COPENHAGEN.- The Danish Minister of Culture, Marianne Jelved, has appointed Mikkel Bogh director of the National Gallery of Denmark.

The Danish Minister of Culture, Marianne Jelved, says: ”With the choice of Mikkel Bogh we have found a highly knowledgeable, experienced, and visionary director of Denmark’s leading museum of visual art, Statens Museum for Kunst. The museum is currently undergoing a very exciting process of growth and change, and I look forward to seeing Mikkel Bogh’s endeavours to make it even more vibrant and dynamic – for the many users who encounter and are moved by the art there, and for the scholars, curators, and researchers who are constantly and diligently working to support the museum’s work with firm foundations of solid professional insight and knowledge.”

Mikkel Bogh says: ”With its collections spanning more than seven centuries of art, the SMK constitutes a unique and vibrant archive of the world views, imagery, and dreams of many ages, including our own. I cannot imagine a more exciting task than being entrusted with leading the SMK, working in concert with the staff to make the museum an open and welcoming art institution where all visitors will feel included, enlightened, and challenged.”

Mikkel Bogh is 50 years old and holds a mag.art. (MA – research degree) in art history. He has held the position as Rector of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art’s School of Visual arts since 2005, meaning that his tenure included the process of merging the Schools of Visual Arts and Kunsthal Charlottenborg in the autumn of 2012. Up until 2005 Mikkel Bogh held positions at Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen, most recently as head of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Art and Culture and as head of research for comparative literature and modern culture. Mikkel Bogh has also contributed to the acclaimed Danish newspapers Dagbladet Information and Weekendavisen. He has extensive experience as a teacher and head of research, and has an equally extensive record of scholarly publication.

Mikkel Bogh will accede as Director of Statens Museum for Kunst on 1 May 2014.