Archivorum Ark 2.0 Research Fellowship Programme

Main Duties

Mission

Archivorum Ark 2.0 is a long-term research fellowship programme dedicated to the creation, care, and activation of living artist archives. It is not a technical internship or a short-term project, but a sustained research pathway requiring autonomy, continuity, and ethical responsibility.

The programme understands archival work as a space of dialogue, listening, and negotiation with the artist. Not everything must be documented, digitised, or made public.

Archivorum Ark 2.0 is grounded in rigorous archival practice, methodological experimentation, and long-term collaboration, positioning the archive as a tool for research, artistic inquiry, and intergenerational knowledge transmission.

The programme is guided by the following principles:

– Digital innovation understood as a means, not an end

– Research-driven archival practice

– Close and sustained relationships with living artists

– Ethical responsibility and care

– Autonomy and critical thinking

– Openness to uncertainty and process-based methodologies

The Role: Archivorum Ark 2.0 Fellow

Archivorum Ark 2.0 Fellows engage in a long-term professional collaboration (18–24 months) with one living contemporary artist and the Archivorum team.

Archival Work

– Working closely with the artist to identify, organise, and digitise selected parts of the archive

– Creating and maintaining a structured digital archive (metadata, provenance, captions, rights information), in agreement with the artist and Archivorum

– Managing databases using Excel and a dedicated digital platform

– Verifying image quality, file organisation, and documentation standards

– Respecting that some materials may remain private, partial, or undocumented as part of ethical archival practice

Research, Writing, and Publication

– Developing sustained research in dialogue with the archive and the artist’s practice

– Conducting archival research and interviews where relevant and agreed upon with the artist

– Producing a critical publication based on the archive, with the format defined in dialogue with the artist and Archivorum

– Contributing to a shared research blog or journal, conceived as a space for process-based writing rather than promotion

– Producing short reflective entries on a regular basis

– Using writing as a research tool for articulation, accountability, and collective reflection

– Proactively proposing lines of inquiry emerging from long-term engagement with the archive

Collaboration and Conduct

– Participating in regular meetings, workshops, and public moments organised by Archivorum

– Providing periodic research updates

– Working independently within a partially open and evolving framework

– Building a relationship of trust, listening, and care with the artist

– Participating in conferences, presentations, or programme-related events when required

Skills and Experience Required

Eligibility

Applicants must:

– Hold a Bachelor’s degree in art, the humanities, or a related field

– Be aged 28 or younger at the time of application

– Have completed an MA within the last two years, or be enrolled in a closely related postgraduate programme

– Demonstrate strong research capacity, writing skills, and methodological rigour

– Be fluent in spoken and written English

– Be available to travel when required

– Provide at least one letter of recommendation

Strong digital competence in archival documentation, data management, digital presentation tools, and basic post-production of images and video is expected. Equivalent experience or non-linear academic trajectories may be considered in exceptional cases.

Disability Confident Employer

We can confirm that we are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 1-3) who can welcome a wide-range of disabled applicants within our level of training.

Equal Opportunities Statement

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their race, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and caring responsibility. We are committed to offering a working environment where everyone is valued and feels appreciated.