BELO HORIZONTE.- Instituto Inhotim announced the appointment of Rodrigo Moura as its Director of Art and Cultural Programs. Moura has served Instituto Inhotim as Deputy Director and Curator for the past 10 years, helping to develop the collection and commission the works that are the signature of the institution, as well to establish its public mission. His appointment coincides with the departure of Director of Art and Cultural Programs Eungie Joo, who will curate the Sharjah Biennial 12 in the United Arab Emirates (March 2015).

Antonio Grassi, Executive Director of Instituto Inhotim, said: "Instituto Inhotim thanks Eungie Joo for the valuable contributions she made during her time here. Her participation has been important to us as we strive for excellence in the artistic life of Inhotim. We now look forward eagerly to what Rodrigo Moura is certain to achieve with his keen artistic sensibility and profound knowledge of our history. He is more than equal to the challenge of building the future of this unique place, which he has already done so much to form."

Allan Schwartzman, Creative Director and Chief Curator of Instituto Inhotim, said: “Rodrigo has played a central role in the development of our collection and programs pretty much since we founded Inhotim. It is one of the most fulfilling pleasures of my career to share this creative process with him. We are confident that the creativity and intelligence with which Rodrigo has helped shape the vision of our institution will now benefit its management as well."

Rodrigo Moura has worked at Inhotim since 2004, first as adjunct curator, then curator and more recently deputy director of the department he now heads. His main projects at Inhotim have included commissions to Jorge Macchi, Marilá Dardot and Rivane Neuenschwander, among others, and a solo pavilion dedicated to the work of Claudia Andujar, scheduled to open in 2014. Recent external projects are the 43rd Salón Nacional de Artistas in Colombia and the exhibition Planos de Fuga at Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil in São Paulo.

As of February 2014, Moura will lead Inhotim’s contemporary art and, together with Schwartzman and curators Jochen Volz and Júlia Rebouças, he will assume an important role in developing Inhotim’s internationally renowned contemporary art collection, exhibitions and programs.

Rodrigo Moura stated: “It is an honor and a challenge to occupy this position after my dear colleagues Eungie Joo and Jochen Volz. My plan is to focus on new scale solo projects, in conjunction with special attention to the care and circulation of the collection.”

Eungie Joo, outgoing Director of Art and Cultural Programs, joined Instituto Inhotim in August 2012, from the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York. She has decided to leave Inhotim to concentrate on curatorial projects such as the Sharjah Biennial. “Inhotim is a very special institution, and I thank my colleagues for their generosity and support during my tenure here. I look forward to watching Inhotim continue to develop under the directorship of Rodrigo Moura”, says Joo, who will depart Inhotim at the end of January 2014.