IMMA/ACW fellow Martin Waldmeier


We are delighted to welcome our new IMMA/ACW fellow Martin Waldmeier.

MA Programs, Art in the Contemporary World at National College of Art and Design, Dublin, working in collaboration with the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin will be hosting Martin as a Visiting Teaching and Research Resident Fellow this October.


Following an open call Martin was invited to develop and present his research on the theme: “Medium/ Platform/ System” This will involve a graduate seminar studio visits and public lectures.

Martin Waldmeier is a curator and researcher working on the intersections between art, language and globalisation. Martin recently completed his Ph.D. in Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths (University of London), titled “The Artist as Translator”. His recent travelling exhibition, “The Translator’s Voice”, explored language identity in the global present and was awarded the FRAC Lorraine/MARCO Vigo/SFKM Førde Award for Young Curators.



As part of his residency at IMMA, Martin will teach an elective module in the “Art in the Contemporary World” programme at the National Academy of Art and Design. Taking the idea of “Lingua Franca” – also known as bridge language, common language or vehicular language – as a starting point, his module will explore how contemporary art connects with global publics, and what role language plays in this process. Is it important for artists to write and speak about their work? Who are they addressing? Is art a form of language, and if so, how universal can it be? How could we speak and write differently?



Previously, Martin studied Modern and Contemporary Art History and Curatorial Studies at the University of Bern (Switzerland), and Visual and Critical Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as Fulbright Scholar. Between 2009 and 2011 he worked as the Assistant Curator at PROGR Centre for Cultural Production, Bern, and as the Curator and Director of Stadtgalerie, Bern.

The residency program was initiated to develop connections between students on the Masters programs, Art in the Contemporary World and an international network of practitioners, writers and thinkers. Past residents have been the writer and broadcaster Morgan Quaintance and the academic and critic Noit Banai.

Art in the Contemporary World is a taught postgraduate programme that examines contemporary art practices and their critical, theoretical, historical and social contexts. Since being set up 10 years ago it has developed into one of Ireland’s leading forums for contemporary art discourse.

For more details contact the course directors: Francis Halsall [mail: halsallf@staff.ncad.ie] & Declan Long [mail: longd@staff.ncad.ie]

Or visit the course website: acw.ie/the-course