The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London announced today that artist Wolfgang Tillmans has been appointed as the new chair of its board of directors. Tillmans will be the first artist to lead the board in more than thirty years. He succeeds Hadeel Ibrahim, who helped develop a new governance structure for the institute, which promotes a more collective model of leadership. Ibrahim is relocating to Iceland to focus on climate justice.

“Times like these are times for artists to lead,” said Stefan Kalmár, head of the ICA. “I could not be happier to have Wolfgang chairing the ICA Board. I am looking forward to working with him to build on the achievements of the past twenty-four months since I started as director. I would like to thank Hadeel for her leadership in a time of transition and am grateful for her dedication in transforming the governance of the ICA.”

Tillmans, the first non-British artist to win the Turner Prize, is based in London and Berlin, where he runs a nonprofit exhibition space, Between Bridges, that organizes programming focused on the advancement of democracy, international exchange, the arts, and LGBTQ rights. The artist has been featured in solo shows at the Modern Art Museum: Gebre Kristos Desta Center of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (2019); the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (2018); the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (2018); Fondation Beyeler, Basel (2017); and Tate Modern, London (2017); among other institutions.

Commenting on his new role, Tillmans said: “Since my student days, the ICA has given me the opportunity to see pioneering art of varying media first-hand. Today I am proud to serve this important institution as chair and help to support the ICA at a time when its importance as a progressive space for culture in the heart of London is becoming ever more important.”