The Courtauld and Asymmetry Art Foundation announce new pioneering collaboration

The Courtauld and Asymmetry Art Foundation are delighted to announce a pioneering collaboration aimed at furthering and diversifying knowledge of Chinese and Sinophone contemporary art.

The Asymmetry Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chinese and Sinophone Contemporary Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art is a dedicated postdoctoral fellowship which will foster sustained and collaborative study of Chinese and Sinophone contemporary artistic practice. For the first time in The Courtauld’s rich history, the esteemed institution will collaborate with Asymmetry Art Foundation, a young emerging foundation with a mission to create a more diverse landscape in the academic and artistic arenas, to offer an opportunity for exceptional scholars to develop their research, build professional networks, gain teaching experience and become leaders in the field.

Granted to early career academics with a doctorate in art history or related disciplines with a strong research portfolio in Chinese and/or Sinophone contemporary art, the Asymmetry Postdoctoral Fellowship is a two-year fully funded placement. Selected from an Open Call via The Courtauld, the first fellow will start in September 2022, and the second in September 2024.

The Asymmetry fellows will be mentored by Dr. Wenny Teo, The Courtauld’s Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Art. Alongside the fellow’s own academic research and teaching posts, they will be involved in the organisation of the lecture series and international symposium.

The Asymmetry Lecture Series, part of The Courtauld Research Forum, will bring together influential guest speakers including artists, curators, art historians and writers from relevant fields to present lectures, participate in talks and chair panels on Chinese and Asian contemporary art for students and the wider public.

The Asymmetry International Symposium will be an annual conference to advance research and debates around contemporary art in China and the Sinophone world.

The Asymmetry Postdoctoral Fellowship provides teaching and research posts in a world leading institution, creating career-defining opportunities for future work within the international contemporary art and academic world. Contributing to contemporary art history, alongside curatorial practice, this collaboration broadens Asymmetry’s core mission of deepening cultural knowledge in and about Asia through meaningful exchanges and progressive research opportunities, to further integrate this field into the future of art discourse.

Professor Deborah Swallow, Märit Rausing Director at The Courtauld said “We are grateful to Asymmetry, whose generous grant has enabled us to invest in these posts, lectures series and annual symposium. These roles will continue to transform The Courtauld’s areas of research, and play a role in our continuing efforts to decentre and decolonise the curriculum.”

Dr Wenny Teo, Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Art at The Courtauld added “It is an honor to collaborate with the Asymmetry Art Foundation towards fostering innovative research in the dynamic field of Chinese and Sinophone contemporary art, and nurturing future generations of scholars. We are excited to welcome the Asymmetry Postdoctoral Fellows to The Courtauld’s vibrant research culture, and look forward to the critical debates and conversations engendered by the annual lecture series and international symposium.”

Michèle Ruo Yi Landolt, Deputy Director of Asymmetry Art Foundation commented “Being able to return to my alma mater and working with The Courtauld towards more inclusivity and representation in the research and promotion of Art History is not only fulfilling on a personal level, but essential in the achievement of a more diverse artistic and academic landscape.”

Yan Du, Founder and Director of Asymmetry Art Foundation said “Our mission to promote research and knowledge of Chinese and Sinophone contemporary art and curatorial practice should also include studying the discipline of Art History and its relevant fields, which is why the collaboration with The Courtauld is so meaningful. There are currently very few universities in the world that offer this at such a dedicated standard, so being able to contribute to the canon with the programmes that we have created together makes this partnership even more unique.”

The Open Call for the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chinese and Sinophone Contemporary Art will be opening soon, with the first Fellow to be selected in late spring/early summer 2022.