Research output per year
Research output per year
Karen Blixens Vej 1
2300 København S
Research activity per year
Malene Vest Hansen is an art historian and art critic specialized in modern and contemporary art working with, mainly feminist, politics and historiographies of art, identities, curating, exhibitions, and art museums.
Vest Hansen holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Copenhagen with the dissertation Sophie Calle: Identitetsbilleder og social arkæologi (2001). She was co-founder and co-editor of Periskop: forum for kunsthistorisk debat (1992-2012), Sum – magazine for contemporary art (2007-2009) and co-editor of the books Kuratering af Samtidskunst (Museet for Samtidskunst 2011), Curatorial Challenges: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Contemporary Curating (Routledge 2019), and Curating the Contemporary in the Art Museum (Routledge 2023). Her work on contemporary art, in particular conceptual and feminist art, art in public space, curating, biennialization, museum and exhibitions histories have been published in journals such as Art Journal, Kunstbulletin, Konsthistorisk Tidskrift, Nordisk Museologi, Etudes Germaniques, and anthologies including Border Poetics De-limited (2007), Plats, poetik och politik (2010) Genuspedagogiske Gärninger (2012), Performing Archives/Archives of Performance (2013), Ny Kulturteori (2019), and Museums at the Post-Digital Turn (2019).
Vest Hansen is currently Principle Investigator of the research project Curating the Contemporary: An Exhibition History of the Museum of Modern Art as a New Bildung Institution (2019-2023, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark). The project follows up on her work as PI of the Research Network for Studies in the Curatorial (2016-2019, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark). The network gathered international, primarily Nordic, researchers and curators from both academia and museums and exhibitionary institutions.
These projects engage in different ways with exhibitions as a primary site of cultural exchange, as highly visible showcases, producers of knowledge, and historically embedded events, establishing meanings of art and cultural identity. The aim is to explore the history of temporary exhibitions, how they continue to increase in cultural significance and how the changing politics of curating transform the museum as a Bildung institution. Among the outputs from the projects are the international research conference Curatorial Challenges (2016), and the anthologies Curatorial Challenges: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Contemporary Curating (2019) and Curating the Contemporary in the Art Museum (2023), both books published in the series Routledge Research in Art Museums and Exhibitions.
Vest Hansen worked as an art critic for Dagbladet Politiken (1990-1999) and has contributed to journals and magazines such as Art Journal, Kunstkritikk.no, Webmagasinet Forum, Øjeblikket, Septynios menos dienos, Atlas, and Kunstbulletin.
Vest Hansen is Associate Professor of Art History at University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and a member of the Danish Arts Council.
I investigate changing concepts of art, curating of exhibitions and the role of museums. Presently, I am PI and conduct the art history research project: Curating the contemporary: An Exhibiting History of the Museum of Modern Art as a new Bildung institution (Funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research FKK1-project 2019-2023). The project is following up on my work as PI of the interdisciplinary Research Network for Studies in the Curatorial,( funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research 2015-2017), the network gathered international, primarily Nordic, researchers and curators from both academia and museums and exhibitionary institutions, one important output of this is the anthology Curatorial Challenges: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Contemporary Curating (Routledge 2019).
I teach Contemporary art (on a regular basis (Art History BA, modul 1) and also teach and advise in the following areas:
Malene Vest Hansen – CURRICULUM VITAE
Academic positions
2013– Associate professor, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen
2009-2013 Postdoc Research Fellow, Dept. of Arts and Cultural Studies, section
for Art History, UCPH, project: Curating as a Cultural Phenomenon
2007-2008 Associate professor, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts,Copenhagen
2006-2007 Lecturer, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen
2002-2005 Postdoc Research Fellow Dept. of Arts and Cultural Studies, UCPH,
research project: Contemporary art interventions in public space
1997-1999 Visiting Scholar, Dept. of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University NYC
1996-2002 PhD in Art History, Dept. of Arts and Cultural Studies, UCPH. Thesis in contemporary art with the title Sophie Calle: Identitetsbilleder og social arkæologi [Sophie Calle: Images of Identity and social archaeology] (Advisors: Øystein Hjort and Christina Kiaer)
Academic awards
1995 Gold Medal from the University of Copenhagen for Prize Thesis En akademisk fantasme. Nicolas Poussin og repræsentationsproblemet i 1600-tallet [A Phantasm of Academia: Nicolas Poussin and the Problem of Representation in 17th Century Painting]
Research grants
2019 Danish Council for Independent Research funding for FKK-1 project, 2 years: Curating the Contemporary: An Exhibition History of the Museum of Modern art as a New Bildung Institution
