Hirshhorn Appoints Aaron Seeto Deputy Director

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, has named Aaron Seeto as its new deputy director, effective immediately. Seeto comes to the Hirshhorn from Jakarta’s Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (MACAN), having served as its inaugural director from 2016 to 2023. While at MACAN, Seeto shepherded the first major exhibitions of Indonesian artists Arahmaiani, Melati Suryodarmo, and Agus Suwage, and Filipino artist duo Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan. As well, he oversaw solo surveys of international artists including Yayoi Kusama, Lee Mingwei, Julian Rosefeldt, Chiharu Shiota, and Xu Bing. Under his direction, the museum partnered with Indonesia’s educational system to establish arts education programs aimed at making art more accessible to the public.

“I admire what he achieved at Museum MACAN particularly, from organizing and contextualizing its collection and exhibitions to establishing interdisciplinary education programs, to make it one of the most influential museums of contemporary art in Asia,” said Hishhorn director Melissa Chiu in a statement. “He’s an excellent addition to our leadership team as we engage increasingly broader audiences throughout our ongoing campus transformation.”

Before assuming his role at MACAN, Seeto served as curatorial manager of Asian and Pacific art at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. From 2015 to 2016, he helmed the curatorial team for the Eighth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.

“The Hirshhorn’s dynamic collection, vision for its public spaces and initiatives to expand public access to art and artists are profoundly inspiring,” said Seeto in a statement. “I am excited to have the opportunity to weave my experiences with emerging audiences in Asia into the fabric of the Hirshhorn’s future.”