Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Curatorial Fellowship in Photography and Media - Korea

Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Curatorial Fellowship in Photography and Media - Korean Photography

Job Category: Curatorial

Requisition Number: DANIE002551

Posted: January 23, 2025

Location: Chicago, IL 60603, USA

Description

The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.

The Department of Photography and Media seeks a Fellow to advance new avenues of research and collection development related to the history of artists on the Korean Peninsula using photography, as well as moving-image technologies from the 1900s onward. The Fellow will work with the curators to identify artists, research and recommend works for the collection, and develop proposals for exhibitions and publications, including an edited anthology of significant Korean-language texts on related topics to be translated into English.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborate with the curators to create an extensive survey of impactful Korean artists using photography and moving-image technologies since the 1900s.
• Compile bibliographies of English- and Korean-language scholarship on photography and media in South Korea since the 1950s; recommend books, periodicals, ephemera, and other research material for acquisition by the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries.
• Conduct primary research in museums, archives, and libraries in South Korea to drive new curatorial directions.
• Build relationships with potential stakeholders including artists, curators, scholars, critics, and collectors in South Korea.
• Develop proposals for new acquisitions and exhibitions related to the fellowship project.
• Assist with project-related collection rotations as needed, including object research and gallery information.
• Develop proposals for convenings with relevant scholars and practitioners in the field, presentations documenting fellowship research, and an edited anthology of Korean-language texts on related topics to be translated into English.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Remain standing or sitting at a desk or with a computer for 90% of the work day.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery.
• Light physical work that may include moving boxes up to 30 pounds.
• Occasionally handles art.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in art history, East Asian studies, film and media studies, or a closely related field with a strong research focus on the history of photography and media-based art in South Korea.
• Fluency in Korean Hangul is required; competency reading Hanja is highly desired.
• Minimum 1-2 years professional, internship or in-depth research experience in the history of photography and the twentieth-century history of the Korean peninsula required.

Candidates should submit a CV/resume and a cover letter detailing their interest in and qualifications for the position. Upon invitation to interview, further supporting materials may be requested.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the post is filled. The start date of the fellowship is flexible, ideally beginning between May and September 2025. This is a three-year term with benefits, a modest relocation allowance if appropriate, a stipend for research/professional development, and funds for project support.

CLOSING STATEMENT

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities.

UNION INFO: This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.