New Tate Britain director announced
August 17 2015
Picture: Guardian
Congratulations to Alex Farquharson, who has been appointed Tate Britain's new director. He is the founder of Nottingham Contemporary and before that was, according to the Nottingham Contemporary site:
[...] an independent curator, writer and university lecturer, based in London. Exhibitions he curated in those years include British Art Show 6 (with Andrea Schlieker) and If Everybody Had an Ocean at Tate St Ives and CAPC Bordeaux. He was also a Tutor and Research Fellow on the Curating Contemporary Art MA at Royal College of Art in London, and wrote extensively on art and curating in international art magazines and other publications. He was Curator then Exhibitions Director at Spacex in Exeter, 1994-1999 and Exhibitions Director at the former Centre for Visual Arts in Cardiff, 1999-2000. He currently serves on the Arts Council Collection Acquisitions Committee and is a Trustee of Raven Row, London.
I'd have thought that someone with Alex's background might have been a natural fit at Tate Modern, which is also looking for a new director. But there we are - to Tate Britain he goes, where 500 years of decidedly un-contemporary art awaits someone with vision, passion and energy. Certainly, starting a new museum from scratch, and turning into a success suggests that Alex has what it takes. AHN wishes him the best of luck, in what has become something of a poisoned chalice.
