Postdoctoral Researcher

The Academy of Fine Arts of the University of the Arts Helsinki is recruiting 

Postdoctoral Researcher

in the thematic area of “Materiality as part of the ecological transition in art” for a fixed-term employment contract from 1 March 2026 (or as agreed) to 31 December 2028.

Fields of research and tasks 

The duties of the Postdoctoral Researcher will focus on conducting their own research in the Academy of Fine Arts according to the research plan.

The Academy of Fine Arts has a long tradition in professional artist education and research related to contemporary art practices, theory and curating.

The new research area focusing on the use of materials in contemporary art and its theories combines Academy's teaching areas of painting, printmaking, sculpture and time and space arts in terms of material studies. In the teaching and research of the Academy of Fine Arts, biological, chemical, ecological and the technical know-how related to the materials is combined in a unique way with the experimentality enabled by art, as well as with the knowledge of art history, philosophy and theory.

Although material studies have been taught at the Academy for a long time, traditional perception and the use of materials in contemporary art have recently been challenged, and the relationship between contemporary art and the material world has been reshaped. New perspectives on materialities need to be guided both by environmental urgencies and by awareness of the ways in which materials matter beyond their aesthetic qualities. The new material studies are awarded funding from the Saastamoinen Foundation.

We look for a postdoctoral researcher whose research would enhance our material knowledge and bring it into the international discussion in research contexts and promote the already ongoing development work at the academy in a research-driven manner.

The postdoctoral researcher’s tasks are embedded in the research focus area of contemporary art research. Our other focus areas of are image research, spatial practices, and artist pedagogy. The postdoctoral researcher will act as an interlocutor between the teaching areas of painting, printmaking, sculpture and time and space arts strengthening the position of material studies in these areas through their own research and international networks. 

The Postdoctoral Researcher will be situated in the Academy of Fine Arts' research unit and will collaborate with other artist, researchers and academic staff within the university. The Academy endorses methodological pluralism and a wide variety of research projects from artistic research to scholarly approaches. A merger of three academies (Academy of Fine Arts, Sibelius Academy, Theatre Academy), Uniarts Helsinki constitutes an internationally esteemed multidisciplinary community of artists and researchers.

The main part (ca. 60%) of Postdoctoral Researcher’s working time is allocated to their own research with the expectation of research outcomes, such as peer-reviewed publications. Other working tasks include teaching, supervising, publication activities, organizing research events and participation in research development work on behalf of the university.

Eligibility requirements 

We expect you to have the following: 

• a suitable doctoral degree from a Finnish or an internationally recognized university, granted within the last five years (reference date: deadline of the call)
• university level experience in teaching and research and/or art practice in relation to material studies in contemporary art
• a demonstrated record of independent research outcomes, such as peer-reviewed publications
• good communication and interaction skills
• the ability to connect to communities, networks and operators relevant to the area of material studies in contemporary art
• the capacity and willingness to participate in the research-based education on all degree levels
• experience of planning and coordinating research related events

Language skills

The languages of instruction at Uniarts Helsinki are Finnish, Swedish, and English. For this position, an excellent command of English is required.

Working time and salary

The salary for the position will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. Monthly gross salary at the beginning of employment will be approximately €3600-€3900, depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications and professional experience.

The Postdoctoral Researcher is eligible for applying project funding up to 2000 euros/year within the university.

The post follows the total working time system, where the annual workload is 1,612 hours, as defined in the collective agreement. The position requires working in Finland for the duration of the employment relationship. Thus, the assignment requires the Postdoctoral Researcher to reside officially in Finland for the duration of the employment relationship.

How to apply

The applications should be submitted through our electronic recruitment system by 1 February 2026 at 23.59 (EEST) at the latest. Please save your application materials in English and in PDF form.

The application consists of

• Motivation letter (1–2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae (in accordance with TENK’s instructions), including the list of publications
• Concise artistic/research portfolio in digital form
• Research plan for a 3-year project including a publication plan, project budget and funding plan (maximum 5 pages including references)

The short-listed candidates’ interviews will be held online.

Further information

For more information on the position please contact Vice Dean for Research Mika Elo and on the recruitment process HR Specialist Minna Immonen, our e-mail addresses are in the form firstname.lastname@uniarts.fi.