Written answers

Tuesday, 2 October 2018

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Appointments to State Boards

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a new director will be appointed to the Irish Museum of Modern Art; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39814/18]

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The appointment of a new Director is a matter, in the first instance, for the Board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, subject to my approval after consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

The former Director of IMMA resigned from her post in November 2017 and an interim Director was appointed by the Board of IMMA with effect from 4 December 2017.

Following consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the post of Director of IMMA was advertised on 8 June 2018 and the closing date for applications was 22 June 2018. I am glad to report that there has been strong interest in this competition.

The interview process is ongoing and will be completed in the coming weeks. The Board of IMMA hope to be in a position to appoint a new Director shortly thereafter. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the interim Director Dr Moling Ryan for his on-going commitment to IMMA since last December.

In the meantime IMMA has already launched a number of new exhibitions in 2018. This has included a comprehensive retrospective of work by seminal British artist Frank Bowling and an exhibition of paintings by the Irish artist- Brian Maguire - arising from his visit to Syria in 2017. Future exhibitions will include the work of Wolfgang Tillmans, a renowned German photographer and winner of the Turner Prize in 2000, as well as an exhibition of work by the important Irish artist Mary Swanzy.

IMMA’s mission is to connect audiences and art, providing an extraordinary space in Ireland where contemporary life and contemporary art connect. It has a large and engaged audience which is young and digitally connected. An estimated 60% of its nearly 500,000 visitors in 2017 were under 44! In this regard IMMA has ambitious plans for the development of its facilities under Project 2040 including a dedicated on campus Collections and Learning Centre. All of this provides both opportunities and challenges for the new Director at IMMA.

My Department and I will continue to work with IMMA to ensure that its challenging mission is fulfilled.

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