Aaron Cezar
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in London, UK
Director, Delfina Foundation
Leads influential London residency program, crucial incubator for international curators and artists fostering cross-cultural dialogue.
The Curators Who Defined a Decade (2015—2025)
The contemporary art world's power structure has fundamentally shifted in the past decade. No longer defined solely by museums and galleries, today's art ecosystem is shaped by a network of curators who navigate between institutions, biennales, and independent projects with unprecedented fluidity.
This comprehensive guide presents the 100 curators whose exhibitions, writings, and institutional leadership have most profoundly influenced the international art discourse from 2015 to 2025. From the decolonial turn to digital futures, from ecological urgency to radical care, these are the voices that have redefined what exhibitions can do and be.
Curatorial Focus
Region
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in London, UK
Director, Delfina Foundation
Leads influential London residency program, crucial incubator for international curators and artists fostering cross-cultural dialogue.
b. 1970, Morocco
Based in Doha, Qatar
Director, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
Pivotal figure in Arab contemporary art, leading key institutions and fostering MENA dialogue through groundbreaking exhibitions.
b. 1970, Poland
Based in Basel, Switzerland
Former Director, Kunsthalle Basel; Artistic Director, Documenta 14
Executed radical two-city Documenta 14 (Athens/Kassel), challenging Western art hegemony with new transnational model.
b. 1965, Brazil
Based in São Paulo, Brazil
Artistic Director, MASP; Director, 60th Venice Biennale
First Latin American Venice director, championed Global South artists at unprecedented scale, fundamentally shifting representation.
b. 1972, Spain
Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Independent Curator; Former Director, MALBA
Expert in Latin American art, curated Golden Lion-winning Chilean Pavilion (2015), transformed MALBA into leading voice.
b. 1970, Italy
Based in Munich, Germany
Artistic Director, Haus der Kunst
Former Tate Modern Film curator, now leading major German institution with focus on live and time-based media.
b. 1959, USA
Based in New York, USA
Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture, MoMA
Oversees world's most important modern art collection, led groundbreaking 2019 MoMA rehang rewriting modernism's narrative.
b. 1977, Cameroon
Based in Berlin, Germany
Director, Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Leading voice in decolonial practice, SAVVY Contemporary founder, profoundly influenced European cultural discourse.
b. 1977, Canada
Based in New Mexico, USA
Executive Director, Forge Project
Leading voice for Indigenous art and sovereignty, central to rewriting North American art history through exhibitions.
Active 2000s-2020s
Based in London, UK
Director of Programme, Tate Modern
Leading authority on performance art, key to integrating live art into Tate's core programming.
b. 1977, Italy
Based in New York, USA
Director, High Line Art
Curated historic female-majority 2022 Venice Biennale, fundamentally shifting representation at world's most visible platform.
b. 1964, Lebanon
Based in Beirut, Lebanon
Founding Director, Ashkal Alwan
Pioneer of multi-sited, research-based curating and foundational figure for Middle East arts infrastructure.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in Los Angeles, USA
Curator of Contemporary Art, LACMA
Co-curator of 2017 Whitney Biennial and key curatorial voice at LACMA for Asian American art.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in New York, USA
Artistic Director, Horizon Art Foundation
Co-curator of pivotal 2017 Whitney Biennial, respected voice on emerging art.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in Los Angeles, USA
Chief Curator, MOCA Los Angeles
Senior curatorial voice at major institutions from Tate Modern to MOCA.
b. 1983, Romania
Based in Hong Kong
Director, Para Site; Co-curator, Biennale of Sydney 2024
Dynamic curator championing artists from underrepresented regions at Para Site and international biennials.
b. 1965, Mexico
Based in Mexico City, Mexico
Chief Curator, MUAC, Mexico City
Leading art critic and curator in Latin America, known for sharp intellect and politically engaged exhibitions.
b. 1976, Turkey
Based in Berlin, Germany
Independent Curator
Veteran curator of multiple biennials, known for intellectually adventurous and geopolitically aware projects.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in New Orleans, USA
Independent Curator
Co-curator of Prospect.4, thoughtful voice on contemporary art in the Americas.
b. 1961, Belgium
Based in Brussels, Belgium
Director, WIELS, Brussels
Heads one of Europe's most significant contemporary art centers, known for its dynamic exhibition program and residency opportunities.
