Assistant Professor in Fine Art

Development opportunity to join a dynamic international artistic research and education environment.

HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design, University of Gothenburg, Sweden is now looking for an Assistant Professor in Fine Art who will be part of the unit Craft and Fine Art and attached to the Centre for Art and the Political Imaginary (CAPIm) a joint initiative with our partner Kungl. Konsthögskolan (KKH). The Centre for Art and the Political Imaginary is committed to interdisciplinary practice and research in the meeting between contemporary art and the future of politics. Based at two institutions of higher education in art HDK-Valand and Kungl. Konsthögskolan, the Centre’s aim is to facilitate connections between research and education through an engagement with experimental approaches. It is the first Swedish Centre of Excellence in the field of Artistic Research.

HDK-Valand’s research environment values a broad and inclusive approach whereby knowledge is produced within established research formats, experimental artistic practices and education. Our research contributes to discourses on environmental, societal and cultural challenges through engagement in interdisciplinary projects. Four research themes oriented around (i) politics, (ii) the environment, (iii) economics and (iv) materiality operate as focus areas to facilitate collaboration between different subjects and actors, and to provide a broad base for both research and teaching. An overarching objective at HDK-Valand is the development of a complete academic environment grounded in these themes

Duties include:
Research tasks (50% of employment)

Realise own artistic research projects within the framework of the Centre’s remit aligned with one of CAPIm’s key thematics: (i) Climate (ii) Historical (iii) Democratic and (iv) Technological Imaginaries

Conduct assigned research tasks under the supervision of Prof. Mick Wilson, and in concert with colleagues at the Centre for Art and the Political Imaginary contribute to specific research trajectories associated with the Centre, that may include (but not limited to) work on: (i) Mapping the Political Imaginary; (ii) Organisational Imaginaries; (iii) The role of editorial practices and small-scale presses in artistic research; and (iv) We that swarm among the living and the dead.

Education tasks (50% of employment)

Working together with colleagues to deliver and develop existing and new courses at Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral level, including courses associated with CAPIm, as required.

Contributing to course and student administration processes and report writing, including quality assurance and enhancement processes and related tasks as required.

Working together with colleagues to develop innovative educational content and formats based on current developments in research.

Eligibility/criteria
Primary consideration will be given to someone who has been awarded a doctorate or achieved the equivalent competence within seven years of the deadline for application for employment as Assistant Professor. 

We are seeking candidates who have demonstrated the ability to independently initiate, develop, and conduct high-quality research within art practice.

Assessment will be based primarily on research expertise, secondly on teaching expertise, and thirdly on collaborative and administrative competence.

Research expertise 
Research expertise in the fine art context is interpreted according to the norms that apply within the domain of artistic research. Activities such as public exhibition, public performances, participation in international curated projects and dissemination via internationally reputable art platforms and institutions function also as an equivalent for peer review publication in other disciplines. The ability to obtain external research funding in competition is highly meritorious.

Teaching expertise
Teaching expertise is demonstrated through documented experience of having planned and implemented teaching in various forms (lectures, seminars, supervision, practical workshops, and project-based teaching) at the first-cycle, second-cycle and/or doctoral level within the subject area of the position. When assessing teaching expertise, special emphasis is placed on documented teaching work that has contributed to the development of a course or study programme and its instruction and consequently improved the quality.

Extensive experience in academic environments outside Sweden is highly meritorious. See the full formal job announcement on the University of Gothenburg website (includes application link).