Postdoctoral position associated with the project "Dressing the Saints"

About the project

How would you dress a saint in art? Working within a historically unparalleled amalgam of an interconnected world and regional religious- and legal reforms, Netherlandish artists active at the dawn of the ʻfirst globalisationʼ were among the first to create consummate solutions to this question. Re-conceptualizing hermeneutical geographies they ordered anew the ever-expanding ʻworld of thingsʼ into their religious scenes. The recently funded project "Dressing the Saints: Gendering and Othering in Netherlandish Art at the Dawn of a Globalized World" (DRESS) provides a novel research agenda for art history and material culture studies, working from the hypothesis that before the conception of non-European lands as an ʻagreeable exotic worldʼ, all textiles enrobing bodies of the heavenly hosts harboured dynamic and flexible ontologies. 

Applying a multidisciplinary approach that cross-fertilizes art history, Kleiderkunde (visual anthropology), archival studies, careful interpretation of data from recent advances in art technology and re-created historical artistic practices on art works, DRESS breaks new methodological ground by (1) highlighting the agency of the artist, as painter, sculptor and poet; and by (2) probing the interpretive potential from the unheeded descriptions of costumes worn by the saintsʼ ʻavatarsʼ in religious plays. The project is divided in three inter-connected work packages: "Beyond Allure: Dressing the Saints in Netherlandish Altarpieces, 1480-1530" (WP1), "Dressing the Other: The Black Magus in Netherlandish Art, 1480-1530" (WP2), "The Material Magdalene in the Early Modern Parish" (WP3), and a coda, "ʼAll that Arachneʼs Art Produces Fullyʼ: Netherlandish Poet-Painters on Textile Metaphors" (WP4).

More about the position 

The postdoc will develop an independent research project that aligns with the overarching aims of DRESS and we seek candidates who demonstrate strong interdisciplinary and creative thinking skills, with the ability to conceptualize and empirically ground a project that explores the research questions formulated for WP3. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the principal investigator, Associate Professor Ragnhild M. Bø to receive the full project description. 

The Postdoc will become part of DRESS’ core team which includes PI Ragnhild M. Bø and a PhD. The team benefit from an advisory board of internationally renowned scholars and will also be joined by a research assistant in its final year. The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty of Theology and the faculty’s research training. The applicant therefore is much encouraged to engage in activities by the faculty’s research groups, cf. Moreover, as Associate Professor Ragnhild M. Bø holds a position divided between the Faculty of Theology and the Museum of Cultural History, the appointed person will also have access to the museum’s collections and research groups.

The appointment is a fulltime position for a duration of 3 years. 

Residence in Oslo or within commuting distance from Oslo is expected during the appointment. Place of work is the Faculty of Theology at Blindern, Oslo. 

Your areas of responsibility will be 

• Carry out research of good quality.
• Participate in the research group DRESS.
• Work interdisciplinary and across borders and institutions.
• Participate in research group activities at the Faculty.

Qualifications 

Qualification requirements

• The applicant will need a PhD in religious studies, art history or related field, knowledge of the early modern period, global history, and the cult of saints. The PhD thesis must be submitted for evaluation by the application deadline, and the degree must be awarded, with the final evaluation available by the end of 2025, prior to a potential interview. 
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.  

• Adequate reading proficiency in Latin, (Middle) Dutch and (Middle) French. 
• Willingness to work interdisciplinary and across borders and institutions.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position. 

We offer 

• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK from 595 000 - to 640 000 NOK, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development and education, that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment. 
• Good welfare schemes.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

Application

Your application should include:

• Application letter.
• CV.
• A complete list of publications.
• Project description (max 14 000 words, excluding the bibliography), see :Research proposal - template - Faculty of Humanities.
• Transcripts and certificates.
• Contact information for 2-3 references (names, relation to the candidate, e-mail, telephone number. At least one of the references should be a current or former employer).

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.