Founded 1995
Based in Berlin and London
Artist Duo; Curators, 15th Istanbul Biennial
Their 2017 Istanbul Biennial was poignant model of responding to tense political climate with nuance.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in Singapore
Director, National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum
Oversees two key Southeast Asian institutions, shaping region's art historical narrative.
b. 1966, South Korea
Based in San Francisco, USA
Curator of Contemporary Art, SFMOMA
Sharp eye and global perspective, curated 2012 New Museum Triennial and Sharjah Biennial 12.
b. 1969, USA
Based in Miami, USA
Director, Pérez Art Museum Miami
Positioned PAMM as vital hub for art of the Americas and African diaspora.
b. 1949, Japan
Based in Tokyo, Japan
Former Director, Mori Art Museum
Led one of Asia's most important contemporary art museums, shaping Japanese-international dialogue.
b. 1970, Spain
Based in New York, USA
Senior Advisor, Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros
Curated 33rd São Paulo Bienal with radical artist-curated model challenging traditional authority.
b. 1974, South Africa
Based in Johannesburg, South Africa
Curator and Educator
Her collaborative 2018 Berlin Biennale offered powerful alternative to Western-centric models.
b. 1968, Switzerland
Based in London, UK
Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries
Curatorial superstar whose Marathon interviews and Do It project made him central node in global art network.
b. 1980, UAE
Based in Sharjah, UAE
President and Director, Sharjah Art Foundation
Transformed Sharjah into vital global center for art, providing critical platform for MENASA artists.
b. 1963, China
Based in Rome, Italy
Former Artistic Director, MAXXI
Pioneering independent curator, central figure in globalizing art world since 1990s.
b. 1983, Colombia
Based in Manila, Philippines
Artistic Director, Bellas Artes Projects
Well-respected curator bridging Asian and Latin American art, co-curator Sydney Biennale 2024.
Active 2020s
Based in Istanbul, Turkey
Curator, 18th Istanbul Biennial (2025)
Appointed to lead upcoming Istanbul Biennial, representing new generation of curatorial talent.
b. 1955, UK
Based in London, UK
Former Director, Whitechapel Gallery
Hugely respected figure who led major London institution for two decades, championing female artists.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in New York, USA
Director, FLAG Art Foundation
Co-curator of 2019 Whitney Biennial, central to navigating major institutional crisis.
b. 1965, India
Based in New Delhi, India
Artist Collective Member
Part of Raqs Media Collective, blending art, theory, and curation influencing generation of artist-thinkers.
b. 1968, UK
Based in New York, USA
Director, Dia Art Foundation
Leads one of world's most important institutions for land art, minimalism, and post-minimalism.
b. 1971, Germany
Based in São Paulo, Brazil
General Director, Pinacoteca de São Paulo
His 2016 São Paulo Bienal was landmark exhibition prioritizing ecological and cosmological perspectives.
b. 1962, Colombia
Based in Bogotá, Colombia
Artistic Director, FLORA ars+natura
Major figure in Latin American art, focus on intersection of art and nature highly influential.
b. 1981, Venezuela
Based in Madrid, Spain
Independent Curator
Leading curator of Latin American art, exhibitions known for deep historical research and rigor.
b. 1982, South Africa
Based in Cape Town, South Africa
Curator, Liverpool Biennial 2023
Her Liverpool Biennial focusing on colonialism and extraction was critically lauded as major rising voice.
b. 1966, Germany
Based in Berlin, Germany
Director, Neue Nationalgalerie
Hugely influential figure at MoMA PS1 and MOCA, known for championing performance art.
b. 1967, Cameroon
Based in Cape Town, South Africa
Executive Director and Chief Curator, Zeitz MOCAA
Tireless advocate for African artists, leadership at RAW Material Company and Zeitz MOCAA shaping continent's landscape.
b. 1953, Sweden
Based in Stockholm, Sweden
Former Director, M+, Hong Kong
Founding director of M+, laid institutional and intellectual groundwork for global powerhouse.
b. 1985, UK
Based in London, UK
Curator, Serpentine Galleries
Pioneer in ecological thinking, curated Golden Lion-winning Lithuanian Pavilion (Sun & Sea) 2019.
b. 1958, Canada
Based in Chicago, USA
Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Visionary leader pushing for audience-engaged, socially-conscious programming at major American museum.
b. 1965, Japan
Based in Tokyo, Japan
Director, Mori Art Museum; President, CIMAM
As Mori director and CIMAM president, she is a global leader in contemporary art.
b. 1957, Spain
Based in Madrid, Spain
Former Director, Museo Reina Sofía
Led the Reina Sofía for 15 years, radically re-installing the collection to reflect decolonial and transnational narratives.
b. 1966, Sweden
Based in Stockholm, Sweden
Writer and Curator; former Director, Tensta Konsthall
A highly respected thinker known for her writing on curatorial practice and her artist-centric institutional models.
b. 1973, UK
Based in London, UK
Independent Curator; formerly Senior Curator, Tate Modern
An acclaimed curator and scholar, his very public resignation from the Tate in 2021 sparked a major debate on institutional ethics and curatorial freedom.
b. 1973, Italy
Based in New York, USA
Artistic Director, New Museum
His curatorial work (including the 2013 Venice Biennale) and leadership at the New Museum continue to define the "downtown" cutting edge of the art world.
