Research-creation at UNAD

Research-creation has opened new possibilities for understanding artistic processes in academic and virtual settings, integrating the production of artworks with the dynamics of knowledge generation and circulation. In this context, the Visual Arts program at Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD), in collaboration with the Digital Intersections research group, has developed a framework aimed at strengthening research-creation in virtual learning environments, expanding the forms of artistic production, mediation, and dissemination within the university metasystem.

The initiative describes the process of integrating research-creation into UNAD's academic, research, and curricular procedures, including the "art creation" degree track, the strengthening of research lines related to the arts in the digital age, and the coordination of training and formative research spaces through the SINAV incubator. Likewise, strategies are presented aimed at understanding virtuality not only as a technological medium but also as a setting for artistic mediation, experimentation, and circulation.

The development of platforms such as the University Museum of Digital Arts (MUNAD) and the journal Back Projection has enhanced the visibility of projects, exhibitions, and products derived from research-creation processes, strengthening the social engagement with knowledge and interaction with academic networks, artists, institutions, and the external sector. Similarly, the consolidation of inter-university partnerships and networks has made it possible to broaden the discussion on art, virtuality, and artistic thought in national and international settings.

The developed path has contributed to the strengthening of innovative pedagogical practices, the expansion of the arts in virtual contexts, and the recognition of research-creation as a legitimate field of knowledge production in higher education.