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From Barcelona to Cape Town: Dyangani Ose takes command of Zeitz MOCAA
Elvira Dyangani Ose will be the new artistic director of Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town's contemporary art museum, starting October 1, 2026. The South African institution has entrusted the international experience of the former director of the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) to lead a new phase marked by the consolidation of its artistic project and the strengthening of its links with artists, audiences and institutions around the world.
The arrival of Dyangani Ose follows an international selection process and comes at a particularly significant time for Zeitz MOCAA. His appointment aims to build upon the foundations laid during the museum's first decade while simultaneously deepening a curatorial vision focused on contemporary African art and art from its diaspora.
The new artistic director has a career spanning Africa, Europe, and the United States. Before taking the helm at MACBA, she directed The Showroom in London and held various curatorial positions at institutions such as Tate Modern and Creative Time in New York. Her career has been characterized by her support for African and diaspora artists and by the creation of spaces for exchange between different cultures and geographical locations.
View of the Cape Town Museum.
Currently, the Spanish artist is also the artistic director of the second edition of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, which takes place between 2026 and 2027. Her profile, marked by a pan-African perspective and extensive international institutional experience, fits especially well with Zeitz MOCAA's vocation to place the artistic production of the African continent on the global stage.
“It is a privilege to join Zeitz MOCAA. I am delighted to be joining at this time to continue its trajectory as a leading African institution with a global reach,” said Dyangani Ose. The future artistic director also emphasized her commitment to working alongside the museum team, artists, collaborators, and local and international communities to foster new collaborations and artistic exchanges.
The appointment also marks a new chapter for an institution deeply linked to the figure of Koyo Kouoh, executive director and founding chief curator of Zeitz MOCAA, who passed away in May 2025. Kouoh left a decisive mark on the museum project and was also the first African woman to assume the directorship of the Venice Biennale, although she was unable to carry out her curatorial project for the 61st edition, In Minor Keys .
Before his death, Kouoh had been involved in succession planning at the museum. According to David Green, co-founder and co-chairman of Zeitz MOCAA, his proposal involved dividing the responsibilities that had previously rested with a single figure into two areas: artistic direction and operational management.
The new model aims to separate creative direction from institutional management, allowing both roles to work in a coordinated manner. In this context, the appointment of Dyangani Ose marks a new phase for the museum, in which artistic creation, curatorial research, and international connections will be among its main lines of action.
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