Okwui Enwezor to Step Down from Haus der Kunst for Health Reasons

Okwui Enwezor.

COURTESY HAUS DER KUNST

Okwui Enwezor is stepping down from his post as the artistic director of Haus der Kunst in Munich, Germany, for what a brief news announcement cited as “health reasons.” In a statement, Enwezor said, “There is never an ideal time to leave, but I am stepping down when the Haus der Kunst is in an artistic position of strength. It has been a great privilege to lead this exceptional institution and work with such a dedicated and talented team.”

Known for his work as a curator, critic, and historian—especially as the co-author, with Chika Okeke-Agulu, of the widely cited 2009 publication Contemporary African Art Since 1980—Enwezor has served as artistic director of Haus der Kunst since 2011. Other notable projects of his include the 2016 Haus der Kunst exhibition “Postwar: Art Between the Pacific and the Atlantic, 1945–65,” which he organized with Katy Siegel and Ulrich Wilmes, and the 2015 Venice Biennale, which he curated in support of the theme “All the World’s Futures.”

In the statement announcing his departure, the timing of which was not made clear, Marion Kiechle, as chairwoman of the museum’s supervisory board, said, “Thanks to Okwui Enwezor’s outstanding exhibition program, Haus der Kunst’s international reputation has been considerably strengthened. As a result of his curatorial expertise, the institution has received worldwide recognition.”

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