MUNICH.- Thomas Weski has accepted the offer of an endowed professorship of "Kulturen des Kuratorischen" (Cultures of the Curatorial) and will join the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst (Academy of Visual Arts) in Leipzig on 1 June 2009. Weski, who has worked at the Haus der Kunst since 2003, is currently preparing an overview exhibition of the Berlin photographer Michael Schmidt that he will mount at the Haus der Kunst as a guest curator in spring 2010.

With this show Weski continues the series of photography exhibitions in which the formative positions of artists such as Robert Adams, Lee Friedlander, Andreas Gursky and William Eggleston were already presented at the Haus der Kunst. In addition to the thematic exhibition "Click Doubleclick - The Documentary Moment", which was dedicated to the transition from analog to digital photography, the presentation of collections, including those of Ydessa Hendeles, Ruth and Peter Herzog, Generali Foundation and Martin Parr, constituted the third emphasis of the photography programme.

The post left vacant by Thomas Weski's departure will not be filled by a new employee. The curatorial team was already reinforced last year by the addition of chief curator Dr. Ulrich Wilmes, whose professional expertise is modern and contemporary art; Old Master works will continue to be presented to the public by Dr. León Krempel, while contemporary positions will be presented with the support of Patrizia Dander and Julienne Lorz.

Chris Dercon and the team at the Haus der Kunst congratulate Thomas Weski on this new professional challenge. "Thomas Weski will now be able to contemplate the meaning of curating today with a younger generation and without the constraints of the exhibition operations. I am looking forward to our continued cooperation."