Elvira Dyangani Ose is the new artistic director at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town. She steps into this role in October, following the vacancy left by the late Koyo Kouoh. Dyangani Ose brings significant experience to the institution, having previously led the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona and held curatorial positions at Tate Modern and Creative Time in New York.
This appointment marks a change in the museum's leadership structure. The organization has separated the executive responsibilities to clarify its operational focus. Dyangani Ose will manage creative and cultural strategy as the artistic director, while Fawaz Mustapha takes on the role of managing director to oversee finances, corporate governance, and operations.
Prior to joining the Cape Town institution, Dyangani Ose served as the director at the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona. Her departure from that post followed a ruling by the museum's governing body regarding her concurrent commitment to the Abu Dhabi Public Art Biennial. She has also maintained a strong background in academic research as a doctoral candidate in History of Art and Visual Studies at Cornell University.
Zeitz MoCAA maintains its focus on collecting and researching contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. The museum is located in a repurposed grain silo complex designed by Thomas Heatherwick. It continues to operate as a central site for the study and acquisition of contemporary works from the continent and its global diaspora, building upon the initial collection established by Jochen Zeitz.