Alex Farquharson to become the new head of Tate Britain

The Nottingham Contemporary director has been dubbed one of the 'great curatorial talents of his generation'

Alex Farquharson will join Tate Britain as director in the late autumn (Rii Schroer/REX)

Nottingham Contemporary director Alex Farquharson, dubbed one of the “great curatorial talents of his generation,” is to become the new head of Tate Britain.

Mr Farquharson, 45, was the driving force behind the success of Nottingham Contemporary which has attracted over a million visitors in the past five years and was described by Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota as “one of the leading art galleries in the UK”.

Tate Britain have announced that Mr Farquharson will join as director in the late autumn. Louisa Buck, contemporary art correspondent at The Art Newspaper, said: “I’m delighted. He’s a brilliant appointment; I’m a long-standing admirer of his work as a curator and writer.”

Mr Farquharson succeeds Penelope Curtis, the first woman to run the institution. Dr Curtis, whose five-year reign met with a mixed reaction from critics, announced earlier this year she was to join Lisbon’s Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.

Mr Farquharson’s appointment would be a “shot in the arm” for Tate Britain, Ms Buck said, adding he had made Nottingham Contemporary a “must visit” space.

“It is popular with the art world and the local community which is no mean feat,” she continued. “He’s got a real eye for contemporary art and historical.”

Mr Farquharson said: “As the home of 500 years of British art, Tate Britain has a unique and fascinating position in the cultural life of the nation.

“I look forward to working with a highly skilled and experienced team of curators to share these histories with audiences of all kinds.”

He was founding director of Nottingham Contemporary, joining the organisation in 2007 before the gallery opened to the public two years later.

It kicked off with a David Hockney show and artists exhibitions have ranged from JMW Turner to Turner Prize winners Steve McQueen and Mark Leckey.

Jack Kirkland, chair of Nottingham Contemporary’s trustees said: “Alex is one of the great curatorial talents of his generation, and I am excited to see what he will accomplish at Tate Britain.” He added the gallery had become respected locally and internationally under Mr Farquharson’s leadership.