Appointments & departures

John Akomfrah and Jasleen Kaur among 200 signatories of letter denouncing Barbican’s decision to remove arts head

The letter's signatories have criticised the Barbican's communication around Devyani Saltzman's departure

French diplomat to replace Jack Lang as head of Paris’s Arab World Institute

Anne-Claire Legendre comes to the role after ex-culture minister Jack Lang resigned over links to Jeffrey Epstein

Barbican arts head Devyani Saltzman leaves role after 18 months

Saltzman’s departure caps a turbulent time for the London institution

Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá dismisses longtime artistic director

The Italian curator and critic Eugenio Viola, who has led the museum since 2019, says he was let go after raising concerns about working conditions at the institution

Diarynews

See you, Searle: Guardian chief art critic bows out after 30 years

Adrian Searle has described writing for the paper as “an exhilarating ride”

Queens Museum picks Debra Wimpfheimer as next executive director

Wimpfheimer has worked at the institution since 2002, most recently as deputy director to Sally Tallant, who is London-bound

London’s National Gallery appoints Patrick Elliott as curator of Modern paintings

Hire of former National Galleries of Scotland curator is part of museum's expansion of its collection into the 20th and 21st centuries

Louvre Abu Dhabi director Manuel Rabaté leaves to head India’s largest private art museum

French civil servant joins the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in New Delhi as it prepares to move to a vast new complex

Artistic director of Malba steps down after one year in role

Following Rodrigo Moura’s departure, the Buenos Aires museum will create a new chief executive position

Joe Hill appointed director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park

For eight years Hill has led the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, which jointly won Art Fund Museum of the Year and hosted the Turner Prize under his tenure

Kochi Biennale co-founder Bose Krishnamachari steps down as president

The artist and curator has resigned from his position at the Kochi Biennale Foundation citing “pressing family reasons”

Philip Tinari appointed as deputy director and head of art at Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun cultural complex

Tinari departs from UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing after more than 15 years

Tefaf director Dominique Savelkoul has left her post over 'differing views' with the organisation

The Belgian museum expert was appointed in September last year

Kabir Jhala. With additional reporting by Anna Brady

Maria Balshaw to step down as Tate director

Balshaw will see out her nine-year tenure by co-curating the largest-ever survey of the artist Tracey Emin in spring 2026

Philadelphia Art Museum accuses fired director of ‘theft’ in court filing

In a petition in response to Sasha Suda’s lawsuit claiming unfair treatment, abuse and more, the museum claims "misappropriated funds”

Philadelphia Art Museum taps former Metropolitan Museum leader after firing previous director

Daniel H. Weiss, who led the Met from 2015 to 2023, will succeed Sasha Suda, who is suing the Philadelphia Art Museum over the circumstances of her firing

Fired director sues Philadelphia Art Museum

Sasha Suda claims in a lawsuit that she was terminated after she “clashed with a small, corrupt and unethical faction” of the museum’s board of trustees

Philadelphia Art Museum’s director ousted following divisive rebrand

Sasha Suda had been in the role for three years, but board members complained of a lack of transparency around the institution's recent rebranding

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver names new director

Anthony Kiendl, who most recently helmed the Vancouver Art Gallery, will start in Denver on 1 December

Art Basel hires Christie's veteran for new collector and institutional relations role

Carly Murphy, who has been at Christie's since 2022 and previously worked at Sotheby's for more than a decade, will move to the fairs sector later this month

New Museum’s longtime director to retire after building expansion opens

Lisa Phillips, who has led the museum through two major construction projects, will step down in April

London’s Hayward Gallery director Ralph Rugoff to step down after 20 years in role

Rugoff curated 23 major shows during his tenure, as well as serving as artistic director of the Venice Biennale

Clément Delépine leaving Art Basel Paris to lead Lafayette Anticipations

After overseeing four editions of Art Basel’s French fair, Delépine will take the helm at the Fondation Galeries Lafayette’s art and culture space

Documenta unveils first all-woman curatorial team for 2027

Artistic director Naomi Beckwith will work with the four women on exhibition content, publications and programming

British Art Show names Ekow Eshun as curator for upcoming 10th edition

Staring in September 2026, the contemporary art exhibition will tour five UK cities including Swansea and Sheffield

Introducing Julia Day, the Frick’s new chief conservator

The Frick veteran is particularly excited about all the new conservation spaces, created as part of the museum’s recent Selldorf-designed expansion