Emma Enderby, who has been head of program and research at the Munich Haus der Kunst for two years, will become director of the Kunstwerke Berlin in May next year. She succeeds Krist Gruijthuijsen, who has headed the KW Institute for Contemporary Art since 2016 and will also be responsible for next year’s program in the artworks.
Enderby commented on her unanimous appointment by a search committee in a KW press release with the words: “I’m looking forward to this new journey. (…) For me, the KW is unique in the Berlin art landscape because it offers artists and one broader cultural scene, and I want to show that Berlin and the KW are a central hub for the arts.”
Andrea Lissoni, artistic director at Haus der Kunst, said of the change: “I’m happy for Emma. It’s wonderful that more and more young women with international backgrounds are taking on leadership positions in the arts.” For him, Enderby’s decision to go to Berlin has “a sweet and a salty side.” Because despite all his joy, he is of course also sorry that she is leaving. But it shows that the decision two years ago to bring Emma Enderby to Munich was the right one. “I lose a colleague in Munich, but I meet a friend in Berlin.”
Before moving to Munich, the Brit was chief curator at the Shed in New York and previously worked at several institutions in London. At Haus der Kunst, Enderby curated the exhibition “Tony Cokes. Fragments, or just Moments” and the decentralized exhibition by Rirkrit Tiravanija. The position of chief curator for programs and research at Haus der Kunst was created just two years ago. The Haus der Kunst is currently experiencing a comprehensive transformation process under Andrea Lissoni, which Enderby also helped drive forward conceptually and organizationally. According to Lissoni, the position should be filled as soon as possible.