Monika Szewczyk,
2022

Monika Szewczyk has been director of de Appel in Amsterdam from May 1 2019 to May 1 2022. Previously, she was curator for documenta 14 in Athens and Kassel (2015-2017); Visual Arts Program Curator at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago (2012-2014); Head of Publications at Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam (2008–2011); Assistant Curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery (2004–2007) and Program Coordinator of the Belkin Satellite, a downtown outpost of the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, University of British Columbia (2001-2003), her alma mater. Having studied International Relations and Art History as well as theatre, film and fine arts at UBC, she went on to lecture, advise and lead seminars that address the specific techniques of art- and history-making found along her own diasporic path. Her work draws on nearly two decades of practice organizing exhibitions and publishing in close dialogue with artists who pose vital and courageous questions – in key instances acting as co-curators, teachers, historians and lyricists themselves. Her own teaching experience began at Emily Carr University in Vancouver (2002-2007) and includes writing mentorship at Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam (2008-2012), political theology seminars at Bergen Academy of Art and Design (2011), exhibition study seminars at the University of Chicago (2012-2014) and the gradual evolution of de Appel’s Curatorial Programme curriculum. Her writings and interviews as well as her editorial work can be found in numerous artists’ publications, readers, catalogues and in journals such as South as a State of Mind, e-flux journal online, Mousse Magazine, Artforum and Afterall.

Her work at de Appel has been chronicled in a recent interview by Mirela Baciak for OCULA.