Curator of Art from the Islamic World – The David Collection, Copenhagen

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 17^th-19^th 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 7^th and 19^th 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 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 or by calling +45 33 73 49 49. Additional information can also be found on our website www.davidmus.dk