The Artistic Director of M.1 is appointed by the team and board of the Arthur Boskamp Foundation every two years. Comparable to a curatorial grant, the position is awarded following an open call. The curators each work for one and a half years (previously one year) and are responsible for the center’s artistic program during that time. They receive a basic budget for the development and implementation of that program, and they are given access to the spaces at M.1, in addition to the foundation’s infrastructure.

The Artistic Directors may use an apartment and office at M.1 free of charge; however, presence is not mandatory. The only mandated task is the awarding of the Arthur Boskamp Foundation’s Artist Grant, including the supervision and organization of the two recipients’ exhibition and publication. Artistic Directors may reflect on, comment on or expand their curatorial work in an issue of the foundation’s self-published series “kuratieren” (curating).

Former curators can continue projects that were conceived during their curatorial period. Annette Hans (Artistic Director 2013/14) and Micha Bonk (Artistic Director 2012) initiated the international village magazine 255ϛ1. The music festival holo sounds was created during the curating cycle of Sebastian Stein (Artistic Director 2015/16). The Queer Bar, which takes place during the summer months, was part of the curatorial programme by Agnieszka Roguski (Artistic Direction 2021/22 and 2023).