The CIMAM Board Gathers in Barcelona

As in previous years of the current triennium, Barcelona has once again hosted one of the three annual CIMAM Board meetings. Since 2005, CIMAM’s Executive Office has been based in the city, and for the past three years, its headquarters have been located at the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA).

This year, from 24 to 26 June, the members of the CIMAM Board gathered in Barcelona and were warmly welcomed once again by Han Nefkens, collector and founder of the Han Nefkens Foundation. He opened his home not only to the Board but also to CIMAM’s patrons and local and international colleagues.

This annual reception continues to be a meaningful opportunity to strengthen ties, welcome new collaborators, and express our gratitude to those who support CIMAM’s mission across the globe.

During the evening, Suhanya Raffel, President of CIMAM and Museum Director of M+ in Hong Kong, expressed the CIMAM Board’s gratitude for Han Nefkens’ generosity.

A highlight of the evening was the presence of two future hosts of CIMAM’s Annual Conferences. Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, co-host of the 2025 edition in Turin alongside Fondazione Torino Musei and Castello di Rivoli, attended the event, joined by Luigi Cerutti, Secretary General of the Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT, whose support has been key to making the conference possible.

An important announcement was also made: in 2026, CIMAM’s Annual Conference will take place for the first time on the African continent, in Harare, Zimbabwe, hosted by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe under the direction of Raphael Chikukwa.

Although Raphael was unable to attend in person that evening, he joined the event remotely, sharing his enthusiasm and commitment to this historic moment for CIMAM.

Also present were Elvira Dyangani Ose, Director of MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona) and a member of the 2026 Annual Conference Contents Committee, and Mercedes Vilardell, Chair of Tate’s African Acquisitions Committee and key supporter of CIMAM’s travel grant program. Both were there to support and reinforce the significance of the announcement.

The reception was attended by CIMAM Board members, including Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director M+ Hong, Kong, Bart De Baere, Director, M HKA, Antwerp, Belgium; Joselina Cruz, Director/Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila, Philippines; Amanda de la Garza, Artistic Deputy Director, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS), Madrid, Spain; Malgorzata Ludwisiak Ph.D., Museum Management Expert / Freelance Curator / Academic Teacher, Warsaw, Poland; Victoria Noorthoorn, Director, Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Agustin Pérez-Rubio, Independent Curator, Madri, Spain: Kamini Sawhney, Head, Public Arts Projects, BlrHubba, Museum Management Expert, Independent Curator, Bangalore, India; Yu Jin Seng, Director (Curatorial, Research & Exhibitions), National Gallery Singapore, Singapore.

It was also a valuable opportunity to be and engage with some of CIMAM’s Patrons, whose support is essential to sustaining our activities and expanding our impact. On this occasion, we were joined by Nimfa Bisbe, Director of the Collection Fundació "La Caixa" (Barcelona, Spain); Josée and Marc Gensollen (Marseille, France); Jamilya Nurkalieva, Director, and Alima Kairat, Artistic Director from the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Art (Almaty, Kazakhstan); Quynh Nguyen Thuy from the Nguyen Art Foundation (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam); and Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, who this year has become a CIMAM Benefactor.

Museums and Sustainability: An Essential Dialogue

On Wednesday, 25 June, Suhanya Raffel took part in a professional conversation on sustainability in the cultural sector, organized by Fundació MACBA. The session, moderated by cultural manager and curator Llucià Homs, focused on CIMAM’s Sustainability Working Group and the Outstanding Museum Practice Award (OMPA) initiative.

Cultural Visits and Artist Studios

Later that same day, the agenda continued with a special visit to MACBA, led by its director Elvira Dyangani Ose, to explore the exhibition by Coco Fusco, curated by Elvira. This was followed by a guided tour of the exhibition dedicated to Carlos Motta, co-curated by CIMAM Board member Agustín Pérez Rubio and María Berríos.

The following morning, several Board members visited the Marta Palau exhibition at Museu Tàpies, guided by the museum’s director, Imma Prieto. They also toured a number of artist studios in L’Hospitalet, where they were introduced to the work of the collective TAKK, the space FASE.XYZ, and the studio of Pedro Torres.

This visit was organized with the support of the Institut Ramon Llull, to whom CIMAM extends its sincere thanks.

The CIMAM Board wishes to thank all the friends and collaborators who helped make these three days in Barcelona a truly enriching and memorable experience.