Naomi Beckwith, deputy director of Guggenheim New York, named artistic director of Documenta 2027

Naomi Beckwith is the artistic director of documenta 16, the 2027 edition of the historic German contemporary art event that will take place in Kassel from June 12 to September 19, 2027. The announcement was made yesterday by Andreas Hoffmann, president of Documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH. The choice was made by the International Selection Committee and ratified by the organization’s Supervisory Board.

Naomi Beckwith, currently deputy director and chief curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York, is a leading figure in the international contemporary art scene. At the Guggenheim, Beckwith oversees collections, exhibitions, publications and curatorial programs, while also guiding archives and setting strategies for a network of affiliated museums. Throughout his career, he has held senior positions at MCA Chicago and the Studio Museum in Harlem.

A strategic choice for the future of documenta

Beckwith’s appointment represents an important step for the future of documenta, the event’s managing body makes known. Yilmaz Dziewior, director of the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and Mami Kataoka, director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, members of the Selection Committee, explained the choice as follows, "It was not easy to decide, given the complexity of the historical moment documenta is going through. We are convinced that Naomi Beckwith’s international experience and curatorial approach are the right tools to imagine possible futures through art practices."

For her part, Beckwith said, "It is an immense honor to have been chosen as Artistic Director of documenta 16. documenta belongs to the world as much as Kassel, and is an institution in perpetual dialogue with history and the present. I am thrilled to be able to share my ideas with such a generous institution, which offers a unique space for study, exploration and experimentation."

A new course for documenta

The appointment comes at a time of reorganization for documenta. Kassel Mayor Sven Schoeller, chairman of the Supervisory Board, remarked, "Today marks the beginning of a new era for documenta. Naomi Beckwith brings an artistic vision that we look forward to discovering. I thank the Selection Committee for their extraordinary work at such a delicate stage."

Timon Gremmels, Hessian Minister of Science, Research, Arts and Culture, also expressed his enthusiasm: “We were able to attract a top-notch search committee, which chose excellent artistic direction. Openness, a sense of community, and the unifying power of art have already characterized the work of the search committee and similarly form the basis of Naomi Beckwith’s practice. By implementing the reform of documenta, the city and state have laid a good foundation for the future of world art exhibition. We have struck a good balance between freedom of art and speech and protection against anti-Semitism and discrimination. I look forward to visiting documenta 16 in the summer of 2027 and meeting many art-loving visitors in my hometown of Kassel.”

Andreas Hoffmann thanks all members of the International Selection Committee for their great commitment: “With their dedication, the Selection Committee has shown a great sense of responsibility for contemporary art and documenta at this very special time. The intense exchange among the members led to a forward-looking choice for the artistic direction. This has laid the foundation for moving forward with resolve and anticipation toward documenta 16 and for Kassel to once again host the art world and its international audience in 2027.”

Naomi Beckwith, deputy director of Guggenheim New York, named artistic director of Documenta 2027

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