Curator for “Planetary Peasants” at Kunstmuseum Moritzburg Halle

Kunstmuseum Moritzburg Halle (Saale), Germany, invites applications for the position of Curator for exhibition project “Planetary Peasants”. This is a unique opportunity to play a vital role in the major exhibition scheduled for May to September 2025, exploring global challenges through the lens of contemporary art.

The exhibition endeavors to delve into questions such as how artists navigate the problems stemming from rapidly developing climate change. How do they creatively confront the myriad challenges arising from the consequences of these changes, affecting people worldwide? Furthermore, how do artists reflect on the profound social changes in various political systems globally, including the substantial shift to the right and the weakening of democracies? What role do questions of social participation and the ownership of natural resources (water, soil, energy) play in their works? Additionally, how do artists address the artistic representation of an increasingly diverse society, and what role do massive refugee movements worldwide play in their creations?

The exhibition commemorates the 500th anniversary of the German Peasants' War in 1525. During this historical event, peasants in our region, now Central Germany, rose against secular and ecclesiastical rulers, demanding a fair share of natural resources and social participation. Remarkably, these issues remain as relevant today as they were then. Therefore, the planned exhibition aims to explore how contemporary artists uniquely confront comparable massive social changes and injustices from an exclusively contemporary perspective.

See the project detailed description here.

Responsibilities

• Conception:

  • Collaborate with museum management to draft the exhibition concept, proposing artists (until end of March 2024).

  • Coordinate the basic concept with museum management (spring 2024).

  • Develop a detailed exhibition concept, including a selection of works (until June 2024).

  • Create the final list of 15 positions (July 2024).

• Loans and Loan Transport:

  • Establish contact with artists and/or their representatives.

  • Support the museum team in creating loan requests, providing text modules to justify specific works.

  • Assist the museum team in arranging individual loans.

• Presentation:

  • Work with museum management to develop the basic scenographic concept.

  • Collaborate on scenography development with the museum team.

  • Draft texts for exhibition content, including introductions and one text for each position.

• Catalogue:

  • Work with museum management to create a concept for a publication accompanying the exhibition.

  • Support the museum team in finding and retaining catalogue authors or, alternatively, create the texts independently.

  • Collaborate on the editorial process for the publication.

• Opening:

  • Participate in the press conference.

  • Take part in the exhibition opening, delivering an introductory speech.

  • Conduct a guided tour for guests of honor at the opening.

• Accompanying Program (To be determined):

  • Prepare information for the audio guide.

  • Deliver a lecture as part of the accompanying program.

  • Conduct a public curator tour

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Application Procedure

This is a freelance position. International standards will be followed for compensation. Kunstmuseum Moritzburg Halle (Saale) values diversity and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

For more information about the museum, please visit Museum’s website.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a brief letter of interest outlining their enthusiasm for the "Planetary Peasants" project, along with a concise CV referencing international contemporary art projects curated in the past few years. Please include an indication of the expected salary. Applications should be emailed to thomas.b-friedrich@kulturstiftung-st.de by January 31, 2024.