The European Fine Art Foundation’s (Tefaf) revolving door of managing directors has turned once more.
Dominique Savelkoul, the fifth person to have held this position in four years, has left her post at the helm of the organisation.
“Tefaf and its managing director, Dominique Savelkoul, have parted ways because of differing views on the organisation's future strategic direction,” a Tefaf spokesperson told The Art Newspaper.
Savelkoul joined Tefaf, which holds two leading fairs for art and antiques in Maastricht and New York, in September 2024. A museum veteran, she previously led Mu.ZEE in Belgium, and held management roles at London’s National Gallery and Philharmonic Orchestra.
She told The Art Newspaper last year that she was focused on improving sustainability and appealing to a younger generation of collectors. Savelkoul, who is Belgian, was the first non-Dutch director of the fair in its 37-year history.
Her immediate predecessor, Bart Drenth, stepped down in June 2023 after just six months into the role. His departure came after controversial X posts, reportedly aimed at “leftists” and “Muslims”, resurfaced in the media.
The next editions of Tefaf are scheduled to run 14-19 March 2026 in Maastricht and 15-19 May 2026 in New York. Highlights from the forthcoming Maastricht edition include a picture of St Jerome by Orazio Gentileschi, brought by Trinity Fine Art, and a Tahitian Head Study by Gaugin, presented by Colnaghi Elliott.
The organisation has not yet announced who will replace Savelkoul, either on an interim or permanent basis.
