Attention! From Thursday 31 July at 4:00 pm (Dutch time zone) / 10:00 am (Caribbean time zone) until Monday 4 August at 12:00 pm (Dutch time zone) / 6:00 am (Caribbean time zone), the application form for this scheme will be temporarily closed. Find more information here.
For whom?
Independent curators, critics, theorists and art observers who have been professionally active in the visual arts or cultural heritage for at least 2 years.
The Mondriaan Fund offers the Curator Researcher grant to stimulate plans that contribute to strengthening the quality of contemporary visual art and/or cultural heritage in the Netherlands and/or Caribbean part of the Kingdom, and that improve engagement with the public.
For what?
Conducting preliminary research and developing visions and stories that strengthen the quality of visual art and heritage and highlight it to the public. This may involve reflective or theoretical research that provides insight into specific developments in contemporary art, or a new perspective on a collection. Or it may be preliminary research for an exhibition, event, article or project, so long as this is not commissioned by or in collaboration with another party.
How much?
A contribution of € 2,255 per month, for no more than 6 months. Part of this sum is to cover time investment, and part to cover project costs. The duration of the contribution must be justified by a global timeline, included in your plan.
You can apply for a Curator Researcher grant together with other curators or artists. In that case, it must concern a collaborative plan that leads to a single result. Each of the collaborating participants must fill out their own application. Each application will be individually assessed. Artists can submit applications via the Artist Project grant.
When and how to apply
Applications can be submitted at any time of the year, using our online application system. You will require an account before you can submit an application. If you do not already have an account, please apply for one on this website. Keep in mind that a 3-month period is required for processing the applications. No grants are awarded retrospectively.
The following is based on the deelregeling Curator Beschouwer (in Dutch), as published in the Staatscourant.
Conditions
Education and working practice
- You have been working as a professional curator or art observer in the visual arts or cultural heritage field for at least 2 years and can demonstrate this with publications, exhibitions, research and/or other projects.
- You are artistically and substantively active within the visual arts and/or cultural heritage field, and in this capacity, part of the professional art and/or cultural heritage practice in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
- The Curator Researcher grant cannot be used to finance study. It is also not permitted to use the grant while enrolled to study at educational institutions for e.g. Bachelor’s, Master’s or postdoctoral programmes. This also applies to participation in programmes at postgraduate institutions.
- The contribution is not intended for work on behalf of an organisation or for regular work.
- The contribution may not be used for a working period in a guest studio in the Netherlands or abroad if this studio is offered in the Mondriaan Fund’s Residency programme.
- The contribution may not be used for production, such as of a publication or exhibition, for (cultural-) historical research or organisational archival research.
Previous applications
- At the time of submitting the application, you must not be receiving any other financial contribution from the Mondriaan Fund which, in the opinion of the board of the Mondriaan Fund, would cover the same costs.
- A curator or art observer can be awarded a contribution to cover time investment for no more than 24 months within a period of 48 months.
- A curator or art observer who is rejected on the grounds of the criterion ‘quality and development of working practice’ is not permitted to submit a new application within a period of 12 months after the initial application.
Assessment
Mondriaan Fund staff check the submitted applications and attachments to ensure that they are complete. Once an application is complete, it is submitted to the advisory committee that advises on awarding Curator Researcher grants.
A Curator Researcher grant is only awarded if the committee advises to that effect, given the quality of the work in combination with the working plan, and if the committee finds this sufficiently meaningful for the development and stimulation of contemporary visual arts or cultural heritage in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Due to budgetary restrictions, we are unfortunately not always able to award grants to all applications that receive positive recommendations from the committee. In this case, the Mondriaan Fund Board asks the advisory committee to prioritise the positive recommendations. This means that an application may receive a positive recommendation, but a grant is nevertheless not awarded, or that the contribution is lower.
The committee judges your application on the basis of:
- Explanation of your professional practice/professional positioning.
- CV.
- Project plan.
The advisory committee considers the following criteria:
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The quality and development of the working practice:*
- Do you have a clearly articulated and convincingly substantiated artistic vision regarding contemporary visual art and/or heritage, and does this vision contribute in an exemplary manner to the quality of professional contemporary visual art and/or heritage in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom?
- Are your previous activities of an undeniably distinctive quality and do they convey your vision in an exemplary manner? Consider e.g. the ownership or the autonomy of the curatorial activities, the selection of artists/artworks, the themed reflection and research methods.
- Do the previous activities show convincing development that is appropriate for the stage of the professional practice?
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The quality of the cultural entrepreneurship:*
- Is there evidence of an exemplary and distinctly active attitude to developing your professional practice, entering into collaborations, entering into the public eye and finding an audience for your work?
