Artspace is pleased to announce Amelia Hitchcock as the recipient of the 2013/2014 Curatorial Assistant role.   Amelia begins her internship this week, she comes to the role with both an academic and artistic background. She was awarded this coveted learning position out of an impressive range of talented applicants.

Artspace Director Caterina Riva says "I was impressed by Amelia's ability to answer all the questions of the interview with intuition and sensibility. I am excited to offer the position to someone that expresses a clear awareness of the social role of art and I am curious to see how her curatorial research will unfold in the coming year."   

Amelia holds a Masters from Elam School of Fine Art (Graduated in 2012). Her art practice is research based and socially engaged; her research includes exploring the efficacy of utilising art as a catalyst of social change, as well as the interaction between art and science.  Since graduating she has been a research assistant working on the Pornography in the Public Eye project, being run through the Psychology department at the University of Auckland. Most recently she was a co-curator of The Porn Project: a ten-day fringe art festival on K'rd.  

About her new role Amelia says: "I feel really privileged to have this opportunity to further my curatorial practice, and am looking forward to contributing to the critical discourse and exciting programme that Artspace offers."    

Amelia is the ninth person to be awarded this unique and sought after role. Previous Artspace Curatorial Assistants have gone on to work as curators, critics and writers in highly regarded national institutions and international venues including Project Arts centre in Dublin, Portikus in Frankfurt, May Revue in Paris and Rupert in Vilnius.  

Established in 2004, the Curatorial Assistant Programme (formerly called the Curatorial Internship) offers rising curators in New Zealand the unique opportunity to gain experience in, and contribute to Artspace’s curatorial programme. Amelia will work with Caterina Riva alongside leading local and international artists and curators. Her one-year of training will culminate in an exhibition she curates at Artspace.  

Artspace gratefully acknowledges Dame Jenny Gibbs for her support of the Curatorial Assistant programme.