Kunsthaus Zürich Appoints Hendrik Folkerts as Chief Curator, Maja Wismer as Head of Collection
On August 29, 2025, Kunsthaus Zürich announced the appointments of Hendrik Folkerts as Chief Curator of Programme and Maja Wismer as Head of Collection and Research. Folkerts, who previously held senior curatorial roles at Moderna Museet Stockholm, the Art Institute of Chicago, documenta 14, and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, will assume his post on February 1, 2026. Wismer most recently led the Department of Art after 1960 and Contemporary Art at Kunstmuseum Basel from October 2020 to May 2025. The new leadership, alongside Director Ann Demeester, aims to advance the museum's curatorial vision with a transhistorical approach spanning the 13th century to contemporary art.
The Signal
The appointments signal a strategic shift at one of Switzerland's leading museums, reinforcing a commitment to critically engaged, research-driven programming that bridges classical and contemporary art. Folkerts’ track record in feminist and queer perspectives and large-scale exhibitions like the Mike Kelley retrospective and documenta 14 brings a global, performance-oriented sensibility to the role. Wismer’s experience at Kunstmuseum Basel, including the Pan-African figuration exhibition, underscores a focus on collection-based research and contemporary dialogues. The duo’s shared emphasis on transhistorical practice positions Kunsthaus Zürich to test art-historical questions against current social and political contexts, making the museum a live platform for evolving narratives.
- People: Hendrik Folkerts, Maja Wismer, Ann Demeester
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich
- Locations: Zürich
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