museum director, curator and author

Melissa Chiu is a museum director, curator and author.
She is an authority on museum leadership and international contemporary art.

She is currently the director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the national museum of modern art and a part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

John Akomfrah is having a moment. Knighted in the new year’s honors and just this week, the announcement that he will represent the UK at the next Venice Biennale.
Honored to have acquired his work @hirshhorn where it’s on display in &lsq

We found a good reason to gather together women national museum directors @hirshhorn.

Nearly 15 years ago @washingtonpost commissioned @guerilla_girls_ to create a work that drew attention to the lack of representation of women in our national mus

The real Kusama! My first visit to her studio in Tokyo in 2015 to invite her to create an exhibition @hirshhorn focussed on her infinity mirrored rooms. (Until then, her infinity net paintings were the main focus of interest.)…and the rest is

So sad to lose Aaron Levine today. He, and his wife Barbara, were obsessed with Marcel Duchamp—Collecting his art and even traveling to his grave site in Rouen. Aaron always had a quip but he was most animated when talking about art and artists

Wishing all the best for 2023! Some memories of the year in art in no particular order…

1.Yuree Kensaku, dystopic beach view for #hawaiitriennial2022 @hawaiicontemporary @yureekensaku
2. Toyin Ojih Odutola, ‘A Countervailing Theory&rsq

Some images to accompany ‘Hiroshi Sugimoto is right on time’ by Emma Allen in the New Yorker December 19 issue. A walkthrough of his New York studio. #hiroshisugimoto @hiroshisugimotoart @hirshhorn @newyorkermag

Appreciative of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s vision for the Hirshhorn’s new sculpture garden.

Best-known as a photographer, he began to design spaces for his art when he staged his first major retrospective at the museum in 2006. (He loved the cu

@hankwillisthomas and @forfreedoms (Hank Willis Thomas, Emily Shur, Eric Gottesman) (2018) reinterpret Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms

Yesterday was an historic moment for the @hirshhorn, marking the groundbreaking for a new design for a 21st century sculpture garden by artist/architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. There to mark the occasion (from right to left) Laurie Anderson, Adam Pendleton

Detail of a 1978 pen and ink drawing by Iranian artist Ardeshir Mohasses. The work was included in an exhibition I worked on with @shirin__neshat and @nickynodjoumi as curators @asiasociety 14 years ago. Thank you Shirin for continuing to bring atte

A friend took this photo after a weekend of seven openings at museums and venues across Honolulu for the Hawaii Triennial 2022. It was an exhibition across the city in conventional and unconventional spaces with the theme of Pacific Century, an idea

James Turrell ‘within without’ 2010
#installationart #jamesturrell

Amy Sillman, one of nearly 50 women and non gender conforming artist’s work from @hirshhorn collection in a new exhibition titled ‘Put it this Way’ after a featured Roslyn Drexler painting. Half the works have never been exhibited a

Today was the last day of the @hirshhorn Sam Gilliam: Full Circle exhibition. Although many years in the planning it was of Sam’s most recent body of work and his last exhibition. A fitting recognition of him today included a conversation conve

Still the most significant and compelling work in Australia. 200 hollow log coffins made by Aboriginal artists to mark the bicentenary of European settlement. Commissioned by curator/artist Djon Mundine, it’s the first work you see at the entra

Humbled and honored to be awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts and Design from the @unsw in Sydney. I took it as a chance to recognize the significance of 4a center for contemporary Asian Art @4a_aus , where I was founding director. It began life as an

Over the weekend, Laurie Anderson’s composition ‘Quartet for Sol’ (1972-4) was a tribute to conceptual artist Sol LeWitt. Performed masterfully by Rubin Kodheli, Kyle Armbrust, Tema Watstein, and Yezu Woo. @hirshhorn @laurieanderso

Saddened by the passing of Sam Gilliam. An artist with the courage to continue his practice for seven decades.
Honored to have worked with him on our current show, his last, ‘Sam Gilliam: Full Circle’ with new works and ‘Rail&rsquo

Nicolas Party shares his process and inspiration for his @hirshhorn commission ‘Draw The Curtain’ his largest work yet. Lots of art historical references in the curtains, think Dutch 17th c paintings… @nicolasparty #publicart #hirs