Seeking new Director

Chisenhale Gallery is a small and very special visual arts organisation with a proud 37-year history of championing experimentation and innovation. We are seeking an inspirational Director with a dynamic and original vision for the gallery. This is a fantastic opportunity for a gifted and committed individual to shape the future of one of London’s most compelling forums for contemporary art.

Early exhibitions at Chisenhale Gallery included seminal group shows such as Essential Black Art, which featured artists Rasheed Araeen, Sonia Boyce and Mona Hatoum, among others. In the 1990s, the gallery produced first solo exhibitions in the UK with artists such as Rachel Whiteread, Cornelia Parker, Pipilotti Rist, Gillian Wearing, Wolfgang Tillmans and Thomas Hirschhorn.

Over the past decade, under the directorship of Polly Staple, Chisenhale Gallery has presented an acclaimed programme of commissions by artists including Hito Steyerl, James Richards, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Ed Atkins, Helen Marten, Pratchaya Phinthong, Camille Henrot, Patrick Staff, Jumana Manna, Maria Eichhorn, Banu Cennetoğlu, Paul Maheke and Lawrence Abu Hamdan and most recently with Ghislaine Leung, Mandy El-Sayegh, Ima-Abasi Okon, Sidsel Meineche Hansen and Imran Perretta.

Discursive and research-based projects are central to the Gallery’s Engagement Programme, which includes partnerships with schools, higher education institutions and community organisations throughout the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Chisenhale Gallery is now at a critical point in its development. In the past ten years turnover has increased from GBP 250,000 per annum to GBP 750,000, and staff numbers have grown from three to nine full time employees. Some 11,000 people visit Chisenhale Gallery’s onsite exhibitions each year and 1,800 participate in the Engagement Programme. Through offsite programmes and strategic partnerships with UK and international institutions, artworks commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery now reach up to a million people annually worldwide.

We are now looking for a Director with the vision, passion and experience to lead Chisenhale Gallery in its next stage of development. The new Director will provide inspirational leadership together with a compelling curatorial vision, outstanding ambassadorial and fundraising skills, and a deep commitment to developing artists’ practice and bringing their work to the widest possible audiences.

For all enquiries and to request an application pack please contact:  

Bo Escritt, Counterculture LLP
bo [​at​] counterculturellp.com

Application deadline: midnight on Friday, November 22, 2019 (GMT)

Interviews will be held: Monday, December 9, 2019

Chisenhale Gallery is committed to equal opportunities. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse workforce. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic and disabled candidates, who are currently under-represented in employment within the visual arts. Chisenhale Gallery is located on the ground floor and access is compliant with the Equality Act 2010.