New York nonprofit the Swiss Institute / Contemporary Art (SI) has appointed Simon Castets as its new director and curator. He succeeds Gianni Jetzer, director of SI for seven years, and will take up his new post in November.
The French-born Castets, 29, has spent the last seven years working as an independent curator in New York, most recently co-curating the group exhibition “Champs Elysées” with Julie Boukobza and Nicola Trezzi at Paris’s Palais de Tokyo. He has also curated shows at venues including London’s Serpentine Galleries (an upcoming show, opening Oct. 18), Karma International in Zurich, and Yvon Lambert Gallery, Paris. He received his MA in curatorial studies from Columbia University, and another MA in cultural management from Sciences Po, in Paris. He’s written for magazines including Mousse and Flash Art.
SI chairwoman Fabienne Abrecht said in a press release that “Simon’s international background makes him a natural choice for us, being a New York institution with Swiss roots.”
Outgoing director Jetzer’s plans include curating next year’s Art Basel Unlimited and, also in 2014, co-curating a show with Chris Sharp in Bel/Bienne, Switzerland, titled “Performing the City.”
