Karin Hindsbo, director of the National Museum in Oslo, has been appointed director of the Tate Modern in London. She replaces Frances Morris who has held the position since 2016and will take office in September.
Hindsbo led the creation of the new national museum in oslo which opened last year. The new institution merged four of Norway’s leading art and design institutions under one giant roof, creating the largest museum in the Nordic countries.
“Norwegian politicians decided to combine these four collections into one to have an institution that could tell the whole story from antiquity to the present day about visual arts and culture,” Hindsbo said. The Arts Journal. She also pointed out that “there has been this huge investment in cultural institutions in Norway, in Oslo especially over the last decade”. Hindsbo appeared on our podcast, The Week in Art, to mark the launch of the museum.
Morris was responsible for the expansion and diversification of the collection and program. Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, said in a statement:[Hindsbo’s] A nuanced and diverse approach to expressing national and transnational artistic ecologies fits brilliantly with the philosophy of Tate Modern.
It looks like Hindsbo’s input bin will be full; challenges include maintaining visitor numbers following the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also have to maintain relations with the artists following the closure of the Tate Exchange project, the community program of Tate Modern. The world’s major museums will also need to focus more on the issue of climate change (the Tate declared a “climate emergency” in 2019).
Hindsbo has experience directing major public institutions, including Kode in Bergen (2014-17), Sørlandets Kunstmuseum in Kristiansand (2012-14), Kunsthal Aarhus (2009-11) and Den Frie Center for Contemporary Art in Copenhagen (2006-08). She was previously editor-in-chief of the Danish cultural journal Øjeblikket and external lecturer at the Institute for Arts and Culture Studies, University of Copenhagen. She studied at Aarhus University and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin.
According to an announcement on the website of the National Museum of Norway, Hindsbo’s term ends on June 1. “The museum is now seeking a successor to continue the work of making art accessible to everyone and developing Oslo and Norway as a destination for artistic and cultural experiences,” the statement added.
