Organizer Information
Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) is a public research university in Graz, Austria, founded in 1811 by Archduke John of Austria as the oldest science and technology research and educational institute in Austria. The university comprises seven faculties, including the Faculty of Architecture, which houses the Institute of Contemporary Art (IZK). Founded in 1975, IZK has a history of art education positioned at the intersection of technological innovation, spatial practice, and contemporary art, promoting critical thinking and new forms of artistic and intellectual engagement at the intersections of art, science, and society. Since 2015, the institute has been led by Milica Tomić together with Dubravka Sekulić, Simon Oberhofer, and Philipp Sattler, committed to exhibiting as a way of dislocating teaching into the public sphere. IZK combines academic teaching with artistic research, exhibitions, publications, and a Laboratory for Visual and Sonic Practice equipped for photography, video, and sound production.
This listing is the companion post to a second University Assistant (Prae-Doc) / PhD position published by IZK around the same date, focused on cultural transmission and memory rather than material practice; the two roles are described in the source as being developed collaboratively as a pair.
Title & Description
University Assistant / PhD Position in the Field of Contemporary Art
This is a full-time, fixed-term academic position within IZK, combining teaching, artistic research practice, and doctoral study. The institute is seeking a candidate with an independent, material- and process-oriented artistic research practice, centered on material intelligence, experimental production processes, sustainable material systems, and embodied forms of knowledge. As with the parallel post, this position is one of two that the institute is recruiting for two independent artist-researchers who will collaboratively develop their work within IZK's broader research priorities. The role combines Bachelor's- and Master's-level teaching, co-development of research-based teaching formats, the candidate's own doctoral or artistic research project, and participation in the institute's research agenda, including externally funded projects and international collaborations.
The Role Overview
- Position Type: Full-time
- Contract Type: Temporary, fixed-term (48 months / 4 years)
- Salary: Annual gross salary of at least €52,865.40 for a full-time position; overpayment possible based on qualification and experience
- Department / Programme: Institute of Contemporary Art (IZK), Faculty of Architecture, Graz University of Technology
- Working Hours: 40 hours per week
- Employment Start: October 2026
- Job Category: Scientific staff
- Job Profile: University Assistant PreDoc
Position & Tasks
- Independently teaching and collaboratively contributing to courses at both Bachelor's and Master's level, particularly in the areas of Relational Forms, World Building, and Artistic Production / Exhibiting
- Co-developing theoretical and research-based teaching formats
- Documenting teaching activities through publications, exhibitions, and the institute's website
- Developing independent artistic and/or research-based projects, as well as demonstrating an interest in pursuing a dissertation or doctoral project in the field of artistic research
- Contributing to the institute's research focus areas and participating in research projects and externally funded projects
- Documenting research activities through publications, exhibitions, and the institute's website
- Supporting the development of international collaborations and networks
- Assisting with administrative and organizational tasks
Note: the source lists "documenting teaching activities" and "documenting research activities" as two separate bullet points under Responsibilities; both are preserved here as given, even though they overlap in content.
Categories
- Contemporary Art
- Artistic Research
- Material Practice / Craft-Technology
- Sustainability & Material Ecologies
- Higher Education / Academia
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Digital Fabrication
Eligibility
- No nationality or country-of-residence restriction stated in the source
- Bachelor's or master's degree in fine arts, architecture, art history, cultural studies, or a comparable field required
- Preferred but not mandatory: an independent artistic, theoretical, or research-based practice
- Preferred but not mandatory: excellent knowledge of contemporary art discourses
- Preferred but not mandatory: a strong interest in Artistic Research and transdisciplinary methodologies
- Preferred but not mandatory: experience in teaching, education, or knowledge mediation
- Preferred but not mandatory: experience working with workshops, material laboratories, or experimental production environments
- Preferred but not mandatory: an interest in sustainability, material ecologies, and embodied knowledge systems
- Preferred but not mandatory: experience with collaborative and transcultural modes of working
- Preferred but not mandatory: knowledge of digital fabrication and/or media technologies ("an advantage")
- Preferred but not mandatory: an interest in socio-political, ecological, and technological issues
- Preferred but not mandatory: experience with collaborative projects, exhibitions, public programs, or research contexts
- Excellent written and spoken proficiency in German and/or English, sufficient to teach in both languages and publish internationally
- Excellent organizational and communication skills
- Willingness to work as part of a team
- Qualified female applicants are explicitly encouraged to apply; preference given to women among equally qualified candidates (institutional policy, not a hard eligibility bar)
- People with disabilities who meet the qualifications are expressly invited to apply
Program Benefits
- Annual gross salary of at least €52,865.40 for full-time employment, with overpayment possible based on qualification and experience
- Flexible working schedule, including possibility of home office
- Paid lunch break (depending on working hours)
- International training and teaching opportunities
- Subsidy for public transport
- Company pension fund contributions
- Access to the university's sports program
- Shopping discounts
- Workplace Health Management program
- Top research infrastructure and access to the latest technologies
- Collegial and friendly working atmosphere
- Opportunities for professional and personal development
- Safe and stable working environment
- "Seal of quality" recognition for in-house advancement of women
- Family-friendly employer policies
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 26 August 2026
- Employment Start Date: October 2026
- Contract Duration: 48 months
Location
Graz, Austria
Additional Details
- The institute is recruiting two independent artist-researchers in parallel, who will collaboratively develop their work within IZK's research priorities; this listing represents one of the two posts (the companion post centers on cultural transmission and memory rather than material practice).
- TU Graz actively promotes diversity and equal opportunity and states that applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion or ideology, age, or sexual orientation.
- Possible fields of practice listed for the role include material research and experimental manufacturing, textile/ceramic/bio-based practices, material and process art, craft-technology intersections, digital and analog manufacturing, material computation and generative processes, sustainable and circular material systems, climate- and biodiversity-related material practices, and embodied/tacit knowledge — described as a non-exhaustive list.
- The source references an institutional video introducing TU Graz's working environment and closes with a general invitation to apply; neither is reproduced here.