Curator Nicolaus Schafhausen has been appointed the new artistic director of Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna, Austria. His five-year term begins Oct. 1.
Previously an artist and a dealer, Schafhausen has curated many high-profile exhibitions, including the German pavilion for the Venice Biennale in 2007 and 2009, the 2008 Brussels Biennale, and the 2010 Media City Seoul Festival. He has also served as director of Künstlerhaus Stuttgart and the Frankfurter Kunstverein. More recently, he oversaw the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam. He is currently the strategic director of Fogo Island Arts, a residency program in Newfoundland that uses art and science in hopes of culturally and economically reinvigorating the small island of Fogo.
In a press release, Schafhausen said, “I very much look forward to the challenge of providing the renowned Kunsthalle Wien with a new profile. With its vital art scene, its many art institutions, and its open and very active audience, Vienna is a productive platform for contemporary art, its problems, and ideas.”
