Press release: Stephanie Rosenthal appointed Artistic Director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam
Rotterdam, 30 September 2026 - The Supervisory Board of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has announced today that Stephanie Rosenthal will be appointed Artistic Director as of spring 2027. Rosenthal is currently Director of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project appointed to guide the museum to its public opening on 11 December 2026 and responsible for developing its artistic vision and inaugural programme.
Rosenthal’s approach to her work is rooted in care, collaboration and connection to people. At Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, alongside artists, curators, partners and audiences, she has deepened the museum’s transcultural curatorial approach and advanced a collection strategy centred on women artists, First Nation artists, and those from historically underrepresented regions.
During her career, Rosenthal has held leadership positions at leading cultural institutions in Abu Dhabi, Berlin, London, Munich and Sydney. From 2018 to 2022, she served as the first female Director of Gropius Bau in Berlin, where she developed an innovative exhibition programme with a strong focus on diversity. During her tenure, the institution presented major solo exhibitions by Yayoi Kusama, Lee Bul and Wu Tsang.
From 2007 to 2017, Stephanie Rosenthal was Chief Curator at the Hayward Gallery in London and, in 2016, Artistic Director of the Sydney Biennale. She was recently appointed to the Board of the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CiMAM), the only global network of directors and curators working in museums, collections and archives dedicated to modern and contemporary art. She is also a visiting professor at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Stephanie Rosenthal: "Institutions that embrace moments of transition to innovate and to rethink the museum’s role in the twenty-first century have always inspired me. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is such a museum - evident in the ambition of the Depot, the world's first publicly accessible art store, and in the renewal of its modernist building ahead of reopening in 2030. I look forward to opening new conversations between eras and artistic practices through the museum’s exceptional collection of art and design, and to further enriching its relationship with Rotterdam, a port city shaped by cultural exchange and diversity. I am excited to collaborate with the team and continue the wonderful work the museum is doing.”
Jurgen Stegmann, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen: "The Supervisory Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Stephanie Rosenthal as Artistic Director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. With her extensive experience in the international art world, and particularly her expertise in the lead-up to the opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, we are confident that Stephanie will play a key role in shaping the museums and the Depot’s future vision. We very much look forward to welcoming her and wish her every success."
Succession
Ina Klaassen has served as General Director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen since 2022 and has been responsible for the museum, overseeing both its artistic and business strategies. Due to illness, Klaassen recently stepped down from her duties at the museum. Sandra Kisters, Director of Collection and Research, has been appointed Acting Director and will continue in this role until Stephanie Rosenthal takes up her position as Artistic Director in spring 2027.
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is an art museum in Rotterdam’s Museumpark which houses a world-famous collection of old masters, modern and contemporary art, decorative arts and design. From Bosch, Rembrandt and Van Gogh to Dalí, Kusama, Basquiat and Dutch Design – the museum offers something for everyone. The museum closed for renovations and alterations in 2019 and is due to reopen in 2030. Its large collection, comprising over 157,000 items, remains as vibrant as ever, and is accessible to the public at the Depot of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, which offers two major exhibitions a year and an educational programme.
Anniversary
On 5 November 2026, the Depot will celebrate its fifth anniversary. The building was opened in 2021 by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Designed by the architecture firm MVRDV, it is the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility.
Marisol exhibition
In the 1960s, artist Marisol (1930–2016) achieved international fame with her colourful wooden sculptures. She was a friend of Andy Warhol and appeared on the covers of leading international magazines. Yet today her name is virtually unknown among the general public. That is all about to change, however. In an exhibition featuring more than eighty international loans, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s Depot will shine a spotlight on this icon of pop art, from her colourful wooden human figures to her strange underwater creatures and intimate drawings. Marisol will be on view from 9 October 2026 through 29 March 2027.
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project supports the partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to shape the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi - a visionary museum of contemporary art opening on 11 December 2026.
