations, which prescribes a retention period of ten years for accounting records. Specific retention periods are indicated in the processing table above.
9. YOUR RIGHTS
Subject to the conditions set out in the revFADP and, where applicable, the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:
Right of access: to obtain confirmation of whether SAR processes your personal data and, if so, a copy of that data.
Right to rectification: to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention obligations.
Right to restriction: to request limitation of processing in defined circumstances.
Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (GDPR only).
Right to object: to processing based on legitimate interests, in particular for direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
To exercise these rights, please contact SAR using the email address above. SAR may request reasonable proof of identity to ensure that the request originates from the data subject.
10. RIGHT TO LODGE A COMPLAINT
If you consider that the processing of your personal data infringes data protection law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. In Switzerland, this is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), Feldeggweg 1, 3003 Bern. Data subjects in the EU may contact the supervisory authority in their country of residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement.
11. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
11.1 WHAT ARE COOKIES
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device when you visit. They allow the website to recognise your device on subsequent visits, to remember your preferences and to support core functions such as login and security.
11.2 LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Under Swiss law, the use of cookies is governed by Article 45c of the Federal Telecommunications Act (FMG). For visitors in the European Economic Area, Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive and the GDPR apply, requiring prior consent for the storage of, or access to, information on the user device, except where strictly necessary for the operation of the requested service.
SAR applies the more protective standard across all visitors. Cookies that are not strictly necessary are loaded only after the user has given explicit consent through the consent banner.
11.3 CATEGORIES OF COOKIES USED
Category | Purpose | Consent | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Strictly necessary | Required for the website to function. Includes session management, login state, security. | Not required | Session or short term |
Functional | Remember user preferences such as language and accessibility settings. | Required | Not in use |
Embedded content | Third party video embeds from Youtube and Vimeo will be allowed | Required | Per third party policy |
11.4 COOKIES INVENTORY
The following cookies are currently in use on the SAR website:
Cookie name | Provider | Category | Purpose and duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Login | Drupal sets one session cookie to maintain login. Does not require consent. | Strictly-necessary | Logged in status |
11.5 MANAGING YOUR COOKIE PREFERENCES
When you first visit the SAR website, a consent banner gives you the option to accept all cookies, to reject all non-essential cookies, or to make a granular selection by category. You can change your choices at any time through the link provided in the website footer. In addition, you can manage cookies through your browser settings. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
11.6 THIRD PARTY COOKIES AND EMBEDDED CONTENT
SAR aims to minimise the use of third party cookies. Where embedded content from external providers is used, such content may set cookies on your device. These third party cookies are loaded only after you have given consent.
12. SECURITY
SAR implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. These measures are reviewed regularly and adapted to the state of the art.
13. CHILDREN
SAR services are directed to adult researchers, students and institutional members. SAR does not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of sixteen without verifiable parental consent.
14. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
SAR may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements or in SAR services. The current version is always available on the SAR website with an indication of the date of last update.