Lead Art Technician | M+ Museum — Hong Kong SAR, China

M+ is a museum dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, we are building one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary visual culture in the world, with a bold ambition to establish ourselves as one of the world’s leading cultural institutions. Our aim is to create a new kind of museum that reflects our unique time and place, a museum that builds on Hong Kong’s historic balance of the local and international to define a distinctive and innovative voice for Asia’s twenty-first century.

An experienced and skilled individual is required to take the lead on collections storage and collections-based exhibitions at M+. Reporting to the Manager, Installations and Displays, and working closely with the Collections Registration department, the appointee will lead teams of art technicians and external contractors to ensure safe handling, and installation as well ensuring the highest standards in museum grade packing, transport, and storage of works of art for M+.

The ideal candidate should possess a passion for visual culture and demonstrated experience handling and installing complex objects and art in a museum environment, primarily in collection storage areas as well as on gallery. The individual should demonstrate leadership qualities with excellent communication and a collaborative approach; be highly organized and motivated to work within a team and encourage growth and development across our collections and exhibitions.

You will be responsible for

supervising and leading teams of art technicians and external contractors on packing/unpacking, transporting, and storing artworks across M+ sites as well as external storage facilities to international Museum best practice standards;
responsible for the safe handling of a variety of works of art and objects and installing them to museum standard;
adhering to the principles and practices of Safety Health and Environment practices in accordance with the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority policies;
operating the fork-lifts, scissor lifts and Mobile Elevating work platforms other tools and equipment necessary to carry out duties;
supporting and carrying out risk assessments and reviewing of safe working methods in relation to storage practices; container loading, workshop, heavy equipment operation and installation;
be a diplomatic team-oriented approach aiding Installations and Displays staff at all levels as well as working cross departmentally both in a leadership role as well as a hands-on practical role with regards to art handling, planning, and installation;
inspecting works of art prior to handling and reporting of any damage to the Manager, Installations and Displays, the Registrar and the relevant Conservator;
keeping up to date with international museum best practice methods and procedures for art handling and implementing them especially regarding long term storage of museum objects;
ensuring equipment is maintained in a serviceable order and conducting regular inventories of tools and materials, reporting any equipment problems or supply requirements to the Manager, Installations and Displays;
ensuring that the handling of records and information management are done according to the Collection Management policy and procedures; and
contributing to training of junior staff in line with international museum standards in collections care and display.

You should

possess at least 5 subjects at Level 2 / Grade E or above in the HKDSEE / HKCEE or equivalent academic qualification and have at least 6 years of relevant working experience in museum, gallery, or fine arts logistics company as a technician or art handler; OR possess a recognized Advanced Diploma or bachelor’s in fine arts or equivalent technical qualification from a recognized tertiary institution with a minimum of 4 years of relevant working experience in a museum or gallery;
have proven experience and excellent expertise in the technical methods of handling, packing/unpacking, moving, transporting, and storing irreplaceable museum objects of all mediums to international conservation best practice standards;
possess demonstrable experience and ability to safely operate heavy lifting machinery, Pest management equipment, elevated work platforms, and other tools and equipment specific to a required task;
demonstrate a flexible approach to meeting changing priorities and demands, be able to remain calm under pressure;
have strong organisational and problem-solving skills, be patient and detail oriented;
be able to collaborate with others effectively in a diversified team and culture;
have good computer skills including Microsoft Office preferably with good knowledge of computerised collection management database;
able to read and understand design drawings building plans, racking, and crating designs;
have excellent oral and written communication skills in English and preferably in Chinese;
have a clear understanding of health and safety concerns with regards to art handling and experience with project planning and risk assessments regarding health and safety;
have experience with racking, foam cut outs, archival box making, crating and other conservation grade packing solutions for long term storage; and
have experience handling, installing, and applying packing solutions for large or complex artworks: heavy sculptures, installation art, oversize paintings AV and new media artwork.

For interested parties, please submit your application with detailed CV on or before following date. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible. The review of applications will continue until post is filled.

14-10-2024

Data collected will only be used for job application processing. Your data may be accessed by our appointed recruitment consultants who have agreed to keep confidence of all personal data in not less than the standards applicable to us. Applicants not being invited for interview within 4 weeks from the submission date may assume their applications unsuccessful.

All related information will be kept up to 24 months and all personal data will be destroyed afterwards.

For more information, please visit https://www.westkowloon.hk or contact:

Crystal Yu /+852 22000114