If you are applying for a job at Studio Olafur Eliasson, it may help you to take a look at the descriptions of the different studio teams above, including information on relevant backgrounds and profiles for working in the various departments, as well as our work-space accessibility measures.
Please note that we are only able to respond to unsolicited applications in cases of immediate relevance and we almost exclusively consider applicants responding to specific job openings. In the event of a vacancy, we will post an announcement here.
STUDIO TEAMS
Encounters
The encounters team is in charge of the conception, development, and planning of exhibitions and special projects. They also conceive and implement communication strategies; handle press and online activities, including website development and social media; manage publications; and oversee the studio archive and liaison with the galleries and outside institutions. Encounters team members have backgrounds or extensive work experience in art history, architecture, communication, visual media, film-making, photography, art, archiving, and web development.
Cooking & food research
Three days a week, the SOE kitchen prepares vegan or vegetarian meals for the entire studio. The kitchen creates a space for eating and thinking, for food experimentation and impromptu encounters. The team conducts food research and workshops on topics such as fermentation and baking, engages in temporary collaborations with museums and other institutions within the context of Eliasson’s projects and exhibitions, and periodically invites guests from different areas of the culinary arts to come cook with the team. Most people on the kitchen team have backgrounds or extensive work experience in cooking or in the arts and crafts.
Design
The design department develops and realises site-specific artworks for public and private clients. The team creates a conceptual design based on extensive research into local conditions and involving a number of external consultants, such as local craftspeople and engineers. After submitting a detailed proposal, the team realises the artwork in close collaboration with the client. Some of the works are constructed at our workshops in Berlin-Oberschöneweide before being transported to the site. Our team members have a background in architecture and design, with skills ranging from concept and design development, 3D modelling, visualisation, and physical model building, to detail development, project planning, and building site management. All these diverse talents come together to create the team effort required for each project.
Development & production
The development & production team is responsible for developing, planning, and producing artworks, and for packing, storing, shipping, installing, documenting, and repairing artworks. Members work on the creation of, experimentation with, and technical testing of artworks with Olafur Eliasson. The team works in several in-house workshops as well as in a digitally-based design and development team. In the wood workshop, they build models, studio furniture, and templates; outfit transport crates; and produce components for artworks made from wood. In the metal workshop, they weld and construct artworks, templates, and prototypes mainly in steel and stainless steel and, on rare occasions, in metals like bronze, brass, and aluminium. The team also includes electricians specialised in working with lighting and electrical wiring for art installations. In the painting workshop, painters work with oil paint on canvas and watercolour on paper; and in the glass and general assembly workshop, members work with glass and other materials on developing and testing new ideas, as well as on assembling the final artworks and packing them for transport. Development & production team members come from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds, including fine arts, architecture, design, engineering, metal and woodwork, light and electrical design. The team also includes specialists in logistics, documentation, conservation, and restoration, and a number of team members who have no craft-specific education.
Finance and Human Resources
The finance team is in charge of all financial aspects of the studio – budgets, accounting, and business management – and works together with the other departments in developing contracts. HR handles recruitment, job contracts and salaries, and supports interns, new hires, and studio members. Finance and HR team members have backgrounds or extensive work experience in accounting, international tax regulations, business management, and human resources.
Front Desk team
The front desk team serves as first contact for studio inquiries; does travel planning and general office management; and assists the finance team with in-house studio budget overviews. Front desk team members have backgrounds in fine arts, linguistics, and cultural management.
IT
The IT team supports individual studio projects with their expertise in technology and systems management. They handle the in-house systems operations, server, and applications management.
Research & advocacy
The research & advocacy team works on research and advocacy-related topics with Eliasson. They source in-depth content relevant to Eliasson’s interests, discuss and contextualise thinkers and theories, and help put this to work across the studio. They also conceive and produce events and research-oriented projects with external partners. Research & advocacy team members have backgrounds or extensive work experiences in art history, philosophy, fine arts, editing, and communications.
Relationship development and executive assistance to Olafur Eliasson
This team coordinates and manages the daily workflow between Eliasson and studio teams, external collaborators, and partners, supporting the artist’s practice and engagement with his extensive network. Team members have backgrounds in business management, cultural management, social sciences, and art history.
Primary work languages at Studio Olafur Eliasson: English and German.
Studio Olafur Eliasson is located in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, with further workshops in Oberschöneweide, Berlin. An entrance in the courtyard of the main studio provides wheelchair access to the building at street level, and ramps and elevators lead to all other floors. The building at Oberschöneweide is also wheelchair accessible on the ground floor. The bathrooms at both locations are currently not wheelchair accessible. All desks can be electronically adjusted for sitting or standing. For all questions related to accessibility, health, and safety, we consult with an occupational safety engineer and a company doctor.