Bettina Steinbrügge will replace Suzanne Cotter at the helm of Mudam in April 2022 Photo: Susanne Dupont / Maison Moderne

Bettina Steinbrügge will replace Suzanne Cotter at the helm of Mudam in April 2022 Photo: Susanne Dupont / Maison Moderne

On 12 November, the Luxembourg modern arts museum based in Kirchberg announced the appointment of its new director.

Bettina Steinbrügge will replace at the helm of the museum in April 2022, following the latter’s return to Australia, where she will head the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Known for her challenging exhibitions, Steinbrügge will aim to push discussions about globalisation, ecology, and sustainability through Mudam, and the “innovation and receptivity” that have always been at the museum’s core, as she puts it.  

The museum, presided by Stéphanie of Luxembourg, was officially inaugurated in 2006.

“In this age of uncertainty, museums have an increasingly important role to play in providing context and perspective for a wide range of visitors across generations. I imagine Mudam as a foyer of the arts, a place for gatherings that can help to shape collective visions for the future and support new participatory ways of living together,” said Steinbrügge in an official statement.

Steinbrügge--originally from the Osnabrück region in Germany--has plenty of experience to rely on for this upcoming challenge. Director of the Hamburger Kunstverein--the first woman to lead the group in --since 2014, she has also held the position of Senior Curator and Head of the Contemporary Collection at the Belvedere in Vienna, where her involvement was key to the Belvedere21, which focuses on new contemporary art in Austria.

Prior roles also include directing the Halle für Kunst Lüneburg and the Kunstmeile Hamburg, as well as associate curator at the French Kunsthalle in Mulhouse. Steinbrügge has also taught at Leuphana University in Lüneburg, HEAD (haute école d’art et de design) in Geneva.

She is also a professor of art theory and history at the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg.  

Steinbrügge was selected as MUDAM's new director by an international selection panel featuring renowned figures of the art world, such as Frances Morris from the Tate Modern in London, Dirk Snauwaert of Wiels in Brussels and Emma Lavigne from the Palais de Tokyo, Paris. Board members of the Mudam were also involved in the selection process.

Suzanne Cotter will continue to lead the Mudam until the end of 2021 and will provide curatorial leadership on projects already put in place for 2022.