b. 1977, USA
Based in New York, USA
The Marlene Hess Curator of Painting and Sculpture, MoMA
As a top curator at MoMA and former Editor-in-Chief of Artforum, she holds immense intellectual and institutional power.
b. 1969, India
Based in New Delhi, India
Artist Collective Member
A key member of the influential collective whose curatorial projects are as significant as their artworks.
b. 1982, France
Based in Cotonou, Benin
President, Zinsou Foundation, Benin
A cultural entrepreneur who has created essential arts infrastructure in West Africa, she co-curated the Benin pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
b. 1978, USA
Based in Los Angeles, USA
Independent Curator
Known for her expertise in postwar Japanese art, she curated the acclaimed exhibition "Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors" which was a global phenomenon.
b. 1981, USA
Based in Los Angeles, USA
Vice President of Education and Public Programs, LACMA
Co-curator of Prospect.4 New Orleans and a key figure in major US institutions.
b. 1976, USA
Based in New York, USA
Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Guggenheim Museum
A major intellectual force now in a top role at a leading global institution, shaping its collection and exhibition strategy.
b. 1980, India
Based in Berlin, Germany
Curator, Martin-Gropius-Bau; Co-curator, 13th Gwangju Biennale
A key contemporary voice whose work often explores concepts of memory, territory, and the archive.
b. 1978, Germany
Based in Accra, Ghana
Director, ANO Institute of Arts and Knowledge, Ghana
A leading figure in contemporary African art who served as curator for Ghana's inaugural pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale and again in 2022.
b. 1974, UK
Based in London, UK
Director, The National Portrait Gallery, London
His leadership at a major London institution and his role as a former curator at MoMA and the Met marks him as a key figure in institutional management.
1963-2019, Nigeria
Formerly based in Munich, Germany
Former Director, Haus der Kunst; Director, 56th Venice Biennale
His 2015 Venice Biennale set the decade's agenda for politically-engaged, post-colonial curating on a mass scale.
1962-2019, Nigeria
Formerly based in Lagos, Nigeria
Founder, Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos (CCA)
A foundational figure whose work at CCA, Lagos created a critical hub for art in Nigeria and whose legacy continues to inspire curators across Africa.
b. 1978, Egypt
Based in Sharjah, UAE
Director of Collections and Senior Curator, Sharjah Art Foundation
A prolific curator and writer focusing on art, technology, and geopolitics.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in Brussels, Belgium
Independent Curator
Co-curator of the German Pavilion (Golden Lion winner 2024), lauded for its complex, multi-layered approach to history and identity.
b. 1961, Cuba
Based in Minneapolis, USA
Curator; Former Director, Walker Art Center
Known for her forward-thinking leadership at the Walker, she has been a key voice for contemporary art in the United States for decades.
b. 1979, Mexico
Based in Mexico City, Mexico
Curator at Large, Latin America, Guggenheim Museum
A critical voice in integrating Latin American artists into global institutional collections and conversations.
b. 1970, Spain
Based in Paris, France
Philosopher and Curator
His philosophical work on gender and technology, and his curation for Documenta 14, has brought critical theory directly into the exhibition space.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in Los Angeles, USA
Chief Curator, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Leading the curatorial vision for one of the most anticipated new museums in the world.
b. 1962, Belgium
Based in Frankfurt, Germany
Curator and Art Critic; Rector, Städelschule, Frankfurt
A highly respected figure in art education and exhibition-making, known for his curatorial work at the 2017 Myanmar Biennale.
b. 1980s, China
Based in Shanghai, China
Curator and Writer; Senior Curator, Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai
A rising voice in Asian contemporary art, known for her rigorous, research-driven exhibitions.
b. 1957, USA
Based in London, UK
Director, Hayward Gallery, London; Director, 58th Venice Biennale
His conceptually rigorous 2019 Venice Biennale masterfully addressed the "post-truth" era.
b. 1974, Kuwait
Based in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Director, Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi
A key curator in the Middle East, she curated the first UAE Pavilion in Venice and has held senior roles at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Founded 2000, Indonesia
Based in Jakarta, Indonesia
Indonesian Artist Collective; Artistic Directors, Documenta fifteen
Introduced the radical collectivist model of lumbung, forcing a global debate on curatorial authorship, process, and responsibility.
b. 1979, Zimbabwe
Based in New York, USA
Arnhold Associate Curator, Whitney Museum of American Art
Co-curator of the protest-defined 2019 Whitney Biennial and a key voice shaping the next generation of American art.
b. 1968, Australia
Based in Singapore
Head of Curatorial and Collections, National Gallery Singapore
A highly respected curator of Asian and Pacific art who has been central to shaping the narrative at one of the region's most important institutions.
