Ann Demeester (born 1975 in Bruges, Belgium) is a Belgian

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...

, and museum director. She has held leadership positions in various European art institutions and is known for her contributions to contemporary art and museum practices. She is currently serving as the director of the

Kunsthaus Zürich The Kunsthaus Zürich is an art museum in Zurich. It is the biggest art museum in Switzerland by area and houses one of the most important art collections in Switzerland, assembled over time by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, a nonprofit art soc ...

Early life and education

Demeester studied Germanic philology at

Ghent University Ghent University (, abbreviated as UGent) is a Public university, public research university located in Ghent, in the East Flanders province of Belgium. Located in Flanders, Ghent University is the second largest Belgian university, consisting o ...

and obtained a Master of Cultural Studies at the

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1425, it is the oldest university in Belgium and the oldest university in the Low Countries. In addition to its main camp ...

. Early in her career, she worked as an arts and culture editor for Belgian newspapers ''

De Morgen ''De Morgen'' (; ''The Morning'') is a Flemish newspaper with a circulation of 53,860. The paper is published in Antwerp, Belgium. History and profile ''De Morgen'' originates from a merger in 1978 of two socialist newspapers ' (meaning "Onwar ...

'' and ''De Financieel-Economische Tijd''. She also served as an assistant to the esteemed curator

Jan Hoet Knight Jan Hoet (; 23 June 1936 – 27 February 2014) was the Belgian founder of SMAK (''Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst'' or Municipal Museum for Contemporary Art) in Ghent, Belgium. Biography Jan Hoet was born in Leuven, Belgium. Throu ...

, contributing to exhibitions in Belgium and Germany.

Career

W139 and De Appel Arts Centre

From 2003 to 2006, Demeester was the director of

W139 W139 is an artist-run space established in 1979 on the Warmoesstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Netherlands. The former theatre was Squatting, squatted in October 1979 by five young artists as "a movement against the closed world of commercial a ...

, an exhibition and production space for contemporary art in Amsterdam. In May 2006, she became the director of

De Appel De Appel is a contemporary arts centre, located in Amsterdam. Since it was founded in 1975 by , the goal of De Appel is to function as a stage for research and presentation of visual arts. Exhibitions, publications and discursive events are the ...

Arts Centre in Amsterdam, where she led the institution and its curatorial program until January 2014.

Frans Hals Museum

On February 1, 2014, Demeester was appointed director of the

Frans Hals Museum The Frans Hals Museum (formerly ''Stedelijk Museum van Haarlem'') is a museum in the North Holland city of Haarlem, the Netherlands, founded in 1862, known as the Art Museum of Haarlem. Its collection is based on the city's own rich collection, b ...

in Haarlem, Netherlands. During her tenure, she emphasized the dialogue between contemporary art and Old Masters, enhancing the museum's profile both nationally and internationally.

Kunsthaus Zürich

In July 2021, Demeester announced her departure from the Frans Hals Museum to assume the role of director at Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland's largest art museum. She officially began her tenure on October 1, 2022, succeeding Christoph Becker. Her appointment was met with anticipation for revitalizing the institution's reputation.

Academic and editorial roles

Demeester has been a member of the editorial board of the quarterly Ghent magazine ''Yang'' from 2001 to 2007. She also worked as a journalist for Belgian daily newspapers ''De Morgen'' and ''De Financieel-Economische Tijd''. Since 2020, she has served as a professor of Art and Culture at the Anton van Duinkerken Chair at

Radboud University Radboud University (abbreviated as RU, , formerly ) is a public research university located in Nijmegen, Netherlands. RU has seven faculties and more than 24,000 students. Established in 1923, Radboud University has consistently been included in ...

Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...

Publications

* ''Frans Hals Museum – Director’s Choice''. Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers, London 2018. ISBN 978-1-7855-1161-5. * With Jan Hoet, et al.: ''Kati Heck''. Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern 2016. ISBN 978-3-7757-4131-6. * With Valérie Mannaerts and Anselm Franke: ''Valérie Mannaerts: An Exhibition--another Exhibition''. Sternberg Press, Berlin 2011. ISBN 978-1-9341-0536-8. * With Natasha Conland: ''Mystic Truths''. Auckland Art Gallery, 2007. ISBN 978-0-86463-273-9.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demeester, Ann 1975 births People from Bruges Belgian art historians 21st-century Belgian writers 21st-century Belgian women writers Frans Hals Museum Ghent University alumni KU Leuven alumni Living people