Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary announce new partnership
Nottingham Contemporary. Photo by Jules Lister. Courtesy of Nottingham Contemporary
Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary are delighted to announce a new partnership dedicated to supporting the next generation of Chinese and Sinophone curators through sustained curatorial research, institutional collaboration and international exchange.
Launching in April 2027, the Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship at Nottingham Contemporary is a fully-funded two-year placement offering an early-career curator the opportunity to develop practical curatorial experience within one of Europe's leading contemporary art institutions. Together, Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary have conceived the fellowship as a meaningful pathway into curatorial practice, combining hands-on institutional experience with space for independent research, experimentation and public engagement.
Geared towards an early-career practitioner who, to any extent, identifies with Chinese or Sinophone cultures or backgrounds, the fellowship offers an immersive introduction to contemporary curatorial practice. Embedded within Nottingham Contemporary's curatorial team, the fellow will contribute to exhibitions, artist commissions, live programmes, research, writing, and institutional development, gaining experience across every stage of a project – from research and conception through production, public presentation and evaluation. Working alongside colleagues across the organisation, from learning, marketing, and development to visitor services, they will develop a broad understanding of how exhibitions and programmes are realised collaboratively within a leading public contemporary art institution.
A distinctive aspect of the fellowship is the opportunity to help shape new strands of Nottingham Contemporary's live programme. Alongside contributing to the institution's existing programme, the fellow will be encouraged to introduce new research, questions and curatorial approaches while developing independent exhibition-based and discursive projects in dialogue with artists, audiences and the wider curatorial and engagement team. The fellowship also provides dedicated curatorial resources for the fellow to conceive and realise their own programme of public events, creating space to test ideas and develop an independent curatorial voice.
Alongside their placement at Nottingham Contemporary, the fellow will become part of Asymmetry's wider community of curators, scholars, artists, writers, researchers and cultural practitioners. Joining a close-knit cohort of fellows and scholars, they will participate in an ongoing programme of research, conversation and peer exchange across Asymmetry's international network of partner museums and universities.
Throughout the fellowship, the candidate will also be encouraged to develop and present their own research through Asymmetry's programmes. Through research presentations, exhibitions and discursive projects, publishing and collaborative initiatives, they will have the opportunity to test ideas publicly while contributing to Asymmetry's wider programme of critical inquiry, research, writing and exchange.
The fellowship builds on Asymmetry's wider programme of long-term institutional collaborations with museums and universities, including Tate Modern, Chisenhale Gallery, SculptureCenter, The Courtauld Institute of Art, and Goldsmiths, University of London, creating a connected framework through which fellows develop their practice across different institutional contexts.
Together, Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary seek to cultivate dynamic new curatorial voices and contribute to a more representative, internationally connected and intellectually ambitious future for contemporary art.
‘We are delighted to partner with Asymmetry to support a new generation of curatorial voices. Nottingham Contemporary has always sought to connect the international with the local, creating a space for experimentation, risk-taking and discovery, where expansive voices, practices and forms of knowledge can meet. We look forward to welcoming the Asymmetry Assistant Curator into our programme, team and city, and to seeing how their ideas and perspective might challenge us and open up new possibilities.’
— Salma Tuqan, Director, Nottingham Contemporary
‘We are incredibly excited to begin this partnership with Nottingham Contemporary, an institution we have long admired for the ambition and openness of its programme. At Asymmetry, we want to create the conditions for curators to think expansively, take risks and develop ideas that can open up new possibilities for institutions and their publics. This fellowship is an opportunity to give an early-career curator real agency within an institution, while creating space for experimentation, exchange and new ways of working to emerge between us.’
— Michèle Ruo Yi Landolt, Director, Asymmetry
About Nottingham Contemporary
Nottingham Contemporary is a leading centre of contemporary art in Europe, and among the largest spaces of its kind in the UK. With a reputation for ambitious and risk taking exhibitions and live programme and an innovative and impactful engagement programme rooted in the city, we have welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors since our opening in 2009. Our international exhibitions spark important conversations about culture and society, often highlighting overlooked figures, histories, geographies and art practices. We support artists at all stages of their careers, from first institutional solo exhibitions to thematic group exhibitions and surveys of renowned figures. Commissioning new work from artists forms a key strand of our curatorial mission, supporting artists to explore new directions in their practice and realise ambitious work.
The global Open Call for the Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship at Nottingham Contemporary is live until Sunday 25 October 2026. The inaugural fellow will start in April 2027.
We welcome applications from all eligible candidates and are committed to making our recruitment process equitable, inclusive and accessible.
Partner: Nottingham Contemporary