Indonesia’s Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (MACAN) has appointed Aaron Seeto as its new director.
Seeto, who is currently the curatorial manager of Asian and Pacific art at Australia’s Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art in Australia, is succeeding Thomas J. Berghuis, who left his post abruptly in October.
Seeto, who will take up the position on November 21, will oversee the opening of the private museum in Jakarta, slated for March 2017.
“I am excited to be joining Museum MACAN at this pivotal moment. Indonesia has an important role to play in the development of a vibrant environment for art in Southeast Asia— to not only nurture understanding of its artists, but also to create viable networks between the region and the world,” Seeto said in a statement.
MACAN is the brainchild of Indonesian philanthropist and art collector Haryanto Adikoesoemo, who was named last year as a trustee to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, in Washington, DC.
Rendering of the exterior of Museum MACAN, by MET Studio Design Ltd.
The museum will be housed in a 43,000-square-foot space with interiors designed by London-based firm MET Studio Design Ltd.
“Aaron has dedicated over 15 years to working with artists and communities to foster intercultural dialogue through thoughtful engagement with contemporary art, a key component of Museum MACAN’s mission,” Adikosoemo said in a statement.
“He has an outstanding track record of international collaboration and mounting groundbreaking exhibitions that speak to the heart and spirit of an institution, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome him as our new director,” he added.
Charles Esche. Photo Sofia Colucci, courtesy Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Yayasan Museum MACAN).
Last October, coinciding with the departure of Berghuis, MACAN announced the appointment of Charles Esche, director of Eindhoven’s Van Abbemuseum, and Agung Hujatnika as curators.
Curated by Esche and Hujatnika, the museum’s inaugural exhibition will showcase of 90 works from Adikoesoemo’s private collection, which comprises over 800 modern and contemporary artworks.