Call for Papers & Applications
The Connected Teams program invites applications from post-doctoral researchers whose projects address the intersections of art, heritage, and environments in South Asia and/or in Latin America. Two fellowships will be affiliated with the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC); one fellowship with the Department of Art History at the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá (Uniandes). The fellowships will begin on 1 July 2026 and run for 24 months each. A second call for three post-doctoral fellows based at the same institutions will be published in December 2026.
Connected Teams aims to examine and practice art histories through transcultural and eco-critical approaches, in a way that allows a rethinking and reshaping of both in terms of their interrelations, including the ecologies of the research process itself. Operating on the premise that ‘objects’ are neither stable nor exclusively human-made, the program envisions art historical research—in dialogue with neighboring disciplines—to be concerned with porous, entangled, and dynamic relations among environments, objects, monuments, heritage, and landscapes, including multiple temporalities.
The program consists of three teams located in South Asia (India), South America (Colombia), and Europe (Italy, Germany), respectively. The teams convene annually for a Seasonal School and connect in virtual formats in between. The program strives for new experimental modes of field work, new approaches to archives of all kinds, virtual tools for collaboration and communication, as well as visual and auditory forms of documentation. Through its novel structure, the project poses methodological challenges for undertaking research on historical and contemporary visual and material cultures by means of interdisciplinary conversations and interactions, as well as sustained engagement with multiple communities in both scholarly and public-facing work. At stake is the question of how to practice art history today; for the Connecting Teams program, this includes collaborations with filmmakers, artists, engineers, heritage professionals, biologists, and others.
The program invites research projects that address globally shared yet locally differentiated concerns at the intersections of (trans-)regional art histories and ecologies; some of the guiding questions and topics are:
- Unsettling nature/culture divides in and of the Anthropocene.
- Ecological crisis and threats to the future of life in its diversity on Earth: What is the relevance (and what can be the future) of art history under such conditions?
- The menaces and consequences of climate change: their impact on the attention, imaginations, and practices of artists, cultural heritage professionals, and humanities scholars.
- Synergies, tensions, and reciprocities between the care of plant or animal species and that of human-made monuments or sites.
- How to study and document the ways monuments and landscapes—designed and built centuries ago—and their makers have interacted with climate conditions and environments, such as mountain and river systems? This includes the study of materials, their procurement and lifespans, that of historical techniques, building practices, etc.
- Art histories between ecologies, anthropologies, and social dynamics, such as engagements with (trans-)regional communities or touristification.
- Narratives (decolonial and/or nationalist, indigenous, etc.), language cultures, and translatability, and their relevance to transregional research and collaboration.
- Spaces of display and study as ecosystems: What is the voice of the discipline regarding museums and their practices as well as heritage-site management?
Application Process
Candidates
The call for applications is open to emerging scholars who have received their PhD on 1 January 2020 or later. In cases of parental leave, the PhD eligibility period may be extended by one additional year per child. PhD candidates who will have defended their dissertation by June 2026 are also eligible. Applications are invited from scholars irrespective of nationality, and we welcome applications from all regions, with various disciplinary formations, including but not limited to Art History, Aesthetics, Archaeology, Anthropology/Ethnology, History, Architecture, Heritage Studies, Sound Studies, Sociology, Digital Humanities, Performance Studies, and neighboring fields. Applicants may have earned their degrees in cognate disciplines; however, proposed research should at least have a strong affinity to the discipline of art history.
Fellows will have the opportunity to pursue their individual research projects within the partners’ transdisciplinary and transregional frameworks. Applicants should demonstrate an interest in digital, reflexive, and transdisciplinary research, as well as an openness to collaborative exchange. Research is expected to be centered on South Asia and/or Latin America. Please indicate your preferred host institution, either in Bogotá or Kolkata, in the application portal.
Fellowships
Each fellowship is supported by a stipend determined according to local standards for post-doctoral fellowships, amounting to approx. COP 9 million/month for fellows based in Bogotá, and approx. INR 90,000/month for fellows based in Kolkata. Fellowships (including travel support) follow the regulations of the host institution. Organizational assistance with visas, insurance, and housing will be provided. The working language of the project is English. In Bogotá, Spanish skills are welcome, since the fellow at Uniandes will be expected to co-teach courses with the PIs.
