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 is organized into seven faculties, including the Faculty of Architecture, within which the position sits. The Institute of Contemporary Art (IZK) is part of that faculty. 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, with a commitment to exhibiting as a way of dislocating teaching into the public sphere. IZK combines an academic teaching program with artistic research projects, exhibitions, publications, and a dedicated Laboratory for Visual and Sonic Practice for photography, video, and sound production.
Title & Description
University-Assistant (Prae-Doc) / 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 looking for a candidate with an independent artistic, theoretical, curatorial, or research-based practice in contemporary art, with the role centered on cultural transmission, social and performative forms of knowledge, politics of memory, public space, and contemporary forms of collective imagination. According to the organizational unit description, IZK is recruiting two independent artist-researchers for parallel positions who will collaboratively develop their work within the institute's broader research priorities — meaning this listing describes one of two related posts. Applications are explicitly welcomed from candidates across diverse fields of contemporary art practice and Artistic Research; curatorial experience is a plus but not required. The successful candidate will teach at Bachelor's and Master's level, co-develop research-based teaching formats, pursue their own doctoral or artistic research project, and contribute to IZK's institutional research agenda, including externally funded initiatives 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
- 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 research initiatives
- Supporting the development of international collaborations and networks
- Documenting teaching and research activities through publications, exhibitions, and the institute's website
- Assisting with administrative and organizational tasks
Categories
- Contemporary Art
- Artistic Research
- Curatorial Practice
- Cultural Studies
- Higher Education / Academia
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Art and Technology / Algorithmic Culture
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: experience in teaching, education, or knowledge mediation
- Preferred but not mandatory: experience in writing, publishing, or research management
- Preferred but not mandatory: an international network within contemporary art and Artistic Research
- Preferred but not mandatory: an interest in questions of knowledge production, cultural transmission, and societal transformation
- Preferred but not mandatory: an interest in pursuing a dissertation or doctoral project in artistic research
- Preferred but not mandatory: experience with transcultural and/or interdisciplinary modes of working
- 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.
- 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.
- Potential areas of interest listed for the role include Artistic Research and theoretical practice, relational and participatory art practices, cultural memory and critical heritage studies, world-building and speculative futures (including climate, biodiversity, and ecological imaginaries), contemporary art and algorithmic cultures/AI, and curatorial formats and institutional critique — described as non-exhaustive.
- The source references an institutional video introducing TU Graz's working environment, without reproducing its content here.