Stedelijk Studies Masters

Stedelijk Studies is currently welcoming Master’s Theses on and relating to the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and its collection.

What is Stedelijk Studies?

At its foundation the Stedelijk Studies Journal is an online academic publication founded in 2014 by Margriet Schavemaker. Over the years the Stedelijk Studies Journal grew into the online platform Stedelijk Studies under the direction of Charl Landvreugd. Originally focusing on the publication of double-blind peer reviewed research, the journal expanded into a website encompassing a wider range of research while maintaining the academic publication as its central function.

What is presented in the museum galleries is the result of a collective intellectual and manual effort. Many actors are involved: colleagues, students, and fellows from a variety of organizations spanning schools, academies, and universities, to museums and other art institutes. In parallel, the responsibilities that constitute the life of the Stedelijk are also varied. They range from registration, tracking, the depot, transportation, and restoration, to the presentation of the artworks and the mediation that this entails. The full extent of this labor is rarely visible, as all the research that goes into the final results cannot be shown in exhibitions.

While the Stedelijk Studies Journal focuses on academic research undertaken in relation to themes relevant to the collection and the exhibition program, Stedelijk Studies is a platform that includes the journal as well as an extended display of this collective labor. Stedelijk Studies provides space for academic and non-academic research on this wide range of activities by diversifying the type of writings that are published on the website. Whether in the form of an essay, a research log, or a conversation, the means to shed light on every role’s achievements are being developed and presented here.

By giving more attention to the full breadth of the Stedelijk’s activities and the variety of internal and external actors that participate in museum life, a more accurate depiction and improvement of the production of knowledge is possible.

Expanding the visibility the rest of the world has regarding the museum’s activities means more space is created for the amplification of critical voices. Stedelijk Studies serves as an observational point for the legacy of modernism and addresses themes such as postcolonialism and decoloniality, as well as queer studies. It is both an introspective organ of the museum and a place where we can collectively define the next steps.

Why this call for student papers?

Opening the doors for newer generations helps to generate insight and knowledge from different levels and different voices in society. Expanding Stedelijk Studies with student research is a way to deepen and widen the knowledge surrounding the museum’s collection. It will facilitate access to this knowledge while supporting informed criticality toward its interpretation.

Because it is one of the major museums of the Netherlands, a certain number of master’s thesis projects lead students to conduct research involving the Stedelijk. From a focus on an object within the collection to a theoretical analysis of the institution as a whole, each approach brings a new stone to the edifice. However, it is unusual that such theses receive recognition outside the context of the university and reach the institutions on which the research is conducted.

At present, Stedelijk Studies has published a handful of essays conceived and written by students, but a dedicated space for the publication of their research is still lacking. This call is a step in that direction; it is addressed to students and alumni who have academic ambitions and wish to see their work published. It is also an opportunity for those who wish to develop their writing and academic skills.

Content

This call concerns master’s theses in which the Stedelijk Museum is the main or a principal object of research. A wide variety of research topics and methodologies are welcomed. Examples of topics to explore could be curating and the collection, museum practices and histories, the management of the collection, or even education and learning models involved in the museum.

Both master’s students and alumni are invited to propose their writings for consideration.

Please provide an abstract of max. 350 words that briefly introduces the content while detailing the focus on the Stedelijk.

Process

From the submissions, a maximum of ten theses will be selected for publication. All contributors must be open to receiving feedback and working collaboratively toward a final version.

After sending the abstract of your thesis, the first feedback will be returned to the author within six weeks. If the submission is accepted, the full thesis will be requested.

Based on this feedback, the author will have four weeks to shorten the full thesis into a condensed version of 5,000 words.

We will compensate published submissions with a fee of 200 EUR (excl. VAT).