Organizer Information
Esther Schipper is a Berlin-headquartered contemporary art gallery founded by Esther Schipper in Cologne in 1989, which relocated its operations to Berlin in 1997 following German reunification. In 2015, the gallery acquired Johnen Galerie and folded its program into its own, and it has since expanded internationally, opening a company in Korea in 2017, a public gallery in Seoul in 2022, and a gallery on Place Vendôme in Paris the same year, followed by an office and showroom in New York in 2024. The gallery holds up to ten exhibitions in-house each year alongside multiple off-site projects, and participates in leading art fairs internationally, with representatives across France, Spain, the United States, Latin America, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Esther Schipper herself sat on Art Basel's selection committee for ten years and later joined Frieze Art Fair's New York selection committee, and was among the co-founders of Berlin's annual Gallery Weekend. The gallery is jointly owned by its founder and Florian Wojnar, her business partner. As described in the job posting, the gallery today represents over 60 artists and estates across its Berlin, Paris, and Seoul locations, with a global team of more than 60 employees and a Berlin headquarters organized under two Managing Directors and six departments.
Title & Description
Artist Liaison — Esther Schipper, Berlin
Esther Schipper is seeking an experienced, culturally engaged, and highly organised Artist Liaison to join its Berlin team. The role sits at the heart of the gallery's artist relationships, serving as the primary point of contact between the gallery and its represented artists and their studios. It is an expert-level position within the gallery's five-person Artist Liaison team, reporting directly to the Team Lead of the department. Each Artist Liaison looks after approximately 10 artists and their estates.
The position spans strategic career development, institutional network-building, inventory management, exhibition production, and contract negotiation. The gallery is looking for a candidate with substantial experience in a comparable role at an international gallery or arts institution, deep knowledge of contemporary art and global art history, and the interpersonal finesse to manage complex, long-term artist relationships with discretion and authority. The role requires a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset, strong organisational skills, and the capacity to manage multiple high-stakes projects at once, with regular travel and availability outside standard working hours.
The Role Overview
- Position Type: Full-time
- Contract Type: Permanent
- Salary: €5,250 during probation; €5,600 thereafter
- Reports To: Team Lead, Artist Liaison
- Department / Programme: Artist Liaison
- Working Hours: Monday to Friday, with occasional evening availability for travel, events, and openings
- Location Requirement: In-person, Berlin
- Desired Start: Second half of 2026
Position & Tasks
- Project & Exhibition Management
- Independently manage internal and external exhibitions and projects from concept through completion, in close collaboration with artists/studios and the back-office team
- Develop exhibition concepts in collaboration with artists and gallery management
- Maintain project checklists, artist matrices, and deadline management throughout all phases
- Negotiate project budgets with artists and take full responsibility for budget control, accounting, and profit/loss analysis
- Prepare and send end-of-show letters to artists
- Inventory & Consignment Management
- Procure and oversee consignment agreements in collaboration with a Registrar and the Cataloguer
- Define editions, pricing, and artwork descriptions; maintain thorough and accurate inventory records, artwork documentation, and artwork files
- Monitor the production of new works, negotiate production budgets with artists, and exercise budget control
- Prepare and manage sales materials in collaboration with the back-office and sales teams
- Ensure timely and complete delivery of sold works, including installation manuals and certificates, in collaboration with the Post Sale Coordinator and Senior Client Services Registrar
- Coordinate loan agreements with institutions in collaboration with the Registrar team
- Maintain filing systems on the server and in physical binders, including artwork and project files and the gallery archive
- Artist Relations & Career Development
- Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned artists and their studios within the gallery structure, providing a reliable and supportive framework
- Build and sustain strong, trust-based relationships with artists, demonstrating cultural sensitivity, empathy, and a nuanced understanding of cross-cultural communication
- Negotiate the terms and conditions of cooperation with artists on behalf of the gallery
- Develop and implement career and sales strategies for assigned artists in collaboration with gallery management and the sales team
- Cultivate and expand the gallery's institutional network to advance artists' careers, including attendance at exhibition openings and institutional events internationally
- Artist Accounts
- Ensure correct accounting and timely payment of artist shares in close collaboration with the Artist Account Manager, including statements and payment overviews
- Register, monitor, and control production costs and other gallery investments in Artlogic
- Coordinate and send yearly artist account overviews in close collaboration with the Artist Account Manager
Categories
- Art Management
- Curatorial Practice
- Contemporary Art
- Gallery Administration
- Exhibition Production
- Collection & Inventory Management
- Artist Relations
- Arts Administration
Eligibility
- No nationality or country-of-residence restriction stated in the source
- Minimum 4–6 years of professional experience in a comparable role, ideally at an international contemporary art gallery or major art institution
- Demonstrable track record managing complex artist relationships and leading exhibition projects with a high degree of autonomy
- In-depth knowledge of contemporary art, global art history, and the international art market
- Strong networking skills and an established presence within the international contemporary art world
- Degree in Art History, Cultural Studies, Postcolonial Studies, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will be considered
- Proven cultural sensitivity and sophisticated understanding of cross-cultural communication, with experience working with artists from diverse backgrounds
- Business-fluent written and verbal English required
- German proficiency stated as a strong asset (preferred, not mandatory)
- Exceptional organisational abilities and project management skills, with a structured, detail-oriented approach
- Strong financial literacy and experience with budget negotiation and profit/loss reporting
- Knowledge of artwork production processes and proven experience developing and producing complex projects and exhibitions
- Proficiency in Artlogic or comparable CRM/inventory management systems; confident with Mac, Microsoft Office (including Excel and Word), and a project management tool such as Asana
- Emotionally intelligent, diplomatic, and discreet; collaborative team player
- Willingness to travel internationally and to work outside standard hours in line with gallery events and fair schedules
Program Benefits
- Salary: €5,250 during probation, rising to €5,600 thereafter
- Full-time, permanent contract
- All other benefits: Not specified in the source
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: Ongoing
Location
Berlin, Germany
Additional Details
- Salary increases from €5,250 to €5,600 upon completion of probation, though the probation period's length is not stated in the source
- The gallery runs 12–14 internal exhibitions yearly for the Berlin space, alongside regular exhibitions in Paris and Seoul, and participates in all major international art fairs annually
- The Artist Liaison team currently consists of 5 members, each managing roughly 10 artists and their estates
- Role requires regular international travel and evening/weekend availability tied to fairs, openings, and events