Klesch Collection Funds AI-Focused Art History Fellowship at Birkbeck
Anita Klesch and A. Gary Klesch, the creators of The Klesch Collection, are sponsoring a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Birkbeck, University of London, dedicated to art history and technology with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI). This fellowship encourages research spanning from the Early Renaissance to the 20th century, integrating historical studies with AI and new technologies. Key topics include the role of AI in art history, its application in museums, 3D scanning, and extended reality. The chosen candidate will work under the guidance of Joel McKim, contributing to publications and event organization. Anita Klesch, an alumna of Birkbeck, expressed that the fellowship is designed to support emerging researchers. Established in 2014, The Klesch Collection features works by Arcimboldo, van Dyck, and Botticelli.
Key facts
- Anita Klesch and A. Gary Klesch fund a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Birkbeck, University of London, focused on art history and AI.
- The fellowship supports research at the intersection of art history, AI, and emerging technologies.
- Researchers from Early Renaissance to 20th century art history can apply.
- Possible research themes include AI and Machine Learning in Art History, Museums and AI, 3D Scanning and Digital Heritage, and Extended Reality as an Art Historical Tool.
- The fellow will be supervised by Joel McKim, director of the Vasari Research Centre for Art and Technology.
- Anita Klesch is a Birkbeck alumna with a PhD in history of art (2012).
- The Klesch Collection was founded in 2014 with the acquisition of Arcimboldo's Four Seasons.
- The collection includes works by van Dyck, Anguissola, and Rubens.
- In 2023, the collection acquired a Gerrit Dou work at Christie's London for $7 million.
- A Botticelli work acquired this year will be loaned to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for three years.
Entities
Artists
- Anita Klesch
- A. Gary Klesch
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo
- Anthony van Dyck
- Sofonisba Anguissola
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Gerrit Dou
- Sandro Botticelli
- Joel McKim
Institutions
- Birkbeck, University of London
- The Klesch Collection
- Vasari Research Centre for Art and Technology
- Christie's London
- Ashmolean Museum
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Oxford