New CIMAM President Appoints Secretary General and Confirms Full Board for 2026–28
Every three years, CIMAM members elect a new Board through a formal voting process. Candidates – drawn from the membership – may serve up to three consecutive terms, representing the professional, ethical, and strategic priorities of this unique international committee for modern and contemporary art museums.
The election process for the 2026–28 CIMAM Board, conducted in accordance with the Bylaws, began on 1 April and concluded on 30 August with the self-nomination of candidates through the organization’s website. CIMAM received a total of 39 candidatures standing for election.
CIMAM members submitted their votes online between 9 and 30 September 2025, with a participation rate of 45% of the international community. The results were communicated to all candidates between 3 and 6 October 2025.
On 29 November 2025, in Turin, the 15 candidates who received the highest number of votes, together with the outgoing Board, elected Amanda de la Garza Mata as President of CIMAM. Amanda has already served on the CIMAM Board for the previous three-year term and was re-elected by the membership.
Zeina Arida, Director of the Mathaf – Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar, has been appointed by the new President, Amanda de la Garza Mata, as Secretary General of CIMAM for the 2026–28 term. Zeina Arida, also re-elected by the membership for her second time, will support the President and the Board of Directors in ensuring the effective governance and strategic continuity of the organization over the next three years.
The formal establishment and announcement of the new Board were made on Sunday, 30 November at 9:15 am during the General Assembly in the framework of the 57th Annual Conference. Earlier that same morning, one of the elected candidates submitted a written letter of resignation to the CIMAM Board. Since the resignation occurred before the formal constitution of the new Board, leaving one of the elected positions vacant, it is hereby reported that the next candidate on the list with the highest number of votes will be incorporated to fill the seat, to ensure the full composition and proper functioning of CIMAM’s governing body.
The candidate who will fill the vacant seat is Jochen Volz, Director General, Pinacoteca de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, and will join the CIMAM Board as a new member for the 2026–28 period.
CIMAM Board 2026–28
- Zeina Arida, Director, Mathaf - Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar
- Raphael Chikukwa, Executive Director, National Gallery of Zimbabwe Harare, Zimbabwe
- Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+, Hong Kong.
- Joselina Cruz, Director and Curator, Museum of Contemporary and Design (MCAD), Manila, Philippines.
- Tatiana Cuevas, General Director, Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáeno (MUAC), Mexico City, Mexico
- Amanda de la Garza Mata Deputy Artistic Director, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS), Madrid, Spain.
- Elvira Dyangani Ose, Director, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), Barcelona, Spain
- Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, Chief Curator, Singapore Art Museum Singapore.
- Clara M Kim, Chief Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, USA.
- Sunjung Kim, Artistic Director, Art Sonje Center, Seoul, South Korea.
- Pablo Lafuente, Artistic Director, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Chus Martinez, Head, Institute Art Gender Nature Basel, Switzerland.
- Stephanie Rosenthal, Director, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
- Kamini Sawhney, Artistic Director, Public Arts Project, BLRHubba, Bengaluru, India.
- Jochen Volz, Director General, Pinacoteca de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil