Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) has appointed internationally respected curator and museum leader Elvira Dyangani Ose as its new Artistic Director, with her appointment taking effect on 1 October 2026.
The appointment comes as the Cape Town museum looks towards its 10th anniversary, marking a significant moment for an institution dedicated to presenting contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora to audiences in Africa and around the world.
Dyangani Ose brings extensive international museum and curatorial experience to the role, having worked across leading cultural institutions in Europe, Africa and the United States. She served as Director of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) from 2021, following senior curatorial and leadership roles at institutions including The Showroom in London, Tate Modern and Creative Time in New York.
Her appointment comes with a strong focus on contemporary African art and the wider cultural narratives surrounding the continent and its diaspora. Her curatorial work has consistently engaged with African artistic production and sought to broaden the ways histories, identities and non-Western perspectives are represented within international art institutions.
For Zeitz MOCAA, that experience aligns closely with the museum’s artistic mandate as it prepares for its next decade.
Under Dyangani Ose’s artistic leadership, the museum says it will continue to champion bold contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, while creating opportunities for meaningful artistic exchange and new experiences for audiences.
The appointment also comes at a time when African contemporary art is commanding increasing attention across the international cultural landscape. For institutions such as Zeitz MOCAA, that creates both an opportunity and a responsibility to ensure that African artists and narratives are not simply part of global conversations, but are helping to shape them.
Dyangani Ose’s international experience is expected to further connect Zeitz MOCAA with artists, institutions and audiences across different regions while maintaining the museum’s focus on Africa and its diaspora.
Her previous leadership at MACBA, as well as her work at Tate Modern and other international cultural institutions, has given her experience in developing programmes that connect contemporary artistic practice with broader questions of culture, history and society.
She will also bring experience from her role as Artistic Director of the second edition of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, further extending her engagement with international contemporary art platforms.
Dyangani Ose succeeds the late Koyo Kouoh, whose leadership at Zeitz MOCAA helped shape a significant chapter in the museum’s development. Her appointment therefore comes with the institution entering a new phase while building on the foundations established during its first decade.
As Zeitz MOCAA approaches its 10th anniversary, the focus now shifts towards the museum’s future, how it will expand its artistic programme, deepen connections across Africa and its diaspora, and strengthen its place within international contemporary art conversations.
With Dyangani Ose taking up the role on 1 October, Zeitz MOCAA is preparing to begin its next chapter with an artistic leadership grounded in African perspectives and informed by a broad international outlook.
