José Esparza Chong Cuy has been appointed as the new Executive Director and Chief Curator at Storefront for Art and Architecture. Following the departure of former director Eva Franch i Gilabert to London as the new Director of the Architectural Association, the extensive international search to fill her shoes began. An architect, curator, and writer, originally from Mexico, Esparza Chong Cuy was named and will assume the position starting November 1st.
Storefront, a non-profit organization based in New York City, engages in the advancement of design and architecture with interdisciplinary dialogue through exhibitions and projects that aim to transcend geographic and ideological boundaries. Charles Renfro, President of Storefront's Board of Directors, remarks, "We are thrilled to welcome José to the helm of Storefront, the very institution where he began his curatorial career over a decade ago."
After starting his young career as a Curatorial Associate at Storefront, Esparza Chong Cuy went on to serve as a Research Fellow at the New Museum, Contributing Editor at Domus magazine, Co-Curator of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, Associate Curator at Museo Jumex in Mexico City, and the Pamela Alper Associate Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), before returning to the institution.
From his prior term at MCA, Esparza Chong Cuy will continue to oversee the curation of a solo exhibition of Jonathas de Andrade featuring a major retrospective of the work of Lina Bo Bardi, in collaboration with Museu de Arte de São Paulo and Museo Jumex. His other curations highlighting the works of international artists reflect his global background, an aspect critical to the principles and ideologies of Storefront.
Through my directorship, I will strive to carry on this legacy by continuing to build bridges across contexts and disciplines, and to provide new tools to navigate the complex world we live in.
-José Esparza Chong Cuy
In addition to his impressive work experience, Esparza Chong Cuy holds a Master of Science in Critical, Curatorial, and Conceptual Practices in Architecture from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, as well as a Bachelor of Architecture from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente in Guadalajara, Mexico.
News via: Storefront for Art and Architecture
