Curator and writer Reuben Keehan has been appointed artistic director of the forthcoming Kontempo – Center for Contemporary Art in Manila, a new institution developed by the Ayala Foundation. Keehan will relocate from Australia, ending his 15-year tenure as curator of contemporary art at Brisbane’s Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art. In other career moves, Manuel Rabaté has become CEO and director of New Delhi’s Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, bringing over 25 years of museum leadership including his previous role as inaugural director of Louvre Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the Kochi Biennale Foundation has named board member and Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat as president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, succeeding Bose Krishnamachari who resigned in January.
These appointments signal significant leadership transitions across major Asian art institutions, reflecting a growing internationalization of curatorial and directorial talent in the region. Keehan’s move from a major Australian museum to a new Philippine contemporary art center underscores the expanding infrastructure for contemporary art in Southeast Asia, while Rabaté’s shift from Louvre Abu Dhabi to a prominent Indian private museum highlights the increasing global mobility of museum professionals. Kallat’s appointment as president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, coming from within the biennale’s board and with prior curatorial experience, suggests continuity and artistic vision for one of Asia’s most important biennials.