NEW YORK, NY.- The Rubin Museum of Art has hired Jorrit A.M. Britschgi, currently the head of exhibitions at Museum Rietberg in Zurich, to join the institution as Director of Exhibitions, Collections, and Research.

In this role, Britschgi will shape and oversee the Rubin Museum’s exhibitions program, leading the entire curatorial staff and driving strategies for exhibition development, greater and deeper audience engagement, and collections-based research.

"Jorrit’s leadership in the field and his creative approach to exhibitions will guide us as we move further into our second decade as an institution,” said Patrick Sears, Executive Director. “As the Rubin Museum engages a growing number of local and global visitors and produces new research on its collections, Jorrit’s impressive record of both academic and cross-cultural exhibitions and his youthful and inquisitive style will both serve our mission and increase its impact.”

As the Rubin undergoes a rigorous collection assessment, Britschgi will guide future research and publications, while also cultivating the Museum’s long-term loan and acquisitions programs.

“The Rubin Museum’s collection of Himalayan art is unmatched, providing a rich foundation for new discoveries as well as a bridge that allows people to understand contemporary life, connections to the arts, sciences, and philosophy, and ideas that extend across humanity and time,” Britschgi said. “I’m thrilled to join the Rubin and looking forward to working collaboratively with the entire institution to offer more immersive and engaging experiences for visitors who don’t yet know of this amazing place.”

At the Museum Rietberg, Britschgi was manager for the exhibitions program and curator for Indian painting. He also organized collaborations with partner institutions and serves as managing publisher of Artibus Asiae, one of the leading scholarly journals in Asian art and archaeology. Exhibitions for the Rietberg include Akbar’s Golden Legacy (2015–2016), Master of Indian Painting (2011), and Rama and Sita – The Ramayana in Indian Painting (2008). He jointly developed exhibitions like The Cosmos – An Enduring Mystery (2014-2015). Many of Britschgi’s signature exhibitions examine a central topic from several angles in order to illuminate cross-cultural connections.

Mentored by the renowned scholar Eberhard Fischer, Britschgi has a background in Chinese art history, which has broadened over the last decade to include a specific focus on Indian painting. He received his Ph.D. in East Asian Art History from the University of Zurich, where he served as a lecturer. Britschgi has also worked on archaeological sites in China and Bhutan. He begins work at the Rubin Museum in early March, 2016.