MOCA Toronto Announces Rui Mateus Amaral as Artistic Director
The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) is thrilled to announce Rui Mateus Amaral as its new Artistic Director. With his extensive experience and creative vision, Amaral is set to lead a dynamic range of interdisciplinary exhibitions and programs that reflect the museum’s commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and artistic excellence.
Background and Vision
Rui Mateus Amaral previously served as Senior Adjunct Curator at MOCA, joining in 2019 during the museum’s transition to the Tower Automotive Building. His unique background and significant contributions to the contemporary art scene in Toronto and beyond make him an exceptional choice for this role.
Key Exhibitions Curated by Amaral
Amaral has curated several notable exhibitions at MOCA, including:
- Carlos Bunga: A Sudden Beginning (2020): Bunga’s first exhibition in Canada, featuring two major site-responsive works.
- Greater Toronto Art 2021 (2021): The inaugural triennial exhibition co-curated to support artists from the Greater Toronto Area and develop an institutional practice of describing the city through the artist’s perspective.
- Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Summer/Winter (2022): The artist’s first exhibition in Canada, presented in two parts, and accompanied by a city-wide billboard project in partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario.
- Athena Papadopoulos: The New Alphabet (2023): Papadopoulos’ first institutional solo exhibition in Canada, comprising two new bodies of work set within a memorable exhibition design.
- Liz Magor: The Separation (2023): Featuring one of Canada’s most influential artists, grounded by one of her largest site-specific commissions to date.
Collaboration and Leadership
Amaral will collaborate with Executive Director and CEO Kathleen Bartels to lead MOCA’s programming. He will oversee the curatorial, public programs, and production teams. His role includes building connections with artists, curators, donors, collectors, and cultural institutions to strengthen MOCA’s cultural leadership in Canada and expand its global reach.
“Rui has an exemplary track record of producing engaging exhibitions, introducing audiences to a diversity of local and international artistic expressions,” says Kathleen Bartels, Executive Director and CEO, Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA). “I’m thrilled that our team will have the opportunity to continue benefiting from his experience, creative vision and leadership, as we further elevate and amplify MOCA Toronto’s reputation on the world stage.”
Prior to his evolving role at MOCA, Mateus Amaral was the curator and director of Scrap Metal, an eccentric, privately owned, not-for-profit art space in the Lower Junction neighbourhood. Over the course of a decade, Mateus Amaral curated notable exhibitions by artists Eduardo Basualdo, Eric N. Mack, Hudinilson Jr., Paul P., Ryan Gander, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Iris Häussler, and Eva Kot’átková, among others (many for whom it was their first solo presentation in Canada). In the spirit of collaboration and with his leadership, Scrap Metal co-presented major projects with local organizations such as Fogo Island Arts, Toronto International Film Festival, Contact Photography Festival, Images Festival, and the Art Gallery of York University.
Mateus Amaral has also consulted on projects for a number of organizations and institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum, the Canadian Art Foundation, Art Toronto, and various luxury brands. His writing has appeared in Artforum International and Momus, as well as artist publications. In 2022, Mateus Amaral and artist Paul P. collaborated on Garden Court, Scott Burton, a publication reintroducing an important, yet overlooked public artwork to the city of Toronto.
About MOCA Toronto
The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) presents rotating exhibitions that prioritize twenty-first-century artistic production, primarily through commissioning of new work. Artists, partnerships, experimentation, and reciprocal initiatives are at the centre of MOCA’s mission as a locally rooted and internationally connected organization. Focused on core values promoting equity, inclusion, access, courage, and responsibility, MOCA fosters active participation and engagement to serve as a welcoming cultural hub in the hyper-diverse city of Toronto.
