Overview
- Zeitz MOCAA announced on Wednesday, August 12 that Elvira Dyangani Ose will take up the role of artistic director on October 1, following an international search.
- Dyangani Ose succeeds the late Koyo Kouoh and the museum says her appointment is meant to build on Kouoh’s vision of a museum rooted in Africa with global reach.
- She is currently artistic director of the 2nd Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial and stepped down from MACBA in 2026 after the Barcelona board found that her Abu Dhabi role conflicted with that directorship.
- Dyangani Ose brings wide curatorial experience from institutions including The Showroom (London), Creative Time (New York), and Tate, and she has curated major solo shows for artists such as Bouchra Khalili, Betye Saar, Ibrahim El‑Salahi, and Carrie Mae Weems.
- Her appointment signals likely priorities for Zeitz MOCAA as it approaches its second decade: deeper engagement with artists across Africa and the diaspora, expanded international partnerships from biennials and museums, and renewed focus on local community programming and artist collaboration.