M+ is a museum dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, we are building one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary visual culture in the world, with a bold ambition to establish ourselves as one of the world’s leading cultural institutions. Our aim is to create a new kind of museum that reflects our unique time and place, a museum that builds on Hong Kong’s historic balance of the local and international to define a distinctive and innovative voice for Asia’s twenty-first century.

Associate Conservator, Variable Media Art (Ref: 19325)

As part of the development of the M+ team, we are rapidly building up our Conservation team to deal with the preventative and remedial conservation of the growing M+ Collection. The team is still developing and already encompasses various disciplines amongst which painting, object, paper, photography, Installation Art, Digital and Media art and preventive conservation.

Reporting to the Senior Conservator the position is an integral part of the growing conservation team to deal with the preventative and remedial conservation of the M+ Collection in Variable Media Art area.

While working in collaboration with other conservators from the team, especially with both Installation Art and Digital and Media Art conservators, you will be responsible for:

• contributing to the preservation of the M+ Variable Media Art collection by participating in a wide range of conservation related activities such as examination, condition, quality or function assessments, documentation, conservation treatment and all necessary interventions required for long-term preservation of such collection items;

• providing with expert diagnostic on the condition, vulnerability, exhibitability of Variable Media art item candidate for acquisition along with formulation of long-term preservation strategy including recommendations associated to its maintenance, care and display;

• recommending and preparing for proper and safe display the Variable Media Art items of the collection planned for loans and exhibition;

• contributing to development of conservation/preservation policies, procedures, protocols and workflows within the museum related to acquisition, display, care and maintenance of installation art items of the collection through participation in the M+ Time-Based Media Committee;

• contributing to advising and training staff in best practices for the care, handling, display, storage, packing and shipping of Variable Media Art collection items;

• conducting specialised research on the materials, techniques and practices of artists represented in the collection and engaging as necessary in conservation and preservation-related special projects;

• supporting the planning and implementation of the Variable Media Art conservation & preservation lab of the Conservation and Storage Facility (CSF) of the future museum;

• co-supervising conservation volunteers or interns as required and contributing to relevant outreach activities

You should:

• possess a master’s degree or a diploma in Conservation from a recognised training programme. Specialisations in contemporary art or functioning cultural heritage are preferred; other relevant specialities are also welcomed. Individuals without such formal academic training but could prove equivalent skills and knowledge acquired through specialized professional experiences and trajectory will also be considered. Candidates with less experience may be considered for the position of Assistant Conservator, Variable Media Art;

• have at least 3 years of practical postgraduate experience working with Variable Media collection items; Institutional / museum experience is preferred;

• have proven experience documenting and treating a range of collection items to a high standard with full consideration of practical, technical and ethical issues;

• be able to address preservation needs of items that include Installation Art, Performance Art, kinetic Art or other functioning art; Experience with digital collection item is a plus;

• be able to contribute to preservation and access needs of complex artwork such as installation, performance and other types of time-based media art, working collaboratively with the rest of conservation team and with any other relevant stakeholders;

• be able to provide specialist advices for storage, transport, installation and display of variable media art items of the M+ collection;

• be knowledgeable/interested in modern and contemporary visual culture, architecture and design, including materials and techniques, and demonstrate expertise in diverse conservation techniques and theories; familiarity and experience with cultural materials in South East Asia would be advantageous;

• be an innovative and enthusiastic team player with strong critical thinking and problem solving skills;

• be able to work in a fast paced and continuously challenging environment;

• be proficient in MS Windows and / or Apple OS platforms; and

• have strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills in English and preferably in Cantonese or Mandarin.

For interested parties, please submit your application with detailed CV on or before 1 March 2020.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible.  The review of applications will continue until the post is filled.

Data collected will only be used for job application processing. Your data may be accessed by our appointed recruitment consultants who have agreed to keep confidence of all personal data in not less than the standards applicable to us.

Applicants not being invited for interview within 4 weeks from the submission date may assume their applications unsuccessful.

All related information will be kept up to 24 months and all personal data will be destroyed afterwards.

For more information

http://www.westkowloon.hk or contact Ms. Amanda Tai at 2200-0116

Click here to apply

Employer:
M+ (West Kowloon Cultural District Authority)
Closing Date:
01-03-2020