NEW YORK, NY.- The Museum of Modern Art has appointed Sean Anderson as Associate Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design. He most recently was Senior Lecturer of Design and History and Undergraduate Program Director at the University of Sydney in Australia. In his new role, under the direction of Martino Stierli, The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, Mr. Anderson will work with colleagues in the department to develop the collection, exhibitions, and related public programs, with a special emphasis on contemporary architecture (since 1990). His responsibilities will include overseeing MoMA’s Issues in Contemporary Architecture exhibition series, assisting in curatorial supervision of the Young Architects Program (YAP) both at MoMA PS1 and with international partners, and serving as the primary liaison to architecture communities both locally in New York as well as globally.

“As both an architect and an academic, Sean brings a unique and global perspective to contemporary architecture. He has the capacity to balance the experience of practicing architecture with an intellectually rigorous inquiry into the field, framing contemporary issues in a fascinating and engaging way. We are excited to have him expand our curatorial understanding of contemporary architecture,” said Mr. Stierli.

At the University of Sydney, Mr. Anderson’s research on the evolution of colonial and postcolonial spaces in Africa and the Indian Ocean is based on extensive fieldwork throughout the continent and in South Asia. He is particularly concerned with the intersection of Italian modernism and the evolution of colonial spaces in Eritrea and Libya, and is also undertaking critical research in Australasia on conceptions of the border and violence within architectures of detention and security practices throughout the region. His academic background in Sydney, specifically of research on borders, will allow him to quickly integrate into the curatorial programming at the Museum where his role will encompass local, regional, national, and international contemporary architecture communities.

Mr. Anderson’s research has received support from the Fulbright Program, the Social Science Research Council, the American Academy in Rome, UCLA, and the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. He is a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, and holds degrees in architectural design and the history of architecture and urban development from Cornell University, an MA in architectural design from Princeton University, and a PhD in art history from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has practiced as an architect in Afghanistan, India, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and the United States.