Changes in museums: directors leaving and new figures arriving

BarcelonaBetween tranquility and setbacks, we review the list of Catalan museum directors who are leaving and those who have just arrived in a 2026 full of changes.

Marko Daniel

He will leave the Joan Miró Foundation in June following a conflict with management

A sudden change of course at the Joan Miró Foundation. Director Marko Daniel (Aachen, 1964) was renewed in January for a third term, after which he would have had an indefinite contract. But on February 25, the Foundation announced that Daniel will leave the institution in June. The reason for his departure is said to be a conflict with the manager, Marga Sala, stemming from a reduction in his responsibilities. This reportedly sparked a conflict with the institution, which did not accept his demands. When contacted by ARA, Daniel stated that his departure from the Foundation was a "fully agreed-upon" decision. Rather than a conflict with management, Daniel attributes it to the way the Foundation has changed and evolved, although he did not elaborate. "For me, it is very important that there be a smooth and orderly transition," Daniel said.

Elvira Dyangani Ose

He will leave the MACBA in April.

The story of the first director of the MACBA will not extend beyond her first term, and it came to an abrupt end. A week ago, the museum's delegated committee denied her request to combine her role as director of the MACBA until June with her new position as director of the second Abu Dhabi Public Art Biennial. Ultimately, Elvira Dyangani Ose (Córdoba, 1974) will leave in April, after the exhibition closes. Projecting a black planet, of which she is one of the commissioners. In an interview with the ARADyangani had distanced himself from the museum's institutional policies and the ongoing expansion project, arguing that "more funding and different governance" were necessary to bring it up to the level of MoMA and Tate Modern. During his tenure, there has been a significant exodus of staff, but Dyangani leaves behind a legacy of outstanding temporary exhibitions, such as those of Jordi Colomer, Teresa Solar, Carlos Mota, and the same [unclear]. Projecting a black planete. In a museum that never seems to quite reach its full potential, nor attract a large audience, Dyangani may have fallen victim to the promise of "flying high" that he made upon his arrival.

Following the resolution of the delegated committee, Dyangani gave his version of events in a letter addressed to the staff: he says that the general council of the MACBA consortium announced on December 17th that he would not be applying to continue leading the MACBA and that he had received the proposal to join the Biennale Sano. He also stated that he had requested to hold both positions simultaneously to "guarantee the continuity and proper development of ongoing projects during this transition period."

Valentín Roma

She will leave La Virreina in the coming months

Art historian and writer Valentín Roma (Ripollet, 1970) will leave La Virreina in the coming months, after a second, non-renewable term. During his nearly ten years as director of Barcelona's Centre for Image, Roma has curated high-profile exhibitions, including those of Canadian photographer Jeff Wall, filmmakers Alexander Kluge and Barbara Hammer, and writer Marguerite Duras. This year, he curated an ambitious retrospective of Jean-Luc Godard. Among local artists, Roma has curated exhibitions for Daniela Ortiz and Sergi Aguilar, among many others. Throughout these years, his approach has generated enthusiasm within the art world and a positive reception from the public, and he is being mentioned as a candidate to lead one of the museums currently seeking a director.

Carme Clusellas

His contract at the Girona Art Museum ends in July

Art historian and museologist Carme Clusellas (Cardedeu, 1966) is one of the most renowned figures in the field. Her second term, which has been extended, as head of the Girona Art Museum will end in July after twelve years. Her tenure has been characterized by the rediscovery of Catalan women artists and constant renewal, with projects such as True Falseand the search for a location for the Girona Abbey Museum. It has also developed new cultural tours such as the Episcopal Girona tour, which links the museum with two major monuments: Girona Cathedral and the Basilica of Sant Feliu.

Rosario Peiró

New director of the Picasso Museum

The Valencian art historian Rosario Peiró Carrasco (Beniarjó, 1968) will replace Emmanuel Guigon after spending more than fifteen years at the Reina Sofía Museum, where she arrived under the leadership of Manuel Borja-Villel as head of collections. At the Reina Sofía, Peiró participated in the daring and controversial remodeling of the museum collection, one of the major museum projects in the State in recent decades. She was also the curator of a highly acclaimed Picasso exhibition,Rethinking Guernica. The evaluation committee that selected her highlighted both her career trajectory and knowledge of Pablo Picasso's work, as well as "her solid strategic vision and commitment to the city of Barcelona." Peiró's project aims to further develop the idea of ​​an "open, accessible center committed to its surroundings" and consolidate Barcelona as an international center for Picasso studies.

Lluís Nacenta

New director of the Design Museum and head of programs at DHub

Those who opposed the restructuring of the Design Museum's collection undertaken by José Luis de Vicente are once again up in arms: his successor, mathematician and PhD in humanities Luis Nacenta, has a similar profile in terms of a more contemporary vision of heritage and the dialogue between the arts, new art, and design. However, Nacenta will have the advantage of having secured his position as head of programming at Dhub, while De Vicente faced considerable difficulties in this regard. It is urgent to strengthen the coherence of Dhub's programming with that of the Design Museum. Before the Design Museum, Nacenta was the director of Hangar from 2018 to 2021 and is currently head of events and exhibition experiences at the audiovisual production company La Manchester. Among the exhibitions he has curated are...AI, artificial intelligenceat the CCCB, and a monographic exhibition dedicated to Brian EnoLightforms/Soundforms, at the Santa Mónica Arts Center.

All these changes come after those that took place last year, with the arrival of Elisa Meddel at the Foto Colectania Foundation, Mònica Borrell at the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia, Elena Juncosa at the Archaeological Museum of Tarragona, Albert Tudella at the Museum of Science and Technology of Terrassa, and Claudia Elies and Txema Romero at the Sitges Museums.