Position: University Assistant (Pre-Doc) / PhD Position in Contemporary Art
Organisation: Institute of Contemporary Art, Graz University of Technology (TU Graz)
Location: Graz, Austria
Positions available: Two
Contract: Full-time, fixed-term
Duration: 48 months
Hours: 40 hours per week
Salary: At least €52,865.40 gross annually, with potential for a higher salary based on qualifications and experience
Start date: October 2026
Application deadline: 26 August 2026
Reference: 1550 / 2026 / 9336
About the position
The Institute of Contemporary Art at Graz University of Technology seeks two artist-researchers for four-year University Assistant and PhD positions in contemporary art.
Applicants should have an independent artistic, theoretical, curatorial, or research-based practice. The positions focus on cultural transmission, social and performative forms of knowledge, politics of memory, public space, and contemporary forms of collective imagination.
Candidates will develop their artistic and research practices within the Institute’s research priorities while contributing to teaching, international collaborations, publications, exhibitions, and externally funded projects.
Curatorial experience may form part of an applicant’s profile but is not required.
Areas of interest
Potential areas of interest include:
- Artistic research and theoretical practice
- Relational and participatory art practices
- Cultural memory, tradition, and transmission
- Performative approaches to cultural heritage preservation
- Critical heritage studies
- World-building and speculative futures
- Climate, biodiversity, and ecological imaginaries
- Contemporary art, algorithmic cultures, and artificial intelligence
- Curatorial formats and institutional critique
Responsibilities
The successful candidates will:
- Teach independently and contribute collaboratively to courses at bachelor’s and master’s levels
- Teach particularly within Relational Forms, World Building, and Artistic Production and Exhibiting
- Co-develop theoretical and research-based teaching formats
- Develop independent artistic and/or research projects
- Pursue a dissertation or doctoral project in artistic research
- Contribute to the Institute’s research areas
- Participate in research projects and externally funded initiatives
- Support international partnerships and professional networks
- Document teaching and research through publications, exhibitions, and the Institute’s website
- Assist with administrative and organisational duties
Admission requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in:
- Fine Arts
- Architecture
- Art History
- Cultural Studies
- A comparable field
Candidate profile
The Institute is particularly interested in applicants with:
- Experience in teaching, education, or knowledge mediation
- Experience in writing, publishing, or research management
- An international network within contemporary art and artistic research
- An interest in knowledge production, cultural transmission, and social transformation
- An interest in pursuing a doctoral project in artistic research
- Experience working across cultures and/or disciplines
- Excellent written and spoken German and/or English
- The ability to teach in German and English and publish research internationally
- Excellent organisational and communication skills
- A collaborative approach to research and teaching
About the Institute
The Institute of Contemporary Art understands contemporary art as a field of transdisciplinary artistic research situated at the intersection of art, society, materiality, knowledge, technology, and the public sphere.
Its work explores new forms of artistic knowledge production, material- and process-based research, experimental methods of making and exhibiting, and contemporary social and ecological questions.
The Institute develops research approaches relating to embodied knowledge, cultural transmission, material intelligence, performative preservation, and the relationships between art, technology, climate, biodiversity, and social transformation.
What is offered
TU Graz offers:
- Flexible working arrangements, including the possibility of working from home
- A paid lunch break, depending on working hours
- International training and teaching opportunities
- Research infrastructure and access to current technologies
- Professional and personal development opportunities
- Support for public transportation
- A university sports programme
- Workplace health initiatives
- Employee discounts
- A company pension
- A family-friendly and stable working environment
Equal opportunities
TU Graz encourages applications from women and aims to increase their representation among academic and management staff. Where candidates are equally qualified, preference will be given to women.
The University promotes diversity and equal opportunities and welcomes applications from qualified people with disabilities.
