Seeks new Artistic Director
The Swiss Institute Contemporary Art, New York (SI)
www.swissinstitute.net
The Swiss Institute Contemporary Art, New York (SI)
is looking for an Artistic Director
The Swiss Institute (SI) is an independent, not-for-profit cultural center, based in New York and presents art exhibitions, lectures, performances, concerts, screenings and other events throughout the year.
The SI has grown from a showcase of Swiss art and artists for a mostly Swiss audience, into an innovative, international venue for contemporary art that provides a significant forum for a cultural dialog between Switzerland, the United States and the world. This unique angle fosters the interaction between the Swiss and the many other communities and nationalities present in New York City. The result is a distinctive view of art and a way of thinking which asks audiences to look beyond traditional assumptions about art and national stereotypes.
Job description
The SI is seeking an enthusiastic and fully engaged Artistic Director to succeed Marc-Olivier Wahler, who has been appointed director of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Over the past five years Marc-Olivier Wahler has shaped the evolution of the SI into an innovative, well-noted international, cultural space in downtown New York. The new Artistic Director will bring the SI to the next level, possibly including a new space and a new location. He or she will be called to develop the SI activities on both the Swiss and the international art scene. The core of the program is dedicated to contemporary art, while an additional element will include various non-visual art events.
Job profile
The successful candidate is experienced in running an art institution or mounting larger-scale artistic projects in Switzerland or elsewhere. He or she possesses in-depth knowledge both in content and in contacts – of emerging visual and non-visual art that will allow him or her to draw up and carry out a high-quality program of artistic and cultural events.
The candidate will also manage the institutes personnel, budget, and technical resources while working closely with the SI Co-Chairs and Board, as well as with Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council. To further secure financing, an excellent knowledge and proven track record of both public and private fund raising sources are indispensable.
The candidacy requires teamwork experience in working with the three full time SI-staff members, the current Associate Curator and part-time staff. Excellent writing and speaking skills are a must. The candidate speaks English fluently and has a solid mastery of German, French and or Italian, if he or she is not a native speaker. The job will be based on a renewable 4-5 year term.
Application
The post is to begin in February 2006, or at a date to be negotiated. The deadline for submitting applications is December 30, 2005.
Candidates must submit a complete file comprising a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae, and a presentation of the projects they have completed to date. In addition candidates will outline a proposal for a short four-year development strategy as well as for one visual and one non-visual art project, exhibition or series of events for 2006, including realistic suggestions for sources of financing.
Applications should be sent to application@swissinstitute.net or to:
Swiss Institute, Contemporary Art (SI), Attn. Co-Chairs Dieter von Graffenried / Fabienne Abrecht,
495 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