- Do your activities undeniably and convincingly boost the possibilities of better understanding, enhanced reputation and/or expansion of the public reach of one or more artists, disciplines or movements, collections or elements of cultural heritage?
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The quality of the plan:* **
- Does the project exhibit distinctive quality? Consider e.g. a clear research question and objective, a justification of the substantive and/or theoretical principles, and whether the plan is realistic in terms of execution.
- Is the proposed project exemplary within the context? Does the plan significantly contribute to the quality of professional contemporary visual art and/or cultural heritage in the Netherlands and/or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom?
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If applicable:
- Does the project plan include a convincing and clearly articulated strategy for how to reach a relevant audience? How will the results be shared with the intended audience?
*During the assessment, the background and context of the professional practice will be taken into consideration, such as the nature and duration of your professional practice and your cultural context.
**Please note: the ‘quality of the plan’ criterion carries more weight in the decision-making process, as this is a policy focus point within the grant.
Checklist
In order to process your application, the Mondriaan Fund requires various information: details that you can enter in the application form and documents that you can upload. Below is a checklist outlining all of the required information, following the layout of the application form.
Tip: gather all of the required information before you start completing the online application form. Appendices can be uploaded as PDFs. Ensure you do not exceed the maximum number of pages, where stated.
Checklist
Explanation of work and cultural entrepreneurship (max. 3 pages)
Describe your professional positioning as a curator/art observer and how this is expressed in your activities. Provide a brief substantive explanation of several relevant projects and your part in their realisation.
Also outline what you do to develop your entrepreneurship, such as entering into collaborations, entering into the public eye and finding an audience for your work. Which mediums do you use to these ends, and how? Consider e.g. the use of social media and/or a website, investment in your network, collaboration with an art or heritage institution, participation in open calls. In the case of a collaboration, outline your role.
CV (max. 3 pages)
Upload the most important data about your professional practice as curator/researcher, with emphasis on the last 2 to 4 years. Include, for example, relevant articles and publications, research, exhibitions, events, lectures, commissions, grants or subsidies and awards. Also mention the studies you have completed and any related activities, such as teaching, advisory or jury positions.
Plan (max. 4 pages)
Describe your aims and how you intend to realise this project plan. Also describe the intended results. If you are collaborating with others on this plan, also describe the added value of the collaboration and what the involved parties contribute. If your plan involves a residency, outline your choice of residency and what you plan to do there.
Describe how your plan contributes to better understanding, the enhanced reputation and/or expansion of the public reach of visual art and/or heritage in the Netherlands and/or Caribbean part of the Kingdom. This may concern one or more artists, disciplines or movements, collections or elements of cultural heritage.
If applicable: Describe how you intend to reach a relevant audience and engage them with the working process or plan. Consider e.g. an exhibition, event, session or other public activity, or a website, blog, workshop or other medium.
Documentation (max 25 pages)
Create a PDF with a selection of 1 to 6 of your most relevant and current articles, including maximum 10 images of recent exhibitions, manifestations or other activities from the past 2 to 4 years. You can also upload video/film fragments of projects you have realised.
Note: You can upload a maximum of 15 minutes and 500 MB of images and audio or video/film fragments. See the technical specifications.
Documentation list (max. 2 pages)
Please include a documentation list (in PDF) that corresponds to the visual documentation material, containing a description or caption for each image and/or audio/video fragment information about the title, year, dimensions, technique, duration, and any additional information. For example: 01, title of work, 2024, 20×30 cm, material. See the specifications for the documentation list for more examples.
Please note: do not use hyperlinks in the PDF with (visual) documentation material and in the documentation list. We cannot accept hyperlinks (to web pages for example) because the supplied image material may not be adjusted during the processing of the application.
If applicable:
Personal Information Provision Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (PIVA)
Are you registered in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom? If so, please send a recent extract (no more than 1 year old) from the PIVA/population register.
Personal Records Database (BRP) extract
If you do not have Dutch citizenship, include a recent extract (no more than 1 year old) from the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP, or Personal Records Database) where you live, confirming that you reside in the Netherlands.
Bank details or Kamer van Koophandel registration
We need your bank account number to transfer funds if your application is granted. If you have not previously submitted an application to the Mondriaan Fund or if the account number has changed since the previous application, please upload a recent bank statement clearly stating the name of the account holder and IBAN/bank account number of the applicant. Applicants established in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom can provide a bank statement or other document from the bank stating the name of the account holder and bank account number.
If you have a business bank account for your one-person business, include a recent (less than 3 months old) copy of your registration with the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK, Chamber of Commerce), showing that you are the sole proprietor of the account.
