TORONTO — The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) today announces that John Zeppetelli has been appointed Carol and Morton Rapp Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art. The Montreal-born curator has previously served as Director and Chief Curator of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) in Montreal and as Curator at DHC/ART Foundation (currently known as the PHI Foundation). Zeppetelli assumes the role on Monday, September 16.
“John’s commitment to artistic excellence is matched by his desire to make contemporary art and ideas accessible to wide and diverse audiences. A highly regarded curator with a particular flair for the presentation of video art, John brings with him a global network of artists and collaborators, which promises to position the AGO and its contemporary program as a force to be reckoned with,” says Julian Cox, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, AGO. “These talents and his own deep curiosity will enrich the AGO as it expands its program in anticipation of the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery. We are pleased to welcome John to the AGO and to Toronto.”
“I'm thrilled and honoured to join such an ambitious and important institution,” says John Zeppetelli. “I look forward to working with this reputed team, in exciting and global Toronto.”
The AGO’s collection of modern and contemporary art comprises more than 5,000 works spanning 1900 to the present, reflecting global developments in artistic practice across all media, including moving image, painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, video, and installation art. Recent contemporary acquisitions include Kapwani Kiwanga’s Glow #10 (2019), Derek Sullivan’s Out Standing in a Field (2021-2022) and Ai Weiwei’s Marble Plate (2010).
Focusing on the creation of exceptional contemporary art experiences at the AGO, in his new role Zeppetelli will lead the team as they prepare for the opening in 2027 of the Dani Reiss Modern & Contemporary Gallery. Designed to accommodate the museum’s growing modern and contemporary art collection, when complete, the expansion will add to the AGO an additional 40,000 sq. feet of flexible space, over five floors.
The Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art role has been an endowed position since 2015, thanks to the support of the late Carol and Morton Rapp, whose longstanding leadership, advocacy, and support, have been integral to the AGO’s programs and collection.
ABOUT JOHN ZEPPETELLI
Born in Montreal, John Zeppetelli has extensive experience at public and private galleries in the US and UK in addition to curatorial and teaching roles in Quebec and Nova Scotia. As Director and Chief Curator at the Musée d’art contemporain (MAC) in Montreal, he led a large team and simultaneously curated many exhibitions. He also led the capital campaign for the renovation of MAC’s premises that is currently underway.
He has previously held curatorial roles with Phi Foundation for Contemporary Art (DHC/ART) in Montréal and Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, UK. Recent curatorial projects include Velvet Terrorism: Pussy Riot’s Russia (2023), Jeremy Shaw’s Phase Shifting Index (2023), Mundos by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles (2017) and Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything (2017).
An award-winning filmmaker whose work has been screened internationally in festivals and galleries, John has curated media arts festivals in both Canada and Europe. He has lectured in Video Art at NSCAD University and at Concordia University, where he also ran the MFA Visiting Artist Program.
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Contemporary programming at the AGO is supported by Canada Council for the Arts
ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. The AGO is embarking on the seventh expansion it has undertaken since the museum was founded in 1900. When completed, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will increase exhibition space for the museum’s growing modern and contemporary collection. With its groundbreaking Annual Pass program, the AGO is one of the most affordable and accessible attractions in the GTA. Visit ago.ca to learn more.
The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts, and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors, and private-sector partners.
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