Tate Trustees appointed
The Prime Minister has appointed Tomma Abts and Lionel Barber as Tate Trustees, for a period of four years from 31 January 2011.
Biographical Notes
Tomma Abts is a German artist living and working in London. Her work has been included in numerous international survey exhibitions in Britain, Germany, Canada, the United States, Russia and China. She has held solo shows at major venues in Europe and the United States, including the Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. She was awarded the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award in 2004 and the Turner Prize in 2006, and in 2010 was appointed Professor of Painting at Kunstakademie Dusseldorf. She holds no other public appointments.
Lionel Barber is the Editor of the Financial Times. He began his career in journalism in 1978 at The Scotsman, and in 1981 was named Young Journalist of the Year in the British Press Awards. From 1981 he was a business correspondent for The Sunday Times, until moving to the Financial Times in 1985, when he was also the Laurence Stern Fellow at The Washington Post. He has written and lectured widely on US foreign policy and transatlantic relations, and is co-author of several books. He held a Visiting Scholar position at the University of California at Berkeley, and was Visiting Fellow at the European University Institute, Florence. In 2009, he was awarded the St George Society medal of honour for his contribution to journalism in the transatlantic community. He holds no other public appointments.
Notes to Editors
Tate’s mission, laid down by the 1992 Museums and Galleries Act, is to increase public understanding and enjoyment of British art and International modern and contemporary art. Its responsibilities are safeguarding and enhancing its assets which are the collections, expertise in the collections and subject area, and the buildings. Tate seeks to spread the benefits of those assets by maximising access and developing value for visitors, satisfying stakeholders and through effective organisation and sound financial management. Tate Trustees are not remunerated.
The appointment process has followed the OCPA Code of Practice. Appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for political activity in the United Kingdom in the past five years (if any declared) to be made public. Ms Abts and Mr Barber have declared no political activity.