Stephanie Rosenthal appointed artistic director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam

Stephanie Rosenthal, the current project director of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, has been appointed artistic director of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam — one of the largest museums in the Netherlands. The news was announced on 30 September 2026 by the museum’s Supervisory Board, chaired by Jurgen Stegmann, as ArtReview reports. Rosenthal will take up her new post in spring 2027.

Rosenthal will remain at the helm of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi until the museum opens to the public, scheduled for 11 December 2026. Her international career includes the Haus der Kunst in Munich, as well as the role of chief curator of the Hayward Gallery in London from 2007 to 2017, where she curated exhibitions such as “MOVE: Choreographing You” (2010) and “Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball Massage” (2012).

In 2016 she was artistic director of the Biennale of Sydney, while from 2018 to 2022 she directed the Gropius Bau in Berlin — the first woman to hold that role — where she brought solo exhibitions by artists Yayoi Kusama, Lee Bul and Wu Tsang. Since 2022 she has led the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project.

Rosenthal replaces Ina Klaassen, the museum’s general director since 2022, who recently stepped down for health reasons. Until Rosenthal’s arrival, the museum will be led on an interim basis by Sandra Kisters, director of collections and research.

In her statement, Rosenthal says she is inspired by institutions that use a period of transition to innovate, mentioning the Depot — the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility — as well as the renovation of the museum’s modernist building ahead of its planned reopening in 2030. According to the museum, board chairman Jurgen Stegmann said the board is confident that Rosenthal’s international experience, especially on the eve of the opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, will play a key role in the future vision of the museum and the Depot.