"Now is a pivotal moment for professionals to join the CIMAM Board"

Call for Nominations to the CIMAM Board 2026–28

In this video, Suhanya Raffel reflects on her nine years of service on the CIMAM Board—three of them as President—and invites active CIMAM members to stand for election for the CIMAM Board for the 2026–28 term.

Suhanya Raffel, President of CIMAM and the Museum Director of M+ in Hong Kong.

I have served for 9 years on the CIMAM Board, having joined in 2016 and was nominated to the presidency in 2023. We have seen so much change over this past decade and looking back on my early motivation to join the board was driven by a desire to connect with museum professionals worldwide.

Fostering new dialogues on how our institutions provide nourishment was absolutely sustained over the pandemic years and since then the CIMAM board, together with our association, has worked together on major issues facing us such as climate crisis, ethics, and now managing social division. I hope together we have strengthened museums as vital spaces for community and insight, inspired and founded on the perspectives offered by artists.

Being on the Board has transformed my views on the collective power of modern and contemporary art museums. They are no longer just guardians of objects but active co-creators with communities, amplifying diverse voices, facing the legacies that colonialism wrought and building new knowledge systems to sustain our audiences.

Our primary focus continues to build on global conversations surrounding sustainability, ecology, environmental and social responsibility. In these past few years, the specter of division through geopolitical tensions brings an urgency to our work, to find ways of bridging through the active work of artist. These elements play a crucial role in shaping our museums’ strategic and policy decisions, enabling us to respond effectively and responsibly to the world’s needs. We highlight the vital importance and the dynamic relationship between art, culture, communities and our institutions.

What excites me the most about CIMAM’s future is its potential to drive inclusive, sustainable museums that inspire and unite. By focusing on artists, embracing diverse perspectives, and addressing global challenges, CIMAM leads the way in building modern and contemporary art museums that are vibrant, ethical, and truly transformative for communities worldwide.

Now is a pivotal moment for professionals to join the CIMAM Board. The climate crisis, social divisions, and the evolving roles of our museums demand bold, collaborative leadership to reimagine our institutions.

I am thrilled to be part of this journey and warmly invite you to join this endeavor for the 2026 to 2028 term.