Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas

Job description

1 full-time Doctoral Research Fellowships (SKO 1017) in Art History and Visual Studies are available at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo.

These positions form part of the European Research Council-funded Consolidator project ECOART – An Ecological History of Eurasian Art: Natural Resources, Aesthetic Practices, and Early Modern Globalization, which will consist of a team of Principal Investigator Anna Grasskamp, three doctoral research fellows and two post-doctoral research fellows. The project investigates the artistic use and visual representation of geographical, geological, botanical, zoological, and climatic resources in Eurasia, a space dominated by European and Chinese economic spheres of influence, in an era of early modern globalization from 1500 to 1800. Funding for fieldwork, archival research, conference attendance and publications will be available to all members of the project.

(1) Doctoral Research Fellowship in the Artistic Use and Visual Representation of Geological Resources

Doctoral Research Fellowship 1 is available for a dissertation project that focuses on the artistic use and visual representation of geological resources during a timespan within the early modern period from at least two of the following sites: Gujarat, Manila, Jakarta/Batavia, Yangon (formerly Dagon, and, under colonial rule, Rangoon), Guangzhou/Canton, Amsterdam. The focus of the dissertation will be a comprehensive investigation of the extraction, exchange, and artistic uses of one or more geological resources in local and global contexts across early modern Eurasia, for example through extant artifacts that implement mined goods as well as visual documentations of mining itself. The dissertation will tackle how selected geological resources informed aesthetic practices across Eurasia and how knowledge on minerals, clays, gemstones, or other mined goods was developed and articulated in art and artisanship. Possible examples include but are not limited to mined pigments like cinnabar and cobalt in art across Eurasia, for example in paintings on porcelain created in places that range from Jingdezhen and Guangzhou in China to Delft in the Netherlands; Sri Lankan rubies used by Indian, European, and Chinese craftsmen in the making of collectible and wearable objects, for example crowns; American-mined silver transported to India and China via Manila by the Spanish as currency to be partially melted and reused by silversmiths, for example in the crafting of elaborate pieces of jewelry.

(2) Doctoral Research Fellowship in the Artistic Use and Visual Representation of Botanical Resources

Doctoral Research Fellowship 2 is available for a dissertation project that focuses on the artistic use and visual representation of botanical resources during a timespan within the early modern period from at least two of the following sites: Gujarat, Manila, Jakarta/Batavia, Yangon (formerly Dagon, and, under colonial rule, Rangoon), Guangzhou/Canton, Amsterdam. The dissertation will examine the artistic use and representation of widespread botanical resources like pine timber, which was used in sculptures and the crafting of furniture, or site-specific ones like the resin of the Asian lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum), a key component of painted, carved, and inlayed lacquerware sculptures, paintings, and artifacts. The dissertation project will explore how selected botanical resources informed aesthetic practices across Eurasia and how knowledge about plant- based artistic materials shaped artistic and artisanal epistemologies. Possible examples include but are not limited to Indian indigo dyes used in batik and paintings on textiles across Eurasia; amber from Asia and Europe used in Eurasian artifacts, e.g., Chinese snuff bottles; the resin of the Asian lacquer tree used in lacquerware sculptures, paintings, and artifacts made in East Asia and Southeast Asia (and which were imitated in Europe).

More about the position

The person(s) appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty's organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research environment/network of the department and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.

The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.

Qualification requirements

• A Master's degree or equivalent in History of Knowledge, History of Art, Cultural History, Material Culture Studies or related fields. The Master's degree must have been obtained, and the final evaluation must be available before the position can be taken up.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, see Language requirements, and training in at least one Asian language (classic/modern Chinese, Sanskrit/Hindi, ancient/classic Tagalog, old/modern Burmese, Old Javanese/Indonesian)
• Research or working experience in non-Western contexts as well as familiarity with or expertise in digital humanities
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

• The project's scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
• The applicant's estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
• The applicant's ability to complete research training
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.

We offer

• Salary NOK 532 200 – 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include:

• Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
• Curriculum Vitae (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
• Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master's degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university's grading system
• Documentation of Language requirements (if applicable)
• Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 - 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions)

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

See also regulations as well as guidelines for the application assessment process and appointments to research fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants even if the applicant opts out from the entry in the public application list.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

For questions regarding the position:

• PI, Associate Professor Anna Grasskamp

For questions regarding how to apply:

• HR Officer Anders Rykke 

Apply for position