EINDHOVEN.- The Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven has launched an international search for a Senior Curator, Exhibitions and Time-Based Practices, seeking an experienced museum professional to develop major exhibitions, commissions, performances, and research projects that connect its historic collection with contemporary artistic practices.
The position reflects the museum's commitment to exploring new approaches to exhibition-making, particularly through performance, sound, choreography, and other time-based art forms. Applications are being accepted until November 15, 2026.
Founded in 1936, the Van Abbemuseum is one of the Netherlands' established institutions dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Its holdings comprise more than 3,600 artworks, a library of approximately 140,000 volumes, and extensive archival resources. As a municipally funded museum, it combines the preservation of its collections with an ongoing investigation into the relationships between art, society, technology, and the environment.
The successful candidate will work closely with the museum's Director and teams responsible for exhibitions, conservation, and collection management. Responsibilities will include developing solo and group exhibitions of national and international significance, commissioning new artworks, organizing collection displays, and contributing to research, acquisitions, and institutional policy.
A central aspect of the position involves approaching the museum's collection not simply as a body of objects but as a resource for experimentation and reinterpretation. The institution is particularly interested in how duration, repetition, sound, movement, and audience participation can reshape the experience of artworks and museum spaces.
Projects may incorporate sonic archives, choreography, embodied knowledge, and the museum's in-house choir, which responds to collection works, interprets archival materials, and develops newly commissioned repertoire.
The role also calls for expertise in the presentation and preservation of time-based art, including collaboration with artists, conservators, and rights holders to establish appropriate conditions for performances, re-performances, and adaptations.
Beyond exhibition development, the curator will participate in acquisition discussions, addressing questions of provenance, documentation, intellectual property, conservation, and long-term stewardship. Developing institutional partnerships, touring projects, professional networks, and fundraising opportunities will also form part of the position.
The museum emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach in which research, education, public engagement, and communication contribute to projects from their earliest stages. Its programming considers how technological developments, information systems, ecological concerns, and changing social relationships influence artistic production and institutional practice.
Candidates must hold an advanced degree in art history or a related discipline and have at least five years of senior-level experience developing exhibitions, collection projects, or artistic programs in museums or comparable institutions.
The museum is seeking applicants with extensive knowledge of modern and contemporary art, demonstrated expertise in time-based practices, and experience commissioning artists and producing live projects. Leadership capabilities, fundraising experience, professional networks, and a strong understanding of museum ethics and collection stewardship are also required.
Fluency in both Dutch and English, written and spoken, is essential. Applicants must also be willing to work on-site and relocate to Eindhoven if necessary.
Through the appointment, the Van Abbemuseum aims to strengthen its curatorial program while expanding the possibilities for audiences to encounter its collections through experimental and collaborative formats.
The institution describes collaboration, accessibility, curiosity, and respect for different forms of knowledge as central to its working philosophy.
Applications for the position of Senior Curator, Exhibitions and Time-Based Practices must be submitted by November 15, 2026, through the Van Abbemuseum's official website.