Senior Curator, Displays & International Art

About the role

Working closely with Director, Tate Modern, and Head of Curatorial, Tate Modern, you will help Tate Modern to fulfil its ambition to rethink the history of international modern and contemporary art through steering the development of the Collection displays. This senior curatorial position will collaborate with key stakeholders at Tate Modern to ensure that the use of the Collection in all areas is imaginative, intellectually rigorous, aligned with Tate’s strategic vision and Tate Modern’s priorities.

You will be an experienced curator of modern and contemporary art with a demonstrable interest in transnational and transhistorical narratives throughout the 20th century, and into the 21st. You will have significant exhibition making experience to devise, develop and deliver exhibitions, as well as contribute to Tate Modern’s programme including research and propose acquisitions within Tate’s acquisition strategy.


What you will do (Main Duties and Responsibilities)

Working with the Collection

• Working with the Director, Tate Modern, Head of Curatorial and with the Senior management and the curatorial team, you will provide intellectual leadership and expertise in collaborating to shape and oversee the Collection displays at Tate Modern, steering the team to deliver them.
• Ensure Collection displays at Tate Modern are imaginative and ambitious with artistic innovation at their core and would appeal to a broad audience and enhance Tate Modern’s reputation for scholarship and quality.
• Draw upon curatorial expertise to research and develop existing and new concepts for Collection displays and contribute to thinking about the over-arching framework at senior level.
• Plan and shape proposals for Collection works outside of the galleries including works in public spaces or commercial outlets.
• Find new ways of collaborating with colleagues in Learning, and Communities, to insert innovative approaches to audience engagement into the heart of our displays programme.
• Working with Visitor Experience, rethink how audiences can engage and participate with Collection displays.
• Working with International Partnerships and ARTIST ROOMS programme to shape touring programmes generated from the Collection.
• Working with the Head of Programme Management and colleagues in Collection Care to ensure there are efficient and effective delivery mechanisms for realising the Collection displays.
• Work with the Senior Curator (ARTIST ROOMS) to represent the Collection in Tate Modern displays and contribute to AR activities more widely as required.
• Attend Tate wide Loans Group meeting, ensuring all future plans for displays are considered when agreeing loans from the Collection.
• Work with the Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational Team striving to represent new research ideologies and expanded global narratives within the Collection Displays.

Programme & Exhibitions

• Play a role in Senior Curator meetings shaping Tate Modern programmes and projects.
• On occasions, propose exhibitions, and lead, co-ordinate and manage exhibition project teams according to the project planning process to ensure efficient and cost-effective delivery of projects.
• Negotiate loans and liaise with artists, collectors, public and private institutions.
• Hold responsibility for establishing and maintaining key schedule dates for every project.
• Hold responsibility for project budgets; drawing up, managing and monitoring accurate detailed budget estimates for expenditure and income, to obtain best value without compromising high standards of presentation.
• Write informative and scholarly yet accessible texts for Tate exhibition catalogues; edit exhibition catalogues.
• Write accessible gallery wall texts and captions.
• Research existing or new proposals for exhibition and collection display projects.
• Write and present project descriptions for Tate Trustees, Tate Modern Council, funding bodies etc.
• Lead tours and presentations of displays and collection exhibitions.

Management

• Provide effective leadership to the Curatorial team creating a sense of common purpose and direction and an ethos of collaboration, as well as an environment in which learning is valued, ensuring that colleagues are equipped with the right skills, knowledge and approach to meet Tate Modern’s current and future needs.
• Take a leading role with provenance research and immunity from seizure for the Tate Modern programme.
• Represent internal and external activity to the Director, Tate Modern in terms of potential research topics, displays and exhibitions.
• Foster inter-disciplinary and trans-historical curatorial practice
• Mentor junior members of the team to excel as aspiring museum professionals in the wider field of visual arts.
• Maintain and develop an appropriate network of contacts among artists, artist estates, gallerists, museums, collectors and potential patrons as well as in academia, so that new developments are reflected at Tate
• Deputise for senior management, when requested.
• Attend and represent Tate Modern at Tate wide meetings.
• Line-manage Curators, Assistant Curators and temporary staff as well as supervising contractors.
• Undertake Tate advocacy, including attending Tate events where appropriate
• Participate in recruitment when required.

General

• Contribute to Tate’s Research Strategy and publishing projects to ensure that curatorial expertise is valued, articulated and developed.
• Give expert advice to external bodies, as required.
• Write project descriptions for, and present to a range of audiences such as Tate Trustees, Tate Modern Council, and funding bodies.
• Provide valuations of works of art

Museum Website: https://careers.tate.org.uk/members/modules/job/detail.php?record=588