Philippe Vergne leaves Serralves in July with 2027 programme secured

Philippe Vergne, the artistic director, will leave Porto’s museum in July, but says continuity is assured, with the 2027 programme already secured. “Serralves is one of Europe’s most fabulous museums, thanks to me, of course,” he remarked ironically.

After seven years leading Serralves, Philippe Vergne, director of the only Portuguese museum included in the list of the world’s 100 most visited, unexpectedly announced on the 18th that he would be leaving Porto. Asked by JN on Thursday, he declined to explain why, offering only the cryptic response: “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Given his extensive international career, largely spent at cultural institutions in the United States and France, was he suddenly offered a role elsewhere? “I cannot answer yet,” he said. His announced departure date follows the legal notice periods for ending his contract. Looking back on his seven years at the Serralves Museum, he described them as “fabulous”.

“Serralves is incredible”

The news was made public in a statement from the Board of Directors of the Serralves Foundation, which expressed “its deep appreciation to Philippe Vergne for the work carried out over these seven years, during which he brought major artists and exhibitions to Serralves, helping to place the Museum at an even higher international level”. It added that it wished him “every success in his future roles”.

In his customary ironic tone, Philippe Vergne also told JN: “Serralves is incredible; it is one of the most fabulous museums in Europe at the moment, thanks to me, of course.” Laughing, he then acknowledged that “everything is due to Serralves’ curatorial teams, who are very good and for whom I have the greatest respect”.

Vergne will remain at Serralves until “the end of July”, with one main priority at present: “Making sure everything goes as well as possible at Serralves in Celebration [a 50-hour non-stop multi-arts festival running from the 29th to the 31st],” as well as at the opening of the exhibition “The Century of Gehry” on 12 June. After that, his task will be to “have everything very well supported so that the Serralves project can continue”.

No gap in the Serralves Museum leadership

The outgoing artistic director guarantees that he will still have a presence at Porto’s contemporary art museum in 2027, when he will curate several exhibitions that have not yet been announced to the public.

The Board of Directors, chaired by Manuel Ferreira da Silva, stated that “the selection process for the new Museum Director will be launched immediately”. JN understands that there will be no interval without museum leadership. As for the appointment process, Serralves’ statutes do not require an open competition, and the new director may be selected through a direct invitation.