Kunsthaus Zürich Appoints Hendrik Folkerts and Maja Wismer to Top Curatorial Roles
The Facts
On August 29, 2025, Kunsthaus Zürich announced the appointment of Hendrik Folkerts as Chief Curator of Programme and Maja Wismer as Head of Collection and Research. Folkerts, who previously held senior curatorial positions at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, the Art Institute of Chicago, documenta 14, and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, will assume his role on February 1, 2026. Wismer, formerly head of the Department of Art after 1960 and Contemporary Art at Kunstmuseum Basel, joins the museum's leadership team alongside Director Ann Demeester. The appointments are part of a restructuring aimed at advancing the museum's curatorial vision and future initiatives, with a focus on its collection spanning art from the 13th century to the present day.
The Signal
The appointments signal a strategic shift at Kunsthaus Zürich toward a transhistorical, research-driven curatorial model that bridges classical and contemporary art. Both Folkerts and Wismer share a commitment to art of all periods and places, emphasizing performance, feminist and queer perspectives, and global dialogues. For collectors and curators, this move reinforces the museum's ambition to remain a critical player in the international art world, leveraging its extensive collection to test contemporary questions. The new leadership configuration also underscores a trend among major European museums to integrate contemporary curatorial practices with historical collections, potentially influencing exhibition programming and acquisition strategies in the coming years.
- People: Hendrik Folkerts, Maja Wismer, Ann Demeester
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich, Moderna Museet, Art Institute of Chicago, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Kunstmuseum Basel
- Locations: Zürich
The Morning Signal · Daily
Get stories like this in your inbox
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
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.
