PhD Scholarship in Art History 2019, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

The Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark, invites applications for a 3-year PhD scholarship affiliated with the project “The Art of Nordic Colonialism: Writing Transcultural Art Histories” to be filled by September 1, 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

The Art of Nordic Colonialism brings together researchers, curators, and artists working on art and visual culture related to Nordic colonial projects in the Caribbean, West Africa, India, Greenland, Iceland, and Sápmi. Artists took active part in imperialist projects from the 17th century and onwards, either as participants in colonial expeditions, as 'tourists' and travelers, or as onlookers from home. At the same time, colonized subjects used aesthetic practices in their resistance to colonial rule. This research project will commence a collective examination and discussion of the role colonialism has had on the creation and reception of art and art histories across the Nordic countries and their former colonies from the 1600s up until the present. 

 

Art and visual culture pertaining to Nordic colonial histories have received surprisingly little scholarly attention and remain to be properly accounted for. The project’s contention is that the political investment in narratives of national and cultural homogeneity in the Nordic region have overshadowed the traditions of transcultural exchange, influence, and conflict engrained in histories of colonial encounters. The colonial inflection of the definition of art has also framed aesthetic practices by the colonized as 'ethnographica' to be studied by anthropologist not art historians. Questioning the conceptual boundaries of ‘art’, this research project seeks to move beyond nationalized art histories and their colonial legacies in order to develop new transcultural and decolonial approaches to historical engagement with art and visual culture. 

 

We now seek to extend the research group with one PhD who wish to work in the intersection of art history and colonial history in relation to Nordic colonialism in a broad sense. Practice-based PhD proposals by artists and curators are also welcome. In particular we encourage applications that build bridges between art history and indigenous studies, diaspora studies, and decolonial and postcolonial studies. We therefore especially welcome applicants with experience in one or more of these fields. 

 

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Mathias Danbolt (danbolt@hum.ku.dk).  

 

Please note that applications which do not adhere to the formal requirements (read more in the two sections ‘Admission requirements’ and ‘Application requirements’ below) will not be taken into consideration for the PhD scholarship.   

 

Admission requirements 

Applicants need to hold a two-year Master's degree (120 ECTS) or the equivalent.  

 

Applicants must have submitted their thesis at the time of application, to the extent the thesis forms part of their Master program. In case you have not obtained your diploma by the application deadline, you must include a statement (pre-approval) from your university declaring that you have been awarded the master degree.   

 

Applicants with a non-Danish Master's degree will have their degree assessed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science in order to establish, if the Master's degree is equivalent to a Danish Master's degree. 

 

Excellent communication skills in English is considered essential and applicants must speak and write academic English fluently. The PhD Administration may ask applicants to document their proficiency in English at any time during the recruitment process if this is considered necessary. 

 

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.