Job Title: Senior Curator (100%)
Location: Berlin
Reporting to: Head of Programmes
Availability: As soon as possible
Languages: English, German and other languages are an advantage
Work experience: Minimum of 5 years
About
LAS is a Berlin-based art foundation that brings together art, technology and science. Committed to new ways of presenting art, LAS commissions experimental projects, both physical and digital, in unconventional spaces. LAS is dedicated to future thinking and light is the foundation’s guiding principle – a symbol of imagination, discovery and innovation. For more information: lightartspace.org.
Overview
LAS seeks a Senior Curator to work with the Head of Programmes as part of the LAS programming team. Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the position exemplifies LAS’s values and works closely with the artistic team to conceptualise, develop, and execute exhibitions, commissions, projects/productions, as well as supporting content development of the exhibitions and related efforts. The Senior Curator will work with LAS’s wider team to contribute and shape institutional strategic development, actively participating in shaping the organisation’s vision and mission.
The Senior Curator will be receptive to new ideas, methods, and opportunities, and will be driven by LAS’s mission and programme. The job requires assertiveness, compassion, and decisiveness in dealing with situations that are artistic, intellectual, emotional, and pragmatic while adapting to various situations with ease.
Other key competencies include creativity, innovation, and futuristic thinking: The capacity to imagine and create new approaches, designs, processes, technologies, and/or systems that achieve the desired shows and productions that have not yet previously been actualised. The emotional intelligence to identify with and care about artists, colleagues, and audiences for the sake of artistic excellence.
Responsibilities (include, but not limited to)
Curatorial & Programming:
- Work with the curatorial team to establish a long-term schedule of commissions, developing overarching vision, mission, and themes for LAS programmes
- Research, develop, and curate a range of exhibitions and commissions at LAS, and supervise their realisation
- Support with the development and implementation of an exhibitions programme strategy
- Manage interpretation and scholarship, and serve as content authority for the exhibitions, ensuring balance of scholarship and value for audiences in the community and the art world
Production & Budget:
- Determine human, producing, financial, technological, and other resources required to realise LAS programmes
- Oversee curatorial and logistical aspects, including the approval of exhibition layouts and design, of all commissions/exhibitions in close collaboration with the Head of Programmes and production team
- Support all LAS programming initiatives, including overseeing budget development and management
Partnerships:
- Work with the wider LAS team to identify potential project partnerships and sponsorship opportunities
- Support in the management of relationships with co-commissioners for LAS exhibitions and commissions
Inter-departmental work:
- Foster a collaborative, interdepartmental working environment, with an emphasis on internal professional growth for staff
- Be the contact person and manage Location Managers / Visitor Services team
Publication:
- Work cross-departmentally to develop and produce publications
- Oversee, edit and coordinate LAS publications
Education:
- Work with the curatorial team to identify potential partners, conceive, develop and execute accompanying educational programmes for LAS projects.
Marketing & Communications:
- Oversee all relevant programmatic didactic and public relation materials
- Provide tours to press, members, and the general public
- Working with Marketing and Communications, to support communications, press strategy, and identity for exhibitions and wider LAS projects
Meetings:
- Attend internal and external events, including all LAS openings
- Represent LAS in all necessary meetings, internally and externally
- Attend all, and present at select, press previews
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making:
- The ability to define, analyse, and diagnose all aspects of the program to formulate a solution based on sound and timely decisions
Planning, Organising, and Negotiating:
- The dexterity to establish courses of action that ensure work is completed effectively using logical, practical, and efficient approaches while listening to many points of view and facilitating agreements between multiple parties
Requirements
Profile
- Master’s degree in fine arts or related field, or equivalent experience
- 5 or more years of work experience in a non-profit museum or visual arts organisation
- Experience in managing a team (assistant curators, interns)
- A strong professional track record in art administration, strategic planning, and building collaborative relationships, with demonstrable results
- Demonstrated excellence in organizing contemporary art exhibitions and publications
- Demonstrated excellence in working with living artists, their studios, and galleries
- Close familiarity with museum and contemporary art venue practices
- Knowledge of international contemporary art world, and broad knowledge of art history
- Knowledge of, and interest in, performance, film, music, theatre, and dance
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with significant public speaking experience and a demonstrable history of catalogue texts, essays, and didactic materials
- Significant experience with planning, budgeting, contracting, scheduling, and implementation of projects with a high level of attention to detail
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to work a flexible schedule as is common in the industry
- Has an appreciation for and understanding of emerging technologies and trends
Person Specification
- Berlin based (or willing to relocate)
- Team player, highly collaborative in approach
- Committed to experimentation and innovation
- Impeccable budget and team management skills
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, confidence, ability to sell ideas
- Fluent in English
- German is desirable
Working with LAS
We are committed to continuous knowledge building and self-development within the organisation, which takes the form of internal talks, mentors, and workshops. LAS is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff. We are committed to an inclusive and supportive environment for all.
Staff benefits include:
- Social and healthcare benefits, pension contribution
- Professional and personal development budget
- Research Travel Budget
- Flexible working hours, days and remote working
- Hardware, software, equipment
- Looking for another staff benefit? Tell us what you have in mind, we’re open.
Please note: LAS has adopted a Covid-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit a résumé and cover letter in a single MS Word or PDF document saved as the candidate’s first and last name by sending an email to jobs@antoniajosten.com until February 12th, 2022.
Contact person is Amelie Schrick (ANTONIA JOSTEN FINE ART RECRUITMENT).
