Emilie Girard (44), chief curator of heritage, has been appointed director of the Museums of the City of Strasbourg, succeeding Paul Lang, director of museums since 2018, who is retiring. She will take office on January 1, 2024.
Arriving in 2006 at the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations (MuCEM) in Marseille, Emilie Girard has spent most of her career there. Currently, she is in charge of scientific, artistic, conservation and research policy. The curator has also been president of ICOM France, the French committee of the International Council of Museums, since October 2022, after having been a member of the board since 2016.
The new director wishes “place its presidency under the sign of the major contemporary challenges of museums, including sustainable development and the renewal of audiences”, said the City of Strasbourg. Its objective is to “propose a unifying dynamic between museums and to initiate shared projects”.
In her new position, Emilie Girard will be responsible for “to drive transformation” Strasbourg Museums in order to increase their influence and make them more accessible. In particular, she will be in charge of the reopening of the zoological museum, in partnership with the University of Strasbourg, as well as the policy of temporary exhibitions and the implementation of renovation projects.
The Strasbourg City Museums have ten establishments, including the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCS), the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of the Work of Notre-Dame, as well as the Museum history and the Alsatian Museum.
