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Postdoctoral Researcher at ARoS

Olafur Eliasson × ARoS - Shared Futures

ARoS Aarhus Art Museum | Fixed-term, full-time position | 18 months | Expected start: 1 February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter

The position

ARoS is preparing a major solo exhibition with Olafur Eliasson, opening in October 2027 and running until 27 August 2028. The exhibition is part of Olafur Eliasson × ARoS - Shared Futures, a long-term collaboration between the artist, Studio Olafur Eliasson and ARoS, building on the museum’s long-standing relationship with Eliasson, his 2004 exhibition at ARoS, Your rainbow panorama (2011), and the museum’s significant collection of his work.

The exhibition will bring together iconic works from recent decades and new installations, including works never previously shown in Denmark. It will explore Eliasson’s sustained interest in perception, sensory experience, ecology, climate, architecture and our relationship with the world around us. Large immersive installations will invite visitors to become active participants in experiences of light, colour, movement, and space. 

As part of Olafur Eliasson × ARoS - Shared Futures, ARoS will acquire Presence (2025) (a large-scale, floating light installation inspired by the sun), develop a publicly accessible reading library and study area with publications and selected archival resources from Studio Olafur Eliasson, and present a substantial public programme including an international seminar. Outside the museum, Eliasson’s Waterfall will be presented on ARoS Art Square in a new site-specific version, extending the project into the public realm. 

The position is closely linked to the upcoming solo-exhibition ´Thin Ice. The researcher is expected to carry out a research project within the field of Olafur Eliasson’s practice and in immersive installation art more broadly. 

Research themes could be:

• Spatial & Sensory Aesthetics: Installation art, sculpture in the expanded field, perception, embodiment, phenomenology, and aesthetics.
• Social & Ecological Dimensions: Immersive art forms, participation, the public sphere, the democratic and collective dimensions of art, as well as climate, ecology, and social experience in contemporary art.
  
  

Research project

Applicants are invited to develop a research project at the field of art-historical research, curatorial studies, public engagement or museology. A successful project proposal must demonstrate strong relevance to ARoS across multiple parameters while contributing to the research field at an international level. 

Possible areas of research include:

• installation art in the field of light and space, and sculpture in the expanded field
• science and art, light colour and perception
• perception, sensory experience and embodiment
• phenomenology and aesthetics
• installation art and the public sphere
• immersive art forms and participation
• climate, ecology and social experience in contemporary art

Research and museum activities

The postdoctoral researcher will be embedded in the museum’s curatorial and research environment and will contribute to activities connected to the exhibition and its public programme, including:

• contributing a research article
• developing a research-based public programme, talks or other activities in dialogue with ARoS Public Engagement
• co-organising an international conference on Eliasson’s practice and related questions, with participation by Olafur Eliasson (subject to confirmation)
• contributing research perspectives to the development of the exhibition and related forms of interpretation
• contributing to a final research and strategic reflection on the longer-term collaboration Olafur Eliasson × ARoS - Shared Futures 

Candidate profile

We are looking for a researcher with knowledge within the field, who is also interested in working across academic and museum contexts and contributing constructively to a collaborative project environment. 

Applicants must be able to document relevant to the position:

• a PhD in art history or a closely related humanities discipline, or qualifications equivalent to a PhD
• a strong research profile in contemporary art, installation art, museology, or a related field 

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicant can document:

• an internationally oriented research profile and excellent written and spoken English
• an interest in interdisciplinary and museum-based research
• the ability to work independently, and develop and carry out a research project
• an ability to translate research into accessible and engaging communication that can attract visitors to a museum
• previous experience publishing catalogues and/or working at a cultural institution, preferably a museum, would be an advantage.          
• strong collaborative skills and an ability to work across academic, curatorial and public-engagement contexts

Academic collaboration

The postdoctoral researcher will be employed and based at ARoS and work closely with the museum’s curatorial, research, collection and Public Engagement teams. The position refers to the museum’s Chief Curator, who serves as the day-to-day manager. While independent of formal university supervision, the postdoc is encouraged to engage in peer-to-peer dialogue with relevant academic researchers. ARoS already has a collaboration with researchers from Aarhus University and the postdoc is invited to continue this dialogue. The position is intended to create a productive dialogue between academic research and museum practice, while maintaining the researcher’s academic independence.

What ARoS offers

ARoS is one of Scandinavia’s leading art museums and is internationally recognised for its focus on installation art and ambitious audience experiences. The museum’s collection and exhibition programme provide a strong environment for research into contemporary installation art, perception and the relationship between artwork, architecture and audience.

Terms of employment

The position is a fixed-term, full-time postdoctoral position for 18 months, with an expected start date of 1 February 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. The place of employment is ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Aros Allé 2, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

The postdoctoral researcher will be employed by ARoS. Salary and terms of employment will be governed by the collective agreement with the Danish Association of Masters and PhDs. The salary will be approximately 52,000 DKK per month.

For candidates who are not covered by the collective agreement with the Danish Association of Masters and PhDs, the salary will be agreed upon in the terms of the contract, at a level corresponding to that stated above.

The successful candidate will finalize the project description and time schedule in close dialogue with ARoS to ensure institutional relevance, while conducting the research independently with full academic freedom.

Application

Applicants should submit a CV, documentation for PhD degree or equivalent qualifications, a complete publication list, and a research proposal, including statement describing the vision for the proposed research project and its relevance to the position (ca. 500 words). Further documentation, including selected publications may be requested.

Assessment and appointment

The application deadline is 3 January 2027.

The interviews are expected to take place between 11 and 22 January 2027.

Contact

For further information about the position and the research project, please contact:
Stinna Toft, Chief Curator, ARoS, stto@aros.dk

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