b. 1961, UK
Based in New York, USA
President and Executive Director, Queens Museum
Former Director of the Liverpool Biennial, now leading a key socially-engaged museum in New York.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in Berlin, Germany
Directors, Hamburger Bahnhof; Curators, 16th Lyon Biennale
As a curatorial duo, they have led multiple biennials and now a major Berlin institution, known for their pan-Arab and transnational research.
b. 1978, Singapore
Based in Singapore
Senior Curator, National Gallery Singapore
A central figure in the curation of "Siapa Nama Kamu?," the seminal permanent exhibition charting the history of Singaporean art.
b. 1968, India
Based in New Delhi, India
Artist Collective Member
The third member of Raqs, whose collective practice has redefined what it means to be an artist and curator today.
b. 1975, Mexico
Based in Mexico City, Mexico
Former Director, Witte de With (now Kunstinstituut Melly)
A thoughtful and respected curator who led a major European institution through a critical renaming process and curated the 9th Mercosul Biennial.
b. 1978, Spain
Based in New York, USA
Curator, 2024 Carnegie International
Her selection to lead the prestigious Carnegie International signals her rising influence in the Americas and beyond.
b. 1965, Germany
Based in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Director, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
Former Director of the Martin-Gropius-Bau, now heading one of the world's most ambitious museum projects.
b. 1968, USA
Based in New York, USA
The Lonti Ebers Chief Curator of Media and Performance, MoMA
Has redefined how a major museum collects and displays time-based media, performance, and film.
b. 1959, Sri Lanka
Based in Hong Kong
Director, M+, Hong Kong
Has overseen the launch of one of the world's most significant new museums, defining a new center of gravity for global culture.
Active 1990s-2020s
Based in Seoul, South Korea
Director, Art Sonje Center, Seoul
A major figure in the Korean art world who has led the Gwangju Biennale and is a key institutional builder.
b. 1964, Australia
Based in Sydney, Australia
Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)
A museum leader with international experience who now heads a major institution in the Asia-Pacific region.
b. 1965, USA
Based in New York, USA
Director and Chief Curator, The Studio Museum in Harlem
A foundational figure in championing artists of African descent; her institutional leadership and coining of the term "post-blackness" have shaped generations.
b. 1980s, USA
Based in New York, USA
Curator of Media and Performance, MoMA
A key figure in MoMA's performance and media department, known for his work on Black and queer performance.
b. 1974, Morocco
Based in London, UK
Founding Director, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
While a fair director, she has created the single most important international platform for galleries from Africa and the diaspora, profoundly shaping the market and careers.
b. 1958, Germany
Based in Singapore
Founding Director, NTU CCA Singapore
A veteran curator and academic who has been a major force in shaping the contemporary art landscape of Southeast Asia.
b. 1958, Germany
Based in Berlin, Germany
Curator; former Director, Nationalgalerie, Berlin
Led Berlin's National Gallery for over a decade, overseeing major institutional change and influential exhibitions.
Active 1990s-2020s
Based in Richmond, USA
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
A trailblazing curator who has organized foundational exhibitions of major African American artists like Howardena Pindell and Theaster Gates.
b. 1957, Turkey
Based in Istanbul, Turkey
Curator and Writer; former Director, SALT, Istanbul
A foundational figure in Turkey's contemporary art scene, his work at SALT created a new model for a research-based institution.
b. 1974, France
Based in Montpellier, France
Director of Exhibitions and Programmes, MO.CO. Montpellier
An independent-minded curator who has championed emerging artists and queer perspectives, formerly at the Hayward and David Roberts Art Foundation.
b. 1976, UK
Based in London, UK
Co-founder, Gallery Climate Coalition; former Director, Frieze Fairs
As a former director of Frieze, she was a central figure in the global art market, and now leads the charge for climate action in the arts.
b. 1960s, Suriname
Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Head of Research Center for Material Culture, Netherlands
A leading thinker on decolonial museology and restitution, his work is profoundly influencing how museums in Europe address colonial legacies.
b. 1978, Iraq
Based in St. Louis, USA
Chief Curator, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
An influential curator of international contemporary art, with a focus on the Middle East, she has led multiple biennials and exhibitions in the region.
b. 1957, Japan
Based in Kanazawa, Japan
Director, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
A major figure in Japanese and international contemporary art for decades, known for exhibitions that bridge art, architecture, and design.
Active 2010s-2020s
Based in London, UK
Independent Curator and Scholar
Her work on queer theory and performance has been highly influential in curating exhibitions that challenge conventional art historical narratives.
b. 1979, UK
Based in London, UK
Director, Chisenhale Gallery
A dynamic curator who led the acclaimed British Pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale and now directs a key London gallery.
b. 1978, Australia
Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Curator and writer specializing in Southeast Asian art
A vital advocate and thinker who built critical arts infrastructure as Artistic Director of The Factory in Ho Chi Minh City.