Patrick Van Rossem is Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art History department of Utrecht University (The Netherlands). He was a researcher, teaching assistant and finally assistant professor at the art history dept. of Ghent University (Belgium) from 1999 to 2008. He studied Art History and Communication Science at Ghent University in Belgium and Curating at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He obtained his Ph.D. in Art History in 2006 from Ghent University with a dissertation entitled Creation and Desire in the Encounter with the Audience: A Study on Bruce Naumans, Martin Kippenbergers and Anne-Mie Van Kerckhovens self-presentation (Ghent University). Since 2008 Patrick Van Rossem has been working at Utrecht University as an Associate Professor in Art History and as respectively coordinator of the Masters and Bachelors program in Art History. 

In 1999 he co-founded the Antwerp art organisation Objectif_Exhibitions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectif_Exhibitions) where he organised exhibtions with amongst other Vanessa van Obberghen, Nathalie Melikian, Jozef Legrand. 

His research focusses on art post 1960s art and more specifically on artists who have a particular focus on and interest in the presence of the audience. He published on the (self) representation of audiences, the performative turn, representation, and artist - audience relations. 

His teaching focusses on post 1960s art, audiences for art, curating, art mediation and education.