Louise Osieka new artistic and general director at Bonnefanten

With a new generation at the helm, Bonnefanten continues to chart a distinctive course

Louise Osieka will become the new general and artistic director of Bonnefanten effective 1 January 2027. She succeeds Stijn Huijts, who is retiring after nearly fifteen years at the helm of the museum. In appointing Osieka, Bonnefanten is opting for a new generation of cultural leadership: artistically distinctive, enterprising and unifying, firmly rooted in Limburg and the Euregion and with an instinctively international outlook.

Together with the team, Osieka will build on the course Bonnefanten has set in recent years: attuned to the times, surprising, engaged and internationally ambitious, with strong roots in Limburg. Spanning some 1,000 years of art, Bonnefanten’s rich and distinctive collection forms one of the museum’s cornerstones in this direction: a collection that is cherished, researched and made accessible, and which is continually reconnected with artists, contemporary perspectives and the public. Bonnefanten creates space for work and ideas that do not automatically find a platform everywhere, and fosters a dialogue between historical and contemporary art. Education and participation are an integral part of this strategy, with attention to people of all ages and a broad, diverse and inclusive audience. As general and artistic director, Osieka will be responsible for the museum’s artistic profile and its strategic direction, reinforced by strong alliances and its position within society.

Her appointment follows an intensive search carried out in collaboration with MAART Executive Search and an international advisory committee, during which around seventy potential candidates were identified. After several selection rounds, Osieka emerged convincingly as the preferred candidate. The supervisory board was unanimous in its decision.

Lieve Schouterden, chair of the Supervisory Board:

‘In appointing Louise, we are making a conscious choice for both continuity and renewal, for a new generation of leadership that is in keeping with Bonnefanten and the museum’s direction. We are fully confident that, together with her co-director and the team, she will take Bonnefanten forward.’

Bastiaan Klomp, chair of the selectioncommittee:

‘We aimed high right from the start. We were looking for someone with artistic vision and international ambitions, but also with proven leadership skills, an entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to bring people and worlds together. It was precisely this combination that convinced us Louise was the right choice. In a wide-ranging and meticulous selection process, she emerged convincingly as our preferred candidate.’

From Limburg to the world – and back again

Louise Osieka is an art historian, curator and cultural entrepreneur. She has ten years’ experience as artistic and general director of cultural organisations specialising in contemporary art: first at Jester, where she oversaw a merger and the construction of three new buildings. This was followed by five years at C-Mine in Genk, a multidisciplinary organisation located at a historic site with around thirty staff members, a large group of volunteers and some 450,000 visitors per year. Osieka also has a solid background in collection development. She was curator of the National Bank of Belgium’s collection of modern and contemporary art. As a member of the acquisitions committees of the Flemish Government and the Flemish Parliament, she brought works by artists including Laure Prouvost, Hana Miletić and Lucy McKenzie into public collections. Osieka has collaborated with the Whitechapel Gallery, the Triennale Milano and the Design Museum in London, has been a guest lecturer at ETH Zurich and is chair of Kunsthal Mechelen.

This combination of international experience and regional roots is a good fit for Bonnefanten. Osieka is convinced that international quality can only be achieved on the basis of a strong local foundation. Additionally, she also sees opportunities from Maastricht to further strengthen the cultural ties between Dutch and Belgian Limburg.

Louise Osieka

‘Bonnefanten has a strong and clear vision, and that is precisely what makes this move so appealing to me. The museum dares to take a stand, provides a platform for artists and perspectives that don’t automatically get one everywhere, and combines international quality with deep roots in Limburg. Rooted in the past, imagining futures: for me, this is the essence of what a museum can be today. The Bonnefanten collection holds centuries of stories, ranging from medieval art to the work of contemporary artists. I want to pass on these stories and ensure they resonate across generations. I’m really looking forward to working with Peggy and the team to build on what has been achieved here with so much vision, knowledge and energy, and to add my own touch to it over time. From Maastricht, looking outwards with the doors wide open.’

Stijn Huijts, general and artistic director at Bonnefanten:

‘The Bonnefanten has found an outstanding successor in Louise Osieka. I think it’s fantastic that this initiative is creating opportunities for young talent, diversity and a new generation of cultural entrepreneurship. Louise is set to get off to a flying start; the Bonnefanten is in great shape, with a brilliant team, a smoothly running organisation, a distinctive direction and plenty of potential in its future. I wish her every success and, above all, lots of enjoyment in her work. I am handing the Bonnefanten over to her with full confidence.’

From 1 January, Osieka will form the management team at Bonnefanten alongside Deputy Director/Director of Operations Peggy van Sebillen. The period leading up to her taking up the post will be devoted to ensuring a smooth handover.

Note for the editor

For further information on the appointment of Louise Osieka and Stijn Huijts’ departure:

Esther Wagemans, Head of Communications & Marketing, wagemans@bonnefanten.nl

The coming period at Bonnefanten will focus on Stijn Huijts’ departure. Louise Osieka is not giving any interviews at the moment. Interviews and introductory meetings with her can be scheduled from December onwards, with a view to her taking up her post on 1 January 2027.

For interview requests with Stijn Huijts and other press enquiries, please get in touch using the contact details above.

Images of Louise Osieka are available for publication, provided the photographer is credited.