Goethe-Institut, documenta archiv | documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH, and Kunsthochschule Kassel art school will be awarding two fellowships to international scholars, artists, and curators taking place from August/September 2022 to February/March 2023. This call for applications is particularly extended to researchers from contexts which have received scarce representation in the prevalent artistic and academic scene. The awardees will be invited to work in Kassel for six months on a topic which opens up new perspectives on documenta and its transnational links while drawing on the abundant holdings available at documenta archiv.

 

Fellows will benefit from a working environment featuring a wealth of material and object availability, interaction with scholars and artists on site, active involvement in the research and event programming of the awarding institutions, as well as organizational and professional support. Presentation of research results in Kassel as well as in publication/publishing forums with international visibility is desired.

 

This Goethe-Institut Fellowship allows for transdisciplinary research into a broad range of issues in aesthetics, art, and contemporary history along the documenta exhibitions. It is also possible to examine themes involving individual actors or groups, curatorial and artistic practices, and/or the mechanisms of art production, presentation, and reception with a view to documenta. This program aims to provide a venue to critically reflect on Western-European- / North-American-influenced discourses as well as to develop alternative perspectives.

 

Qualifications and requirements desired:

 

• Excellent knowledge of modern and contemporary art as well as a strong interest in the research areas outlined in the Call for Applications.
• Experience with archival research; demonstrated accomplishments from projects completed in a field of scholarly, artistic, or curatorial research.
• Residence in Kassel required during the fellowship
• Demonstration of knowledge of the German language, ideally at the C1 level

 

Services:

 

• The fellowships will be carried out from 1 August / 1 September 2022 to 28 February / 31 March 2023. As possible, the research stay should begin in August 2022.
• Funding will be provided in the amount of 2,000 euros per month.
• Goethe-Institut will provide fellows with support in applying for visas as well as other travel formalities for their country of origin. After arrival in Germany, documenta archiv will provide fellows with support in interacting with authorities, finding accommodation, obtaining insurance coverage, etc.
• While carrying out their research, fellows will have comprehensive access to the holdings of documenta archiv and will receive support for their work from the academic staff at the archive and Kunsthochschule Kassel
• documenta archiv and Kunsthochschule Kassel/Universität Kassel will introduce fellows to academic practice in Germany.

 

Application process:

 

The application should be in German (in justified exceptional cases, in English) and encompass:

 

• 1 page with a short cover letter (max. 600 characters) and brief biography (max. 1500 characters)
• 1 page with an abstract of the research project being planned, including time schedule and a proposal for presentation of the results (max. 3600 characters).
• 2 pages with curriculum vitae (incl. proof of German and other language skills)
• 2 pages with two reference letters (max. one page each)

 

Please send your application to Goethe-Institut electronically under the subject Goethe Fellowship documenta, with your name and email contact info in the header and following the order and page formatting named above (max. 6 pages in total), in a single PDF (max. 10 MB). E-mail: documentafellowship(at)goethe.de

 

The application deadline is 15 May 2022. Applicant selection will be carried out by a three-member committee with representation for documenta archiv, Goethe-Institut, and Kunsthochschule Kassel.

 

Last-minute schedule changes may occur due to the Corona Pandemic. We do ask for your understanding to such end.

 

In this context, we would like to draw attention to the provisions laid out in the German Federal Government’s Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations) https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/coronavirus/infos-reisende/faq-tests-einreisende.html

 

If you have any questions, please contact:

- Regarding the fellowship: Eva Schmitt, Visual Arts Specialist at Goethe-Institut, e-mail: eva.schmitt(at)goethe.de
- Regarding documenta archiv: Birgitta Coers, Director documenta archiv; Martin Groh, Research Associate documenta archiv, e-mail: archivdirektion(at)documenta.de
- Regarding Kunsthochschule Kassel: Nanne Buurman, Research Associate at Kunsthochschule Kassel, e-mail: nanne.buurman(at)uni-kassel.de