[What the role is]

About Heritage Conservation Centre, Singapore

The National Heritage Board (NHB) preserves, presents and promotes the cultural heritage of Singapore. Our vision is to make heritage as the Pride in our Past, Legacy for our Future.

The Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) is a purpose-built facility for the storage and conservation of all artefacts under the custodianship of NHB (i.e., the National Collection), with the mission to care for, manage and facilitate access for these artefacts. To enhance the current and long-term access to the National Collection, HCC is committed towards consolidating its capabilities to care for the growing time-based media (TBM)collection, in analogue or digital format. HCC is now seeking an experienced individual to spearhead the development of the preservation and conservation of the TBM subset of the National Collection.

[What you will be working on]

The individual will join a large team of conservators with various specialties such as paintings, objects, paper/photo, textiles alongside a small conservation science lab. The team is also involved in carrying out cross-department activities around issues pertaining to preventive conservation or to care of contemporary art/ design.

Reporting to the Senior Conservator, you will be:

• responsible for contributing to the preservation of Singapore’s National Collection (NC) by participating in a wide range of conservation activities such as producing various condition reports and proposals, providing expert advice on the condition and future maintenance needs of proposed acquisitions and works planned for loans and exhibition, and ensuring preventive maintenance necessary for digital and media works in the NC.

• playing an integral role in the development of conservation policies, procedures, and workflows within the HCC regarding the care of TBM collections in analogue and digital forms while likely contributing to the current HCC Contemporary Art Working Group. This includes but is not limited to supporting acquisition, developing guidelines for storage and display, best practices for conservation treatment, procedure and the proper care and handling of digital and media works of the collection;

• conducting specialised research on the materials and techniques of artists represented in the collection whenever necessary and while working in collaboration with all relevant parties; 

• playing a leading role in advising and training HCC staff in best practices for the care, handling, display, storage, packing and shipping of digital and media works;

• playing a fundamental role in supporting, planning and implementation for HCC digital storage and the HCC digital and media art conservation & preservation workstation and engaging as necessary in conservation and preservation-related special projects;

• supervising conservation fellows or interns as required; and supporting the development of the professional field involved in the preservation of the cultural heritage digital form in Singapore and SEA region by actively developing &/or contributing to knowledge and expertise sharing and dissemination activities.

[What we are looking for]

• Background in conservation with specialisation in time-based media or digital art preservation; or equivalent skills and knowledge acquired through specialised professional experiences.

• Preferably at least 5 years of practical postgraduate experience working with digital and media artworks; Institutional / museum experience is preferred. Candidate with less experience may be considered for the assistant conservator level.

• Team player, at ease with dialogue-based decision-making process and collaboration with a diverse group of HCC conservation team and stakeholders while actively developing and contributing to the collaborative effort that care and display of TBM works required.

• Ability and experience to address the preservation needs of complex works that include film, slide, video, audio, software-based, web-based, electronic, and other types of digital art including migration strategies to a high standard with full consideration of practical and ethical issues.

• Capable of assisting with collection care activities such as assessments for new acquisitions, facilitation of loans, securing appropriate storage, cataloguing of active and obsolete equipment and creation of installation instructions as well as dealing with the presentation and maintenance of digital and media artworks on display. Experience with complex contemporary installations is desirable.

• Ability to use diagnostic tools to examine condition and document the construction of digital art items.

• Familiarity and experience with cultural materials in South East Asia would be advantageous.

• Innovative and enthusiastic team player with strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, have strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills in English.

Successful candidates will be offered a 2-year contract in the first instance.