Curatorial Fellowship, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation
Installationshot The Cube, Eschborn, 2024 © Robert Schittko Fotografie
The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation is a charitable organisation based in Frankfurt/Main, Germany dedicated to collecting, exhibiting and promoting contemporary photography. We hold several exhibitions a year and support artists, curators and writers internationally through awards, scholarships and other opportunities. We continuously develop and present our growing collection, which currently comprises over 2,400 photographic works by 170 artists, whose visual languages are as diverse as their backgrounds, age, or creative methodologies – moving fluidly between different genres and territories.
With this new programme we wish to further expand our portfolio by supporting curatorial practice more extensively while fostering a deeper dialogue with international curators about the medium, exchanging ideas and new perspectives.
The two-year Curatorial Fellowship is designed to support mid-career curators in advancing their research-led exhibition organising practice and professional growth. It not only offers the opportunity to co-curate and collaboratively realise an exhibition project in partnership with us but also to contribute actively to shaping the development of our collection.
The Position
The Curatorial Fellowship offers a two-year collaboration with the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, inviting mid-career curators to develop a concept for a thematic exhibition based on works from the Art Collection Deutsche Börse as well as proposing relevant additional acquisitions.
The objective is to develop an exhibition project that includes both existing and the newly acquired artistic positions to shed new light on the collection; and to demonstrate how the collection addresses aesthetic, societal, social and political issues through the medium of photography.
Recommendations for new acquisitions shall enhance the continual development of the Foundation’s growing collection, introducing new perspectives and further developing diversity with regards to representation and scope while complementing, enriching and strengthening its existing holdings.
The thematic exhibition, jointly curated with the Foundation team, will be presented at the Foundation's own public premises and one external exhibition venue in Europe. It may be supplemented with additional loans and site-specific projects, as appropriate.
The Fellowship may be undertaken remotely, with regular online exchange and occasional on-site visits to the Foundation in Eschborn, Germany. Stimulating and open exchange with the Foundation's directorial and curatorial management team is expressly desired and crucial.
The position is designed to be flexible, allowing the Curatorial Fellow to integrate the work into their practice regardless of their location and to maintain their current professional position.
Benefits include direct access to institutional archives (digital and physical) of the collection; working closely with the Foundation’s curatorial team; gaining or building on curatorial expertise in collection development; opportunities for public engagement, dissemination and presentation of research through writing and exhibition-making.
The Fellowship will start in spring 2026 and run across two years until 2028.
Year 1: following initial curatorial research, exchange and consultation, specific themes are established, and a detailed exhibition concept & acquisition proposal is presented to the Foundation team.
Year 2: following purchase of new works and considerations regarding loans, an essay to accompany the exhibition (approx. 1,000 to 1,500 words) is written and curation, installation and opening of the exhibition in Eschborn and one other cultural institution realised.
Stipend: renumeration of 10.000 Euros for both years, plus full coverage of travel costs.
Curatorial Fellowship expected outcomes:
Developing an exhibition concept including 6 – 10 potential acquisition proposals
Writing a curatorial introduction essay to accompany the exhibition(s)
Installing & opening the exhibitions, including up to two public engagement talks
Candidate Profile / Who we are looking for
Mid-career curator with at least 4 years of professional experience in curating contemporary photography exhibitions in museums, galleries or cultural institutions with strong conceptual thinking and the ability to develop thematic curatorial frameworks. Previous professional experience working with a collection is desired, but not essential.
We are particularly interested in candidates who bring diverse perspectives and can contribute to expanding the collection’s scope and representation significantly.
We are looking for candidates who are flexible, enthusiastic and have strong communication skills. They should be willing to engage regularly with the Foundation team, be open-minded, committed to collaborative working and curious about the organisation’s mission and collection.
Candidates should be fluent in English (spoken and written) and open to remote collaboration (including online meetings, on average every two months) and occasional travel. Required travel will be mutually agreed but expected to entail no more than 2 – 4 short visits of up to 4 days per year, including for exhibition opening and installation.
Application Requirements
Applicants should submit the following materials:
Curriculum Vitae (CV; no more than 2 pages) and a one-page Motivation Letter outlining their interest in the programme and relevant experience.
Writing sample or excerpt (PDF; no more than 2 – 4 pages) or link to online article (optional).
A brief initial Project Proposal Outline (approx. 350 – 500 words) for an exhibition concept based on works from the Art Collection Deutsche Börse, optionally including ideas for complementary artistic positions (e.g. new acquisitions).
Criteria: relevance, impact and originality of the proposed project; demonstrated curatorial experience and expertise; feasibility of the project within the fellowship duration; innovative engagement with the collection; commitment to public engagement and knowledge sharing.
Please email your application as a PDF file (download link if documents exceed 10mb) to foundation@deutsche-boerse.com with the subject line “Curatorial Fellowship” by 31 December 2025.
Applications will be reviewed by a working group consisting of the Foundation’s management and team as well as members of its Advisory Board in early 2026; selected candidates will be invited for an online interview prior to appointment.
The planned start date for the programme is 1 April 2026
We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, or belief.
About the Art Collection Deutsche Börse
The Art Collection Deutsche Börse is among the world’s most renowned collections of international contemporary photography.
Established in 1999, the collection now comprises over 2,400 works by around 170 artists from 38 countries.
It focuses on photography from the mid-20th century to the present, encompassing a wide range of visual languages and approaches, from documentary to conceptual practices.
The visual languages and photographic approaches in the collection are as diverse as the background, age, or creative method of the artists, moving fluidly between different genres and territories – documentary, portraiture and landscape – as well as conceptual and abstract photography.
The central theme of the collection is the “conditio humana”: the exploration of human existence and its place in the world.
In-depth collecting is an important pillar of its curatorial mission: extensive bodies of works and series are often acquired to provide deeper insights into artists’ creative approach, themes and visual language.
The collection and details for all associated thematic exhibitions shown to date are fully accessible on the Foundation’s website.
For any queries, more information or to apply, please contact: foundation@deutsche-boerse.com
www.deutscheboersephotographyfoundation.org
Data Protection
By submitting your application, you consent to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of the selection process for the advertised position. This processing is carried out following the data protection guideline of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your personal data will be handled confidentially and stored securely. After the application process your data will be deleted promptly.