Michael Birchall
- Professor, exhibiting, curating and mediating in contemporary art, Taiteen välittäjäkoulutus ja teoriaopetus Kuvataideakatemia, Academy of Fine Arts
- +358504634952
- michael.birchall@uniarts.fi
Introduction
Dr Michael Birchall is a curator, writer, and Professor of Exhibiting, Curating and Mediating in Contemporary Art at the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki. His work focuses on contemporary art since 1980 — including time-based media, performance, and site-specific practice — exhibition histories, curatorial practice, artistic labour, and care. Grounded in collaboration and critical inquiry, his practice seeks to broaden the reach of contemporary art through new institutionalism and artist-led commissioning, fostering connections between international art histories and local communities. He has curated exhibitions with artists including Renée Green, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Pilvi Takala, Tarek Lakhrissi, Evan Ifekoya, and Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape, among others.
Birchall has held a range of academic and curatorial positions across Europe and North America, reflecting extensive experience in the museum sector. He was previously Co-Director of Exhibitions at Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich, and held a joint appointment as Senior Lecturer in Exhibition Studies and Curator of Public Practice, a collaboration between Liverpool John Moores University and Tate Liverpool, where he also chaired Tate's Research Centre for Curatorial Practice and Museology. He was previously Lecturer in Curating at Zurich University of the Arts. His career began with formative roles at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart and The Banff Centre, Canada.
His publications include Interdependencies: Perspectives on Care and Resilience (Mousse Publishing, 2023) and contributions to Institution as Praxis: New Curatorial Directions for Collaborative Research (Sternberg Press, 2020). Recent exhibitions include Interdependencies: Perspectives on Care and Resilience (2024), Haegue Yang – Leap Year (2025), and Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape – (ka) pheko ye – the dream to come (2024, co-commissioned with Kiasma). He is currently preparing a book on artistic labour and collaboration for Routledge.
Birchall studied Art History, History, Curating, and Philosophy, and completed the Stonewall LGBTQ+ Leadership Programme. Alongside his curatorial and academic work, he continues to serve as a board member, jury member, advisor and consultant, supporting institutional strategy, and works as a mentor to artists and curators.
Birchall has held a range of academic and curatorial positions across Europe and North America, reflecting extensive experience in the museum sector. He was previously Co-Director of Exhibitions at Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich, and held a joint appointment as Senior Lecturer in Exhibition Studies and Curator of Public Practice, a collaboration between Liverpool John Moores University and Tate Liverpool, where he also chaired Tate's Research Centre for Curatorial Practice and Museology. He was previously Lecturer in Curating at Zurich University of the Arts. His career began with formative roles at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart and The Banff Centre, Canada.
His publications include Interdependencies: Perspectives on Care and Resilience (Mousse Publishing, 2023) and contributions to Institution as Praxis: New Curatorial Directions for Collaborative Research (Sternberg Press, 2020). Recent exhibitions include Interdependencies: Perspectives on Care and Resilience (2024), Haegue Yang – Leap Year (2025), and Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape – (ka) pheko ye – the dream to come (2024, co-commissioned with Kiasma). He is currently preparing a book on artistic labour and collaboration for Routledge.
Birchall studied Art History, History, Curating, and Philosophy, and completed the Stonewall LGBTQ+ Leadership Programme. Alongside his curatorial and academic work, he continues to serve as a board member, jury member, advisor and consultant, supporting institutional strategy, and works as a mentor to artists and curators.