Mohamed Almusibli to become new Director of Kunsthalle Basel

Mohamed Almusibli is currently Co-Founder and Director of the independently run art space “Cherish” in Geneva, as well as Consultant for the Hartwig Art Foundation, Amsterdam. He will take up his new office as Director and Chief Curator of Kunsthalle Basel on 1 March 2024.

“It is an honor to have been appointed to the position of Director and Chief Curator of Kunsthalle Basel, an institution with a great history of artistic innovation and cultural discourse that has always placed the artist at its center and has come to stand as a beacon in the art world.

I am humbled to follow in the footsteps of my predecessor, Elena Filipovic, whose impactful leadership profoundly shaped the Kunsthalle’s distinguished profile. Building upon this strong foundation, my objective is to sustain and enrich Kunsthalle’s tradition of excellence and its unwavering commitment to the art of our time as a seminal space for groundbreaking exhibitions.

I look forward to collaborating with the remarkable team at Kunsthalle Basel, the board, and the wider art community to cultivate a dynamic program that engages and challenges our audiences, all while keeping the artists’ vision at the forefront of our mission,“ says Mohamed Almusibli about his appointment.

With his experience and qualifications, Mohamed Almusibli – curious, passionate and ambitious – emerged as the candidate best suited to fulfill the requirements. He impressed the Selection Committee with his professional career to date, in particular as Co-Founder and Director of the independently run, non-profit art space “Cherish” in Geneva, as well as his close links with contemporary artists, his fresh perspective of the use of technology, his awareness of the local art scene and his own personality. In addition, he convinced the Selection Committee with the proposed program he envisaged for Kunsthalle Basel, showcasing exciting emerging practices while creating a dialogue with more historical positions. Mohamed Almusibli also brings with him a broad international network of connections.

The Selection Committee, chaired by Martin Hatebur, was made up of five members of the Board of the Basler Kunstverein and two external experts. The five Board members were Dominik Müller, gallerist in Basel, Edit Oderbolz, Cécile Hummel, and Johannes Willi, all three artists based in Basel, and Martin Hatebur, President of the Basler Kunstverein. The external members of the Selection Committee were Kasia Redzisz, Artistic Director of KANAL – Centre Pompidou, Brussels, and Shahryar Nashat, artist, based in Paris.

We are eager to see how Mohamed Almusibli will implement his vision and experience at Kunsthalle Basel and look forward to the new angles he will bring to our work together.