https://artsandculturalstudies.ku.dk/research/curating-the-contemporary/
2014 The Danish Research Council funding for the Research Network for Studies in the Curatorial, 2 years
http://artsandculturalstudies.ku.dk/research/focus/studiesinthecuratorial/
2012 The Novo Nordisk Foundation for Art History, travel grant for field research
2002 2 years Postdoc grant from The Danish National Research Council of the Humanities
2002 The Novo Nordisk Foundation for Art History, grant
1996 3 years PhD grant from Danish National Research Council for the Humanities
Research and administration assignments
2023- Advisory Board member, Center for Practice-based Art (PASS), funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation
2020-2025 Advisory Board member, The Feminist Legacy in Art Museums (PI: Ulla Jørgensen and Sigrun Åsebø), funded by the Norwegian Research Council
2022– Member of steering commitee, CultureSustain research Network (PI Prof Ane Hejlskov, AU)funded by the Research Council Denmark
2019-2020 PI of Curating the Contemporary: An Exhibition History of the Museum of Modern art as a New Bildung Institution
2017-2021 Board member Statens Kunstfonds Repræsentantskab /Danish Arts Council
2016–2018 Member of the Research committee, Dept Arts and Cultural Studies, UCPH
2014– Member of the Ministry of Culture’s panel of research assessment in museums, the section of art history
2014–2017 PI of Research Network for Studies in the Curatorial (and founder with Anne Folke Henningsen)
2011– Member of the Steering Group, Dansk Center for Museumsforskning [The Danish Centre for Museum Studies]
2013-2017 Founder and head of Copenhagen Consortium: Kuratorisk Forskningsforum
2012–2015 Board member, NORDIK Nordic committee of art history
2012–2015 Vicepresident, AICA, Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art
2010–2011 Co-founder of Network for Curating and Museum Studies, UCPH
2009–2012 Board member, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Art History Project
2005-2015 Board member, AICA, Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art
2005-2011 President of AICA Denmark
Courses in Research and Project Management
2019 Leading Research – a leadership Course, UCPH
2016 Research Project Management Course, UCPH
2011 Lyst til Ledelse, UCPH
2010 Talentudviklingskursus for unge forskere, UCPH
Organizer of international conferences, selected
Doctoral programme assignments
2020– PhD advisor Tom Hermansen
2019-2020 Postdoc adviser (Adjunktpædogikum faglig vejleder) for Kerry Greaves, UCPH
2019-2020 Postdoc adviser (Adjunktpædogikum faglig vejleder) for Kristian Handberg, UCPH
2017 PhD adviser for David Windfield Normann, UCPH
2016-2017 Postdoc adviser (adjunktpædagogikum) for Franziska Bork-Petersen, UCPH
2013 PhD adviser for Michael Kjær, UCPH
2011-2012 Conductor of PhD-course Studies in the Curatorial, UCPH (http://phd.hum.ku.dk/Cultlitart/courses/studies_in_the_curatorial)
2004 Adviser and keynote at Doctoral Course Grenser og rammer, Nationalt Forskerutbildningskurs, Tromsø Universitet (9/11-13/11)
Networks, selected
2019– The Center-Periphery Divide? Scandinavian Network for Exhibition Studies
2015–2018 Research Network for Studies in the Curatorial (co-founder) http://artsandculturalstudies.ku.dk/research/focus/studiesinthecuratorial/
2010– Netværk for Kuratering og Museumsstudier (co-founder), IKK
2005– PSi, Performance Studies international
1991– AICA, association internationale des critiques d’art
2004-2006 Museologisk Forskernetværk
Editorial boards
2015– 2017 Perspective, The National Gallery of Denmark http://www.perspective.smk.dk
2007-2012 Co-founder and co-editor of SUM magazine for contemporary art
1993–2012 Co-founder and co-editor of Periskop. Forum for Kunsthistorisk debat [Journal on Art History and Theory], University of Copenhagen
Other
1990-1998 Art critic for the Danish daily newspaper Dagbladet Politiken
Danish, English;
German and French, (Latin and ancient Greek)
Associate Professor of Art History, Det Kongelige danske Kunstakademi
Jan 2007 → Oct 2008
Research output: Other contribution › Communication
Research output: Book/Report › Anthology › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Malene Vest Hansen (Other)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Malene Vest Hansen (Other)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Malene Vest Hansen (Member)
Activity: Membership types › Membership in review committee
Malene Vest Hansen (Member)
Activity: Membership types › Membership in review committee
Malene Vest Hansen (Member)
Activity: Membership types › Membership in review committee
Malene Vest Hansen (Other)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
Malene Vest Hansen (Participant)
Activity: Other activity types › Other
Malene Vest Hansen (Other)
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Lecture and oral contribution
08/11/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
02/05/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
01/05/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
29/04/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
29/04/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
26/01/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
25/01/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
25/01/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
Hansen, Malene Vest (Recipient), 1995
Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions
Hansen, Malene Vest (Recipient), 1995
Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions
Hansen, Malene Vest (Recipient), 1995
Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions