Suzanne Landau: A Curatorial Legacy

Israel Museum (1984)

One of Landau’s earliest and most formative curatorial projects was a solo exhibition of Kiefer’s work at the Israel Museum in 1984, which she organized as Curator of Contemporary Art. The project established a long-standing institutional relationship between Kiefer and the Israel Museum, with works created for the exhibition entering the collection and forming the basis of an ongoing dialogue between the artist and the institution. Some of Kiefer’s artworks from the collection are currently on view at the museum.

Israel Museum (1995)

In 1995, the Israel Museum presented a major exhibition of Richter’s work, centered on his October series — depicting members of the Baader-Meinhof group — widely regarded as one of his most significant and controversial bodies of work. Showing the series in Jerusalem at the time was a bold curatorial move, given its political sensitivity and the charged nature of its imagery. During the exhibition’s preparation, the works were acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, with Richter insisting that the series be exhibited in Jerusalem before being transferred to the USA.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2018)

Opening at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in October 2018, Modern Times brought fifty major works of modernism from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Israel, including canonical pieces by Monet, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, and Dalí. The exhibition, Landau’s final project as Director, became a major blockbuster and one of the most successful shows in the museum’s history, generating queues that the museum had never experienced before. Its impact was widely attributed to Landau’s initiative and timing — seizing a rare opportunity to present these iconic works in Israel for the first time.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art / Israel Museum acquisition (2018, 2012)

In 2018, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art presented Marclay’s groundbreaking 24-hour video work The Clock, drawing audiences who queued to experience the piece in real time, even at unconventional hours. Alongside curating the exhibition in Tel Aviv, Landau played a central role in bringing the work to Israeli audiences, having been instrumental in its joint acquisition by the Israel Museum in 2012, during her tenure as Chief Curator of Fine Arts, together with Tate and Centre Pompidou. This acquisition was more than symbolic: it placed an Israeli institution in direct alignment with leading global museums, reflecting a trajectory that Landau’s career has consistently advanced.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2018)

Landau’s highly acclaimed solo exhibition of French-American artist Louise Bourgeois brought one of the most important artists of the twentieth century to Israel in a major, large-scale presentation. Featuring a wide range of iconic works, the show offered Israeli audiences an unprecedented encounter with Bourgeois’ practice. Co-curated with Jerry Gorovoy, who worked closely with the artist for over three decades, Twosome stands as a testament to Landau’s remarkable contribution to the Israeli art world — a significant institutional achievement that exemplifies the kind of ambitious, internationally resonant project that defines her curatorial vision.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2021)

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art made the bold decision to stage one of the most high-profile international exhibitions of the moment. The solo show of Yayoi Kusama, curated by Landau (together with Stephanie Rosenthal), proved an extraordinary success, drawing record-breaking visitor numbers and becoming the most attended exhibition in Israel’s history. The Japanese artist’s immersive works quickly dominated local social media and press, attracting both seasoned museumgoers and entirely new audiences. The exhibition also marked the beginning of the Nassima Landau Art Foundation, prompting the first meeting between Landau and Steeve Nassima that would lead to a significant and ongoing cultural partnership.