Elena Filipovic to Become New Director of Kunstmuseum Basel

In 1661, when the city of Basel acquired the Amerbach Cabinet, it entered both history and art history as the first city to obtain an art collection. Since then, the world’s oldest public art collection has grown and now forms the nucleus of Kunstmuseum Basel. The renowned institution has been maintaining the legacy of accessibility and actively expanding the collections, now spanning three spaces – The Hauptbau, the Gegenwart, and the Neubau. Encompassing an astounding collection from the Middle Ages to the present, Kunstmuseum Basel has a responsibility to uphold and ensure the global resonance of the institution.

The internationally acclaimed curator and director of Kunsthalle Basel, Elena Filipovic, has been appointed the director of Kunstmuseum Basel, ushering in a new era with a fresh vision to honor the collection with novel approaches.

From Kunsthalle to Kunstmuseum

Elena Filipovic's biography and vision stood out among 35 applicants vying for the director position. Unanimous recommendations of the selection committee and the museum's art committee were finalized by Beat Jans, president of the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt. Felix Uhlmann, professor of constitutional and administrative law at the University of Zurich, who jointly led the selection committee with Katrin Grögel, head of the cantonal cultural department, elaborated on the decision, "Elena Filipovic convinced the committee with her vision regarding the future of our museum as well as her professional track record, her leadership skills and her infectious enthusiasm for the entire range of art history, which enables her to make the arts attractive to people from all walks of life."

US-born Elena Filipovic holds a doctorate from Princeton University and has taught at esteemed universities. Filipovic has also contributed as an author and journal editor. Filipovic was in charge of the Satellite program of the Jeu de Paume art center in Paris from 2009 until 2011. In 2022, she curated the Croatian pavilion at the 59th Venice Art Biennale. Filipovic will be transferring from the position of director of Kunsthalle Basel, ending the term with over sixty realized internationally lauded exhibitions since 2014. Elena Filipovic, the first-ever woman as the director of Kunsthalle Basel, commented on her mission, "I very much look forward to this new task of shaping the museum's future so that its rich history and unrivaled collection remain alive in the public awareness with new content and narratives."

As someone who believes fundamentally in the vital civic role of museums, it is exhilarating to reflect on the Kunstmuseum Basel and its possibilities, and importantly on how it can respond to a world that is becoming ever more complex.

Elena Filipovic helms Kunstmuseum Basel

Elena Filipovic's tenure at Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel will begin on June 1st, 2024, following the interim period after the current director Josef Helfenstein's retirement. One of the challenging tasks Filipovic will tackle includes the upcoming renovation of the Hauptbau, the museum's main building, listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Further, Filipovic will be entrusted with maintaining the exceptional exhibition program, developing the collection policy, and preserving local, national, and international relationships. Following Filipovic's successful engagement with Kunsthalle Basel, the appointment at Kunstmuseum Basel signals a continuation of her contributions to the city.

Featured image: Elena Filipovic, Director of Kunstmuseum Basel. Courtesy of Kunstmuseum Basel.