Cape Town - The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art announced on Thursday that Mark Coetzee, its executive director and chief curator has resigned.
The museum said in a statement that this follows the initiation of an inquiry into Coetzee’s professional conduct. The Trustees of Zeitz MOCAA suspended him from his duties and he has since tendered his resignation.
According to a statement issued on behalf of the trustees of Zeitz MOCAA, Azu Nwagbogu has been asked to assume the role of executive director and chief curator in the interim. He is currently adjunct curator of the museum.
Zeitz MOCAA opened its doors to the public in September 2017. It promised to offer a platform for the exhibition of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora – despite some criticism about the museum’s choice in leadership and funding.
The reasons for Coetzee’s suspension and subsequent resignation have not been revealed.
The R500m Zeitz MOCAA project involved the redevelopment of an almost 100-year-old historic grain silo, which was originally part of an industrial shipping facility in the Cape Town harbour. It later became a disused industrial building.
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