Director of the Art Collections
The following position at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is advertised:
Director of the Art Collections
This position is offered full-time for a period of five years starting 1 October 2021.
The Gemäldegalerie (Paintings Gallery), one of Austria's most important collections of old masters with a total of around 1600 objects, is held at the Academy. One of the highlights of the collection is Hieronymus Bosch's Triptych of the Last Judgment. Incorporated into the Paintings Gallery is a glyptotheque, which with its holdings of historical plaster casts and sculptures forms an important pillar in the history of academic teaching. With the Kupferstichkabinett (Graphic Collection), the Academy possesses one of the most important graphic collections in Austria. The collection, consisting of hand drawings, including master drawings by Dürer and Rembrandt, prints and photographs, represents a unique illustrative material on the entire history of Western art.
In accordance with § 39 of the University Act 2002, the tasks of the Paintings Gallery and the Graphic Collection include in particular
• the planned development of the existing collection as well as the creation of new collections
• the examination of the collections according to the current state of science with regard to their state of preservation and the implementation of appropriate measures for restoration and protection
• the presentation of selected objects of the collections to the public through permanent collections or additional exhibitions
• the identification, inventory and cataloguing of the collections
• the edition of scientific publications
• the support of the university staff in teaching and in the development of the arts
Areas of responsibility:
• scientific-artistic as well as organizational overall management of the two organizational units as well as their representation externally
• formulation of scientific, political and socio-political goals and overall coordination of their implementation as well as interaction with teaching and research activities
• Designing the exhibition and educational programs with the aim of increasingly addressing diverse audiences in the future and deepening the Academy's relationship to the present day
• Organizational development, personnel development, and interdisciplinary project development, in order to ensure the management of the tasks described in § 39 UG 2002
• Conceptual development of the art collections, including in collaboration with exhibit programming, the area of exhibiting contemporary art
• Development of digital strategies
• Acquisition of third-party funding
Employment Requirements:
• Completed university studies in the field of art or cultural studies
• Extensive knowledge of art history and theory with a focus on the core competencies of the Paintings Gallery and the Graphic Collection as well as relevant scientific competence
• Knowledge of contemporary art as well as orientation towards contemporary discourses of curating
• Experience as a director or in a management-related position of a museum or comparable art or cultural institution that has a comparable dimension to the Academy's collections
• Experience in the conception, organization, and implementation of exhibitions (including in collaboration with guest curators), the development of innovative concepts and cross-organizational projects for the presentation and expansion of the collections, and outreach formats with regard to the cultural and social significance of art
• Experience in the application of business management processes as well as in the acquisition of third-party funds
• Experience in personnel management as well as high communicative and integrative competence
• Experience with art universities and/or art collections
• Good international networking and experience in managing collaborative projects
• Gender-, diversity- and discrimination-critical competences, among others with regard to the critical reappraisal and presentation of the collections
• Excellent knowledge of German and English (further foreign language skills are an advantage)
Desired Qualifications:
• Experience with art collectors, sponsoring as well as the media.
• Publication activity in the area of the core competencies of the Paintings Gallery and the Graphic Collection.
The gross monthly salary according to the collective agreement for university employees in salary group V is currently Euro 3,230.8 for full employment. Overpayment according to the collective agreement, depending on the qualification profile, is possible.
Interested persons please apply by following the link
A statement on the development of the profile of the collections in the context of a contemporary art academy as well as a short concept for the further development of the Paintings Gallery and the Graphic Collection should be attached to the application.
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna strives to increase the proportion of women and strongly requests applications from qualified women. Furthermore, the Academy strives to create application and working conditions that are as accessible as possible. In this context, the Academy actively supports the application of people with disabilities. Applicants can contact the Human Resources Department or the Academy's disability representatives in advance. Applicants are not entitled to compensation for travel and accommodation expenses incurred in connection with the admission procedure.