Post-doctoral fellows are expected to take up residency at their host institution, actively participating in its intellectual life as well as in the program itself. Moreover, fellows will be invited to spend up to six months at one of the other partner institutions for which additional funding can be provided. They will participate in regular digital workshops and will convene annually for a Seasonal School, organized by one of the partner institutions, the first one taking place in Colombia in July 2026. Each institution is an equal opportunity employer.
Application
To apply, please submit the following documents as PDF files via the KHI application portal:
- Curriculum vitae (in English)
- Project title and description (max. 1,500 words, in English)
- Motivation letter / personal statement (max. 1,000 words, in English) describing your career trajectory to date and how the fellowship will support your proposed project and long-term goals
- Sample of scholarly work (an article, conference paper, or book chapter, approx. 20 pages)
- Two letters of recommendation can either be uploaded by applicants or sent directly by the referees to connectedteams@khi.fi.it by 31 January 2026 (PST). In addition, applicants are asked to provide the name and email address of a third referee.
Please submit the complete application by 31 January 2026 (PST) via the KHI’s application portal: https://apply.khi.fi.it/
The application portal will open on 23 December 2025.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to virtual interviews in late February and early March 2026. Successful candidates will be notified by 15 March 2026.
This program is made possible with support from Getty through its Connecting Art Histories Initiative.
Links
https://www.khi.fi.it/de/forschung/kooperationsprojekte/connected-teams.php
https://www.cssscal.org/
https://hat.uniandes.edu.co/
Project Leaders, Principal Investigators
Hannah Baader (PL), Gerhard Wolf (PL), Rosinka Chaudhuri (PI), Nachiket Chanchani (PI), Olga Isabel Acosta (PI), Alexander Herrera (PI)
Contact
Philip Geisler
Scientific Coordinator
Connected Teams
c/o 4A_Lab
Sigismundstraße 4
10785 Berlin, Germany
E-Mail: connectedteams@khi.fi.it
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does “South Asia and/or Latin America” mean in the call?
Applicants may propose projects with a primary regional focus on either South Asia or Latin America. Projects that examine connections, comparisons, circulations, or transregional histories between both regions are equally welcome. The program encourages research that engages with regional as well as transregional perspectives.
Do fellows have to take up residency in Bogotá or Kolkata?
Yes. Fellows are expected to reside at their respective host institution—either the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá) or the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (Kolkata)—for the duration of the fellowship and to participate actively in the intellectual life of the institution and the Connected Teams program.
How do letters of recommendation work?
Applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation by the application deadline (31 January 2026, PST). These letters may either be
- uploaded by the applicant as PDF files via the application portal, or
- sent directly by the referees to connectedteams@khi.fi.it by the deadline.
In the application portal, applicants are asked to provide the name, institutional affiliation, and email address of the two referees submitting letters. In addition, applicants are asked to provide the name, institutional affiliation, and email address of a third referee, who may be contacted directly by the selection committee if necessary.
Are Spanish language skills required?
For the fellow based in Bogotá, Spanish skills are welcome and recommended, as the fellow at Uniandes will have a limited duty to co-teach courses with the Principal Investigators. The working language of the Connected Teams program is English.
How will applications be evaluated?
The group of Project Leaders and Principal Investigators will assess applications on the basis of:
- The promise, significance, and scholarly rigor of the proposed research project
- The art-historical, environmental, and cultural-heritage dimensions of the project
- The quality, significance, and breadth of the applicant’s prior academic work
What information must be submitted in the application portal?
Applicants will be asked to provide the following information and documents via the application portal:
- Full name
- Title of PhD dissertation
- Institution awarding the PhD
- Date of PhD defense
- Email address
- Current institutional affiliation (if applicable)
- Title of the proposed research project
- Names, institutional affiliations, and email addresses of the two referees submitting letters of recommendation
- Name, institutional affiliation, and email address of an additional third referee
- Preferred host institution (Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá or CSSSC, Kolkata)
Documents in PDF format:
- Project description (max. 1,500 words, in English)
- Motivation letter / personal statement (max. 1,000 words, in English), describing the applicant’s career trajectory to date and how the fellowship will support the proposed project and long-term goals
- Curriculum vitae (in English)
- Sample of scholarly work (article, conference paper, or book chapter; approx. 20 pages)
- Two letters of recommendation, submitted either by the applicant via the portal or directly by the referees via email (see above)
What if my PhD was awarded earlier than the stated eligibility period?
