Nina Zimmer appointed as General Director of the Belvedere in Vienna

Over the past ten years, Nina Zimmer, as Director, has significantly influenced both the Kunstmuseum Bern and Zentrum Paul Klee with great dedication. She enhanced international visibility, realized numerous acclaimed exhibitions, and initiated new forms of mediation. Additionally, she played a significant role in handling the Gurlitt legacy, a dossier in which the Kunstmuseum Bern set new standards.

The exhibition program combined presentations of the Old Masters, exhibitions on Baroque in Bern ('Der Weg zum Glück. Die Berner Kebes-Tafel und die Bilderwelten des Barock') and 19th century art ('“Vivre notre temps!” Bonnard, Vallotton and the Nabis') with important positions of modernism and central voices of contemporary art, including many female artists. Noteworthy was the 'Mon Exposition' exhibition on Meret Oppenheim, which gained significant international resonance. Other defining exhibition projects under her aegis were dedicated to artists such as Anni Albers, El Anatsui, Max Bill, Hannah Höch, Lee Krasner, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Le Corbusier, Joan Miró, Gabriele Münter, Isamu Noguchi, Carol Rama, Amy Sillman, and Chaïm Soutine, as well as North and South Korean art, the Bauhaus, and Brazilian modernism.

The appointment as the new General Director of the Belvedere is considered an accolade and acknowledges Nina Zimmer's past achievements. The Belvedere in Vienna is one of Europe's largest museum complexes, with over 2 million visitors last year, it is Austria's most visited art museum.

'I do not leave Bern willingly,' says Nina Zimmer. 'The past ten years have been an intense and extraordinarily enriching time. Together with the fantastic teams at both venues, we were able to realize a lot, such as shaping the handling of the Gurlitt legacy and displaying a multitude of fascinating exhibitions. At the same time, I am very much looking forward to the new task in Vienna. I am very grateful for what I was able to help shape here. I will forever feel connected to the Kunstmuseum Bern, the Zentrum Paul Klee, and the many people in Bern with whom I was able to walk a part of the way together.'

Jonathan Gimmel, President of the Foundation's Executive Board, says: 'Nina Zimmer's appointment as General Director of the Belvedere is a great accolade— not only for her personally but also for the Kunstmuseum Bern and Zentrum Paul Klee. Nina Zimmer has shaped our institutions in recent years with visionary power, an international network, and extraordinary commitment. Significant exhibition projects with international influence belong to this, as well as her committed work for the comprehensive renovation and future project of the Kunstmuseum Bern. That such a significant European institution now appoints her to its top position fills us with pride. We sincerely thank Nina Zimmer for her work in Bern and wish her all the best and much success in this new role.'

Nina Zimmer will remain Director in Bern until autumn 2026 and will continue to accompany ongoing projects as before. The next exhibition openings are in July with 'Anne Loch. Painting: So what?' at the Zentrum Paul Klee and in August with the long-anticipated major Franz Gertsch exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Bern, realized in collaboration with the Museum Franz Gertsch.

The international search for a successor will start in April. To this end, the Executive Board will appoint a selection committee with national and international experts.

Media contact:
Martina Witschi
Communication & Media Relations
Kunstmuseum Bern – Zentrum Paul Klee
Press Department
press@kmbzpk.ch, +41 31 328 09 93

Kunstmuseum Bern
Hodlerstrasse 8-12, 3011 Bern
kunstmuseumbern.ch

Zentrum Paul Klee
Monument im Fruchtland 3, 3006 Bern
zpk.org

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: christinestrub.ch / Photographer: Christine Strub