Elvira Dyangani Ose Appointed Artistic Director of Zeitz MOCAA

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) has announced the appointment of internationally respected curator and museum leader Elvira Dyangani Ose as its new Artistic Director. She will take up the position on 1 October 2026.

Dyangani Ose will oversee the museum’s curatorial vision and direction as it approaches its tenth anniversary and enters its second decade. Her appointment follows an extensive local and international search.

Zeitz MOCAA Co-founder and Co-chair Jochen Zeitz described the appointment as a defining moment for the institution. He said Dyangani Ose would expand its artistic ambitions across exhibitions, research, collections, public engagement and its work with artists and audiences.

Dyangani Ose’s career spans institutions across Europe, Africa and the United States. She previously served as Director of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) and The Showroom in London, and held curatorial roles at Tate Modern and Creative Time in New York. She is currently Artistic Director of the second Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, taking place across 2026 and 2027.

Combining a pan-African outlook with extensive international experience, Dyangani Ose is recognised for her artistic vision, collaborative leadership, institution-building and longstanding commitment to artists from Africa and its diaspora.

Her appointment marks a new chapter for Zeitz MOCAA as the museum continues to develop its exhibitions, collections, research and education programmes while supporting artists from Africa and its diaspora.

Credit: Elvira Dyangani Ose, Zeitz MOCAA Artistic Director. Photo by Ramiie G, courtesy of Zeitz MOCAA.