the:artist:network was launched in 2002 with the aim of establishing a network of cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exchanges.the:artist:network challenges geographic boundaries by opening up various portals of artistic communication, offering artists and curators international exhibitions and curatorial programs in Europe, the United States, and Beijing, China.  the:artist:network main focus is the implementation of curatorial concepts, exhibition planning, and execution.

the:artist:network initiated and conceived the first Beijing 798 Biennale in 2009 as well as a multitude of large-scale exhibitions in China. Working through its international network of galleries, museums, cultural festivals, and biennales. the:artist:network collaborates with branding professionals to develop corporate identities through art exhibitions and cultural projects.  the:artist:network interfaces with artists, art dealers, collections, and foundations to create bridges between these various groups within the industry.

Founders

Marc Anton Kyu Hungerbühler is a Swiss-born, New York–based multimedia artist and curator. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Parsons School of Design in 1985, and was awarded a summer residency at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Marc has served as a cultural correspondent for various Swiss media in New York since 1993. He has exhibited his works in Korea, Japan, China, the United States, and Europe. In 2002, he founded the:artist:network, an independent arts organization based in downtown Manhattan for which he serves as director. For the:artist:network, he has organized and curated more than 40 international exhibitions and established residency programs in New York and China.  (For the first Beijing Biennale in 2009 at the 798 Art District Marc served as the curatorial director of the international contributions.)

Alexandra Hungerbühler, a German native who lives and works in New York, is co-founder and director of the:artist:network. With a curatorial focus on photographic work and multimedia installations, Alexandra has planned, executed, and co-curated over 30 exhibitions for the:artist:network. For the Beijing 798 Biennale, Alexandra co-curated "Relational Aesthetics", featuring female artists from China, India, and Iran. Her own photographic work has been exhibited in France, the United States, and China.

In 2007, Alexandra and Marc curated the international group exhibition ‘Surge’ for the 798 Art Festival, and consequently moved to Beijing to continue organizing large-scale exhibitions. These have included "Dream Palace“ and "Critical Mass" for the Huang Yan Contemporary Art Center. Their work in Beijing culminated with the first independent Beijing 798 Biennale in 2009, which they inaugurated and for which Marc served as the curatorial director of the international contributions. In 2011, they present "Lingua Franca - a public intervention" for the St.Moritz Art Masters, and they have returned to China for the “Art and Technology” initiatives in the Audi Innovation Series.