On Wednesday, 12 August, Zeitz MOCAA announced Spanish curator Elvira Dyangani Ose as artistic director.
Elvira Dyangani Ose served as the director of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA). She was the director and chief curator of The Showroom in London, as well as a lecturer in Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London, and a member of the Thought Council, Fondazione Prada. She has previously been curator of the Göteborg International Biennial of Contemporary Art; curator of international art at Tate Modern, London; artistic director of Rencontres Picha – Lubumbashi Biennial, Democratic Republic of the Congo; curator of contemporary art at the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (CAAC), Seville; senior curator at Creative Time in New York; and curator of contemporary art at the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM) in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
Zeitz MOCAA Co-founder and Co-chair, David Green OBE, commented: ‘Following an extensive local and international search, the Board is delighted to welcome Elvira Dyangani Ose to Zeitz MOCAA. Dyangani Ose’s appointment reflects who we are as an institution—one rooted in Africa, while connected to the world. She will oversee the Museum’s curatorial vision and direction, leading the institution through its next chapter as it approaches its second decade—building on the late Koyo Kouoh’s legacy, and honouring her extraordinary artistic vision and the institutional foundations she built.’
Adding to this, Jochen Zeitz, Zeitz MOCAA Co-founder and Co-chair said: ‘Dyangani Ose joins Zeitz MOCAA at a defining moment in our journey. As we approach our 10th anniversary, her appointment builds on the foundations laid in our first decade. She brings deep experience in institutional leadership and will expand the museum’s artistic ambition—across exhibitions, research, collections, public engagement, and the way we work with artists and audiences.’
Commenting on her appointment, Elvira Dyangani Ose said: ‘It is a privilege to join Zeitz MOCAA. I am thrilled to come on board at this moment to continue its journey as a leading African institution with global reach. I look forward to working alongside the museum’s remarkable team, artists, supporters, and the local and global communities, building upon its extraordinary foundation by fostering meaningful collaborations and artistic exchanges across cultures and geographies.’
Elvira Dyangani Ose will begin her term on 1 October 2026.
