The Board of the Royal Institute of Art nominate to the government Sanne Kofod Olsen, currently Dean at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Gothenburg, as the Vice-Chancellor for the institute, starting in spring 2023.
Ewa Kumlin, chairman of The Board of the Royal Institute of Art, is pleased that the board – consisting of external members appointed by the government, as well as internal members of students and teachers – agreed to put forward Sanne Kofod Olsen as their chosen candidate.
– Sanne Kofod Olsen has a solid background in both art and education. In addition, she has a proven record of strong leadership skills. These qualities, paired with her pedagogical commitment and her deep understanding of the prerequisites for contemporary art, will carry the Royal Institute of Art into future advancements where a solid base has been built for years. Ahead of us are plans to rebuild the premises and to continue working on the organisation’s new structure. At the same time, we must consider today’s financial reality for which challenges we will tackle without sacrificing Royal Institute of Art’s unique role for Fine Art, Artistic Research and Architecture.
Sanne Kofod Olsen looks forward to developing the Royal Institute of Art’s Fine Art program, in line with the institute’s vision and strategy. Additionally, she aims to advance the organisation towards a sustainable future.
– The Royal Institute of Art is a unique institution, safeguarding the fine art, the architectural and the educational discourse. The size of the school favours close collaborations both internally and externally. In addition, it has a long history, being one of the oldest art institutions in Europe while simultaneously managing to reinvent itself. The institute has a strong profile within the arts and architecture, both Swedish and internationally. The fields of contemporary art and art education are in constant flux, moving towards a direction where arts, crafts and abstract theories coexist and intermingle.
Sanne Kofod Olsen holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Art history from the University of Copenhagen. She has a Master of Business in Leadership Development from Copenhagen Business School (CBS). Kofod Olsen was the Vice-Chancellor at the The Schools of Visual Arts, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen, the Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Roskilde and the Vice-Chancellor at Funen Art Academy. Kofod Olsen has previously been employed by Statens Kunstfond/Kunststyrelsen in Denmark. In addition, she has worked as a curator and a writer. As an art historian, writer and curator, Sanne Kofod Olsen has been interested and engaged in Contemporary Art and Feminist Art, especially in the field of Performance Art.
Sanne Kofod Olsen has been a member of the Statens Kunstråd, now the Statens Kunstfond, and in the committee for Art history and Artistic research at Novo Nordisk Fonden. She is currently the chairman of Konstex, whose mission is to safeguard common interests for higher artistic education, as well as a member of the Bikuben Foundation’s committee for Academic Guest House in New York.
Sanne Kofod Olsen succeeds Sara Arrhenius. Arrhenius has been the Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Institute of Art since 2017, entering upon a role as the Director of the Swedish Institute in Paris.