The Living Art Museum is looking for an engaging and ambitious collection manager, whose role is first and foremost to take care of the museum’s unique collection and lead collection and archive related projects.

This is a 70% position, and the prospective employee should start March 1st, 2022, at the latest.

The Living Art Museum

The Living Art Museum, or Nýló as the museum is called in everyday speech, is one of the oldest artist-run museums and exhibition spaces in Europe. Since its establishment, the museum has been one of the main venues for progressive contemporary art in Iceland, and preserves a unique collection of works by Icelandic and international artists from the 1960s to the present day. The museum maintains three main archives. Nýló collects primary documents on artist-run initiatives and performance art in Iceland. Every year, the museum presents a powerful exhibition program, in addition to being a venue for various events and research, in close collaboration with artists, curators, scholars and the general public. The Living Art Museum is an accredited museum and operates in accordance with the Museum Act and the terms of the Museum Council. The museum is a member of ICOM, and adheres to the ICOM Code of Ethics.

Collection manager

The collection manager is in charge of, and is responsible for, all administration of The Living Art Museum's collection and archives. The collection manager works closely with the museum director and general manager, advises the museum board regarding new acquisitions and is in regular contact with artists, scholars and other professionals in the art field.

Among the tasks of the collection manager are:

— advising on and maintaining the museum’s collection in collaboration with the museum director and the board

— supervision of registration, storage and preservation of artworks

— writing grant applications for projects relevant to the collection

— drafting of loan agreements and supervision of transportation

— research related to the collection and archives

— museum education and mediation of the collection to the public, especially to international scholars and school groups

Work environment

The Living Art Museum’s team of staff is small and works closely together in a creative and hectic environment. Emphasis is placed on a positive attitude, initiative and independent work. The working hours are divided between the Marshall House (offices and exhibition space) and Völvufell in Breiðholt, where the museum’s storage is located. Therefore it is an advantage for the collections manager to have a car at their disposal.

We are looking for a person who:

— is agile in communication, speech and writing

— has experience in museum registration work, knowledge of the correct handling of artworks and can assess when a conservator/external specialist is needed.

— is organized and flexible when it comes to diverse assignments, ad hoc tasks and managing more than one projects at the same time

— is motivated, shows initiative and works independently

— has considerable knowledge of Icelandic contemporary art

— has a relevant education

It is an advantage if the person in question is interested in mediating and preparing an exhibition, as works from the collection are often integrated into the museum's exhibition projects.

Deadline:

Applications will be accepted until February 7th 2022.

The application must contain a cover letter (1 page) stating the interests, motivation and qualification of the applicant, a CV  as well as contact info for references.

Applications and inquiries should be sent to Sunna Ástþórsdóttir, director of The Living Art Museum, sunna(at)nylo.is

Image:

From The Living Art Museum's Performance Archive. Documents from Örn Alexander Ámundason, for the eyes of the collection manager only.