Achim Borchardt-Hume, who has been the director at Tate Modern for many years, has died. His death was announced by the museum on Friday on social media. The cause of death of Borchardt-Hume, who was in his mid-50s, is not yet revealed.
Achim Borchardt-Hume was born in 1965 in Düren, Germany. While receiving his Ph.D. from Essex University, Borchardt-Hume’s primary focus was art in fascist Italy. After settling in London in the 90s, Borchardt-Hume became a curator at the Tate Modern in 2005. A highlight of his tenure at the museum was the Mark Rothko survey in 2008. In 2009 he joined the Whitechapel Gallery as the chief curator. There, his work focused on making the institution aware of the local community and its artistic sensibilities.
In 2012, Achim Borchardt-Hume returned to Tate Modern as a director of exhibitions – a post which he held until his demise. Over the years, he was behind many spectacular shows that covered art by minority communities like Black and Asians. Recently, he curated an Auguste Rodin exhibition which is still on display. His last project as a director was the opening of a Turbine Hall Commission by Anicka Yi.
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In their statement, Tate wrote: “Achim leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, not just at Tate Modern, but across the international art world”. Tate also called Achim Borchardt-Hume an inspiring figure for the institution.
