Latest press release
Curator of Art from the islamic World
Application deadline: 2 February 2025 at 10:00 PM (GMT+1)
The David Collection is looking for a skilled and dedicated curator to join the curatorial team responsible for managing our distinguished collection of art from the Islamic world. If you are passionate about the arts and cultures of the Islamic world and enthusiastic about engaging audiences through exhibitions, publications and research activities, we encourage you to apply.
About the museum
The David Collection is a private museum located in central Copenhagen which houses one of the world’s finest collections of art from the Islamic world as well as an exquisite collection of early modern Danish art and European art from the 17th-19th centuries. The museum was founded by the Danish lawyer and avid art collector Christian Ludvig David (1878–1960) and is today owned and operated by the C. L. David Foundation.
Since the 1960s, the collection of art from the Islamic world has continually expanded through new acquisitions, and today it comprises more than 3,000 works of art from across the Islamic world, created between the 7th and 19th centuries. The collection covers a broad range of categories, including miniature painting, calligraphy, ceramics, textiles, metalwork, glass and woodcarving. In addition to being showcased in an extensive permanent display across two floors, these works of art are also presented through temporary thematic exhibitions and explored in detail in the scholarly Journal of The David Collection.
About the position
The David Collection is a small but dedicated institution with a flat organisational structure that encourages initiative as well as collaboration across departments and fields of expertise.
As a curator you will join two curatorial colleagues and our director in caring for the art historical management of the Islamic collection. You will also be working closely with our curator of Danish and European art, our conservator, registrar and librarian as well as our department of communication and technical staff.
Responsibilities and duties
· Maintaining and developing the permanent Islamic exhibition.
· Organising thematic exhibitions.
· Writing informative and engaging texts about Islamic art, spanning from objects labels to articles for exhibition catalogues and academic journals.
· Producing content for our website and digital platforms.
· Conducting research related to possible new acquisitions.
· Studying and cataloguing new acquisitions and organising their integration into the permanent exhibition.
· Participating in the training of new student assistants for The David Collection’s educational programme.
· Responding to correspondence related to the collection and assisting visiting colleagues and researchers.
· Editing and contributing to the scholarly Journal of The David Collection.
· Giving lectures as part of our event programme David’s Bazar.
Prerequisites:
· A Ph.D. degree within a relevant field of study, e.g. Islamic Art history, Islamic Archaeology, Islamic studies or Islamic History.
· Reading proficiency in at least one of the following languages: Arabic, Persian or Ottoman Turkish.
· High proficiency in English as a written and spoken language.
· Proficiency in Danish or willingness to learn Danish within the first two years of employment.
· Work experience from related institutions (preferable).
What we offer
You will become a part of a highly motivated team dedicated to caring for an outstanding collection of fine art in the heart of Copenhagen. As a curator you will be able to work directly with the objects of the Islamic collection and make use of our rich research library to expand your knowledge of the field. You will also be encouraged to share this knowledge through publications as well as through public lectures.
Application and further details:
Start of employment: as soon as possible.
The position is a full-time permanent position of 37 hours per week with fixed working hours. Salary and conditions in accordance with the collective agreement for academics in Danish state employment. The position also includes pension and employee benefits.
The position is based at The David Collection in Copenhagen. You will therefore be expected to be located within daily commuting distance of the museum.
Application (in English or Danish), resumé, a list of publications and contact information for two references should be submitted in the form of a single document in .doc or .pdf-format sent to [email protected] with ‘Curator of art from the Islamic World’ in the subject heading. The deadline for submission is 2 February 2025, at 10:00 PM (GMT+1).
We expect to hold the first round of interviews in-person at The David Collection in February of 2025
If you have questions about the position, please contact Director Joachim Meyer at [email protected] or by calling +45 33 73 49 49. Additional information can also be found on our website www.davidmus.dk
All press releases
Curator of Art from the islamic World
Application deadline: 2 February 2025 at 10:00 PM (GMT+1)
The David Collection is looking for a skilled and dedicated curator to join the curatorial team responsible for managing our distinguished collection of art from the Islamic world. If you are passionate about the arts and cultures of the Islamic world and enthusiastic about engaging audiences through exhibitions, publications and research activities, we encourage you to apply.
About the museum
The David Collection is a private museum located in central Copenhagen which houses one of the world’s finest collections of art from the Islamic world as well as an exquisite collection of early modern Danish art and European art from the 17th-19th centuries. The museum was founded by the Danish lawyer and avid art collector Christian Ludvig David (1878–1960) and is today owned and operated by the C. L. David Foundation.
Since the 1960s, the collection of art from the Islamic world has continually expanded through new acquisitions, and today it comprises more than 3,000 works of art from across the Islamic world, created between the 7th and 19th centuries. The collection covers a broad range of categories, including miniature painting, calligraphy, ceramics, textiles, metalwork, glass and woodcarving. In addition to being showcased in an extensive permanent display across two floors, these works of art are also presented through temporary thematic exhibitions and explored in detail in the scholarly Journal of The David Collection.
About the position
The David Collection is a small but dedicated institution with a flat organisational structure that encourages initiative as well as collaboration across departments and fields of expertise.
As a curator you will join two curatorial colleagues and our director in caring for the art historical management of the Islamic collection. You will also be working closely with our curator of Danish and European art, our conservator, registrar and librarian as well as our department of communication and technical staff.