The call for applications is open to emerging scholars who have received their PhD on 1 January 2020 or later. In cases of parental leave, the PhD eligibility period may be extended by one additional year per child. PhD candidates who will have defended their dissertation by June 2026 are also eligible. Applicants whose PhD date falls significantly outside the stated eligibility period due to career interruptions or non-linear academic trajectories may submit a brief explanatory addendum attached to their motivation letter / personal statement.
The Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, founded in 1897, has been one of currently 86 institutes of the Max Planck Society, Germany's most successful research organisation for basic research, since 2002. Research focuses on the history of art and architecture from a transcultural perspective.
The project The Art of AI. Rethinking Notions of Creativity, Aesthetics and Ethics, led by Dr. Hana Gründler and Rafael Brundo Uriarte at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut, seeks to appoint a:
Predoctoral position (m/f/d)
The transdisciplinary project explores how artificial intelligence reshapes creativity, aesthetics and cultural practices, and sheds light on the ethical and political implications of these transformations. It combines art history, philosophy, media theory and computer science and engages with questions that range from historical narratives of AI, automata and robots to contemporary challenges such as deepfakes, AI assisted artistic production and shifting definitions of intelligence and creativity.
The deadline for application is February 15th 2026, 12 pm CEST. Interviews will be held virtually at the beginning of march 2026. Candidates should propose a funding period of desired length (max. 36 months) with the earliest possible starting date in Mai 2026. Motivations for the proposed length of period and starting date should be made clear in the cover letter.
Profile
We are looking for an outstanding and genuinely transdisciplinary candidate engaging with one or more of the following fields:
- Art history or visual culture
- Philosophy, especially aesthetics, ethics or philosophy of mind
- Computer science, artificial intelligence, or digital humanities
- Media studies, literature, cultural studies
Applicants who combine knowledge from several of these fields are especially encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate is curious, research driven and willing to work across disciplinary boundaries. A strong interest in the epistemic, aesthetic, ethical and cultural dimensions of AI is required.
Responsibilities
The doctoral candidate will conduct their own research within the framework of the project. Excellence in research, commitment to pursue new insights through original scholarship, and willingness to become a constructive and committed part of a group of international scholars are essential. They will participate in a wide range of project activities, including:
- develop an original doctoral dissertation directly related to the themes of the project
- regular contributions to the reading group and ongoing project discussions
- co-organization of and participation in three international workshops
- AI based studies of narratives related to artificial intelligence
- collaboration with the PIs on the planned art exhibition
Project Environment
The fellow will work at the interface of art history, philosophy and computer science within a highly transdisciplinary environment. The fellow will have access to an intellectually vibrant academic community at the KHI and will benefit from the institute’s broad scholarly networks. The project offers close supervision by both principal investigators and continuous exchange with researchers from different disciplines visiting and collaborating with the project in the three years period.
Requirements
This position is intended for a doctoral student enrolled at any university worldwide who is possibly in the advanced stage of their dissertation.
- Master’s degree in a relevant field
- Strong interest in the intersection of AI, creativity, aesthetics and ethics
- Capacity to work in a transdisciplinary manner
- Excellent analytical and writing skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Excellent English skills; German and Italian are welcome.
What We Offer
- A predoctoral position within a leading international research institute
- Intensive transdisciplinary supervision
- Participation in internal reading groups, workshops and international events
- Integration into a vibrant research community in Florence
Application Documents
- Cover letter outlining your research interests and your motivation
- CV
- A research proposal (max 5 pages plus essential bibliography) that outlines your PhD project, and explains how it relates to the overarching research questions of The Art of AI
- One letter of recommendation
The position may not be held concurrently with another major fellowship award; applicants must disclose any supplementary funding and may not take on other obligations during their fellowship period.
The Max Planck Society offers a fixed-term contract of employment. Salary and benefits are determined according to the German Civil Service Collective Agreement (65% TVöD Bund E 13) or equivalent, depending on individual personal circumstances. Selected candidates enjoy all the privileges of the Institute, including library access, access to the Photothek, and their own carrel or desk.
We encourage individuals with non-conventional academic CVs and from communities that are underrepresented in academia to apply. The Max Planck Society is committed to fostering equal opportunities and diversity and welcomes applicants from all parts of society, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disabilities, or sexual orientation.