The Facts
Ann Demeester, currently Director of the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, Netherlands, has been appointed the new Director of the Kunsthaus Zürich, the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft announced on July 15, 2021. She will succeed Christoph Becker on January 1, 2023. Demeester was selected from over 40 candidates by a search committee comprising board members and international experts. She has led the Frans Hals Museum since 2014 and previously served as head of the de Appel arts centre in Amsterdam for eight years. The Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland's largest art museum, is set to open a new extension designed by David Chipperfield Architects on October 9, 2021, and expects an average of 380,000 visitors annually thereafter.
The Signal
Demeester's appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the Kunsthaus, as it prepares to nearly double its exhibition space with the Chipperfield extension. Her track record of integrating historical collections with contemporary art, as demonstrated at the Frans Hals Museum, signals a strategic push to broaden the museum's appeal and relevance. For collectors and curators, this choice underscores a growing institutional trend toward directors who can bridge Old Masters and modern practice, potentially influencing acquisition and exhibition strategies at one of Europe's major encyclopedic museums.
The Morning Signal · Daily
Enjoying this? Get the daily wire.
The art world in one daily email — auctions, openings, and acquisitions from 90+ primary sources, distilled into a five-minute read. Independent — no marketplace, no gallery ads.
Join collectors, dealers & curators
No spam · free every morning · unsubscribe anytime
- Artists: Luc Tuymans, Richard Tuttle, Salla Tykka, Mika Rottenberg, Niki de Saint Phalle
- People: Ann Demeester, Christoph Becker, Anne Keller Dubach, Corine Mauch
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich, Frans Hals Museum, de Appel arts centre, Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent, MARTa Herford Museum
- Locations: Zurich, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Ghent, Herford
The Jobs Digest · Weekly
New art-world jobs, every Monday
The Jobs Digest rounds up the week’s new museum, gallery, and auction-house openings — with salary when disclosed. One email a week, unsubscribe anytime.