Responsibilities and duties
· Maintaining and developing the permanent Islamic exhibition.
· Organising thematic exhibitions.
· Writing informative and engaging texts about Islamic art, spanning from objects labels to articles for exhibition catalogues and academic journals.
· Producing content for our website and digital platforms.
· Conducting research related to possible new acquisitions.
· Studying and cataloguing new acquisitions and organising their integration into the permanent exhibition.
· Participating in the training of new student assistants for The David Collection’s educational programme.
· Responding to correspondence related to the collection and assisting visiting colleagues and researchers.
· Editing and contributing to the scholarly Journal of The David Collection.
· Giving lectures as part of our event programme David’s Bazar.
Prerequisites:
· A Ph.D. degree within a relevant field of study, e.g. Islamic Art history, Islamic Archaeology, Islamic studies or Islamic History.
· Reading proficiency in at least one of the following languages: Arabic, Persian or Ottoman Turkish.
· High proficiency in English as a written and spoken language.
· Proficiency in Danish or willingness to learn Danish within the first two years of employment.
· Work experience from related institutions (preferable).
What we offer
You will become a part of a highly motivated team dedicated to caring for an outstanding collection of fine art in the heart of Copenhagen. As a curator you will be able to work directly with the objects of the Islamic collection and make use of our rich research library to expand your knowledge of the field. You will also be encouraged to share this knowledge through publications as well as through public lectures.
Application and further details:
Start of employment: as soon as possible.
The position is a full-time permanent position of 37 hours per week with fixed working hours. Salary and conditions in accordance with the collective agreement for academics in Danish state employment. The position also includes pension and employee benefits.
The position is based at The David Collection in Copenhagen. You will therefore be expected to be located within daily commuting distance of the museum.
Application (in English or Danish), resumé, a list of publications and contact information for two references should be submitted in the form of a single document in .doc or .pdf-format sent to [email protected] with ‘Curator of art from the Islamic World’ in the subject heading. The deadline for submission is 2 February 2025, at 10:00 PM (GMT+1).
We expect to hold the first round of interviews in-person at The David Collection in February of 2025
If you have questions about the position, please contact Director Joachim Meyer at [email protected] or by calling +45 33 73 49 49. Additional information can also be found on our website www.davidmus.dk
Beyond Words: Calligraphy from the World of Islam.
From 24 May you can explore the history of calligraphy and calligraphy as an artform when The David Collection opens the exhibition Beyond Words: Calligraphy from the World of Islam. The title is meant literally because the words and the beautiful letters may assume several different meanings.
New Museum Director at The David Collection
Museum Director Kjeld von Folsach retires and Senior curator Joachim Meyer is appointed new Museum Director from May 1st 2023.
Claus Rohland "It is the traveller only who is foreign"
“Dream visions” or “psychedelic images from the Middle East”. These are both apt descriptions of the works of art on display at The David Collection from 14 October. One might also say that they reflect ‘the beauty of decay’. In any case, this is an extremely unusual art photo exhibition. Certainly, for this museum.
Special exhibition: Niels Nedergaard. Photographs from Cairo
Photographs supplemented by a small selection of artworks from artist Niels Nedergaard’s time in Cairo in the 1980s.
Book publication and a new special exhibition: Fighting, Hunting, Impressing. Arms and Armour from the Islamic World 1500 - 1850
In connection with the reopening of The David Collection, the museum will also present a new special exhibition: Fighting, Hunting, Impressing. Arms and Armour from the Islamic World 1500–1850.
Press release about a book publication and a new special exhibition: The Magical Spinel
At a museum in Copenhagen, a different world will be opened for the young night watchman Sigurd —after which nothing is the same any longer!
From Philipsen to Salto - the Collection of Danish Early Modern Art revisited
When Christian Ludvig David died in 1960, he left behind not only a rich collection of early fine and decorative art from Europe and parts of the world of Islam, but also a large collection of Danish paintings, sculptures, and ceramics by artists of his own day. It is a selection from this “modern” part of the collection that is reexhibited here — several of the works for the first time in 60 years.
Under Indian Skies 19th-Century Photographs from a Private Collection
The David Collection’s new special exhibition provides a hitherto unknown first-hand impression of 19th-century India, primarily — but not exclusively — seen with the eyes of western photographers. Through original vintage photographs, the viewer is taken back to photography’s birth and earliest childhood and up to around 1900.
The Hippie Trail - Travel Photography by Torben Huss
From June 8th, guests to the David Collection will be able to experience the special exhibition “The Hippie Trail – Travel Photography by Torben Huss.” The exhibition consists of 92 photographs and a film featuring slides and music. In recent years, the David Collection has arranged exhibitions of art photography related to the museum’s collections. This is the fifth in the series.
The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners
Is it allowed? Has it been done? Where and how?
These are some of the key questions that are dealt with in the David Collection’s new exhibition, which focuses on a controversial subject: The Human Figure in Islamic Art.
Impasse Hotel Syria – Photographs by Krass Clement
From May 3rd, visitors to the David Collection will be able to experience the exhibition Impasse Hotel Syria – Photographs by Krass Clement. Krass Clement took these photographs during a trip to Syria in 2001, when he visited the cities of Damascus, Palmyra, Deir ez-Zur, Homs, and Aleppo.