Curator/Assistant Curator

[What the role is]

The National Museum of Singapore is building the National Collection in the area of design. This aligns with the museum's broader curatorial approach to collecting and presenting Singapore's social history, to fulfil its mission to inspire with stories of Singapore and the world.

More recently, the museum's curatorial and collecting efforts have extended to the contemporary context, including a deeper engagement with the role of digital as technology, as it intersects with and shapes social life in Singapore, and as a platform through which design is produced and presented, and system design is documented.

We are looking for a motivated candidate with relevant specialist experience to join NMS's curatorial team as a curator of design with a digital focus, to make an impact with the collecting and curating of Singapore's rich design history.

[What you will be working on]

As Curator/Assistant Curator (Design/Digital) at NMS, you will be centrally involved in NMS's efforts to build the Design Collection Singapore, specifically in the area of digital collections. This includes born-digital, system design and UI/UX design that are woven into the everyday experiences of Singaporeans. You will contribute to the conceptualisation and formulation of the collecting focus, working closely with relevant stakeholders and practitioners in developing a framework for collecting digitally, and implement this through the acquisition of relevant digital collections. In conjunction with collecting, you will be involved in the curation of relevant design-themed exhibitions, engaging visitors in an accessible way with Singapore's design history.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Acquisitions and Collections Specialisation

• Contribute to the development of the museum's curatorial and collecting strategies, particularly in the area of building NMS' collection of design, with a focus on digital as a theme and format.
• In-depth involvement in acquisition of new artefacts, with a focus on design-related collections in the digital arena, maintaining relationships with donors, securing loans of collections from other institutions and collectors, and networking within the broader design-related landscape in Singapore.
• Work closely with collections managers, conservators and related parties on the collecting guidelines and process of digital collections.

Curation, Interpretation and Exhibition Development

• Work closely with the NMS curatorial team in conceptualising and developing storylines and themes for permanent galleries and special exhibitions related to Singapore history and heritage, with a focus on the historical to contemporary roles of design in Singapore, and as it intersects with digital themes and formats.
• Work closely with collections managers, conservators, designers, and related parties to set up and curate exhibitions on physical and digital platforms.

Research, Publication and Scholarship

• Ongoing research and publications broadly on Singapore history, with a focus on digital and Singapore's design history, with active public engagement through interviews, talks, tours, and other forms of engagement.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate internally with other museum departments including education, programming, marketing, and partnerships, and externally with partners including industry stakeholders.

[What we are looking for]

We are looking for candidates who possess the following:

• Background in design and digital media studies, with a strong interest in Singapore history.
• At least 2 years of relevant research or curatorial work would be advantageous.
• Excellent research and writing abilities with proficiency in English. Written and conversational proficiency in other languages would be advantageous.
• Excellent engagement skills with reference to collaborating or co-creating with a variety of partners.
• Strong organisational, project management and inter-personal skills, able to work independently and in a team.
• Adaptable and willing to experiment with new forms of curatorial approaches, including the incorporation of new digital technologies.

Successful candidates will be offered a 2-year contract in the first instance.