Suzanne Wallinga (NL, 1981) is a freelance curator and strategic advisor. Her dedication to contemporary art has led her to take on various roles in the cultural sector. As an initiator, co-founder, and former director of the art institution A Tale of a Tub in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, she commissioned and presented works of artists such as Shezad Dawood, Ian Kiaer, Christopher Kulendran Thomas, Zarouhie Abdalian, Himali Singh Soin, Lee Kit, Kelly Schacht, and Igshaan Adams, among many others. During her directorship, A Tale of a Tub’s program explored the role of art in addressing present-day social, political, and ecological issues. In addition to her work with A Tale of a Tub, Suzanne currently serves as a board member of several cultural institutions, including Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Shimmer in Rotterdam, and VHDG in Leeuwarden, Friesland.

In 2020, she served as interim director of Amsterdam Art, an organization that aims to promote Amsterdam as an international hub for contemporary art. Recently, she lended her expertise to De Brakke Grond, the Flemish Arts Centre in Amsterdam, to help re-profile their visual arts programming. Additionally, she is collaborating with Taman Indonesia, an Indonesian zoo in the North of the Netherlands, to create a three-year cultural international program of exhibitions and public programs that will enrich and diversify the zoo's audience outreach. Previously, she was artistic director of TAG, platform for contemporary art and music in The Hague. In addition to her institutional responsibilities, she curated exhibitions for, among others, Kröller-Müller Museum, Frans Hals Museum | De Hallen Haarlem, CTM Festival for Adventurous Music and Art, and De Ateliers. Three years in a row, Suzanne organized Intersections, the non-profit section for performance and installation art at Art Rotterdam. 

As a curator, Suzanne seeks to provide alternative interpretations of the history of rationalism through the lenses of art, poetry, and philosophy. Her work explores unexpected connections between art and science, the redefinition of modernity in art and design, the language of film, performance, and the ethics of exhibition making and community engagement. Her exhibitions often expand into performances, readings, workshops, screenings, publications, and symposia.

She has been sharing her knowledge and expertise in the field of contemporary art since 2005. In this capacity, she has served as a visiting lecturer, tutor, and advisor at various institutions, including the University of Amsterdam, Design Academy Eindhoven, De Ateliers in Amsterdam, the University of Malta's Curatorial School, De Appel Arts Centre, AKI ArtEZ Academy, Gerrit Rietveld Academy, and the Master of Film program at the Netherlands Film Academy, among others. Suzanne studied Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology and earned her Master's degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Amsterdam, where she graduated with double majors in Aesthetics of Theory in the Modernist Era and Cultural Policy and Management.

Portrait photo: Tengbeh Kamara