Stéphane Aquin, curator of contemporary art at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal since 1998, will become chief curator at Washington's Hirschhorn Museum in early 2015. Photo: Éliane Excoffier.
A longtime Montreal curator is poised to lead one of the biggest art institutions in Washington, DC. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden—the Smithsonian Institution‘s museum of international modern and contemporary art—has announced the appointment of Stéphane Aquin as chief curator, effective early 2015.
Aquin will be leaving his position as curator of contemporary art at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, which he has held since 1998. While at the MBAM, he has curated major exhibitions including “Riopelle: Canadian Artist” (2006), “Beyond Pop Art: Tom Wesselmann” (2012) and “Peter Doig: No Foreign Lands” (2014), which gathered 98,868 visitors during its run.
Aquin tells Canadian Art that he is “extremely excited to join the Hirshhorn.” Reflecting on how the transition might affect his curatorial practice, he notes that the institution maintains a “broad vision in terms of curatorial practices,” an approach that complements his own curatorial work, which demonstrates a wide breadth and an openness.
Working to develop the MBAM’s collection, Aquin oversaw the acquisition of more than 1,000 works, including pieces by David Altmejd, Jim Dine, Mark Lewis and Michael Snow. Aquin also expanded the MBAM’s sculpture garden, which holds works by Antony Gormley, Mimmo Paladino and Jaume Plensa, among others.
When asked how his knowledge of Canadian and Quebecois artists might be reflected in his upcoming projects, Aquin notes that he isn’t joining the Hirshhorn as a “herald of Canadian art.” He concedes, however, that his familiarity with Canadian artists may influence his work.
“Every curator comes with their baggage of knowledge, contacts, connections and interests,” Aquin explains, “and it’s all put together for the best of the institution.”
“Stéphane has the vision and experience to lead the Hirshhorn’s curatorial department at a time when we are expanding our profile nationally and internationally,” said Melissa Chiu, director of the Hirshhorn, in a release. “We are fortunate to be able to welcome him to the Hirshhorn.”
The move marks something of a return for the Montreal-born curator, who was raised in the United States and Switzerland. Before joining the MBAM, Aquin worked as an independent art critic from 1992 to 1998, which included time at the Montreal weekly Voir, where he served as chief art critic. Prior to working as an art critic, Aquin held various curatorial positions in Canadian museums.
In joining the Hirshhorn, Aquin will lead the curatorial department in planning exhibitions, installations and managing the collection, which comprises nearly 12,000 objects.
