SALZBURG.- On 1 September 2018 Thorsten Sadowsky, who previously headed the Kirchner Museum in Davos, Switzerland, assumed office as the new Director of the Museum der Moderne Salzburg.

At the Museum der Moderne Salzburg Sadowsky will continue his focus on a successful art and cultural mediation and will put the audience in the spotlight. Therefore, he aims to ensure that the Museum receives a greater response from the general public through a broad spectrum of exhibitions ranging from classical modernity to conceptual art, light, sound and media art and to current positions in non-European art. At the same time, he plans to connect further with local and international art institutions and event formats to reflect the profile of Salzburg as a cultural and festival hub. Together with the team of the Museum der Moderne Salzburg Sadowsky plans to develop a mission statement to enhance the idea of a transparent museum. “I see the museum as an open discursive forum, which derives its legitimacy from a critical localization of the present and picks up the urgent questions of the time. Without knowledge of the past, the present runs the risk of ending in repetition. I am therefore looking forward to develop a history-conscious vision for the Museum of the 21st Century together with the museum team.” Sadowsky’s plans also include a sharpening of the collection profile. “The competencies in the field of photography existing at the Museum der Moderne Salzburg should also become increasingly visible in exhibitions. Therefore, I would like to present the Federal Photography Collection at the Museum der Moderne Salzburg more prominently and in connection with the Museum’s own collections. Furthermore, the significant Generali Foundation Collection allows us to create exciting exhibitions,” says the new Director.

Prior to his directorship in Switzerland, Sadowsky spent many years working as a curator and museum director in Scandinavia and was the founding director of the Museum Kunst der Westküste on the German island of Föhr. Thorsten Sadowsky has curated more than 70 exhibitions and published numerous catalogs on classical modern and contemporary art.

Thorsten Sadowsky will present his program for 2019 on 5 December 2018, 11 a.m., at the Museum der Moderne Salzburg. “Until then, I look forward to working with the team and getting to know each other.