Amsterdam’s Stedelijk museum on Tuesday announced the appointment of Beatrix Ruf as its new director.

The 54-year-old German is currently director of the Kunsthalle in Zurich and is considered one of the most influential figures in the international art world. The American magazine Art Review put her at number seven in its Power Top 100 last year.

In a press release, the supervisory board of the Stedelijk praised ‘her eye for young talent, her expansive network and the radical and self-confident programme she followed at the Kunsthalle’.

Ruf begins working with the Stedelijk immediately on its artistic programme and will be there full-time from November 1.

She succeeds the American Ann Goldstein, who left last November after four years in the job. Goldstein was much criticised because she did not speak Dutch and did not communicate with the world outside the Stedelijk sufficiently.

However, Ruf is widely expected to continue the policy begun by Goldstein: lots of space for experimentation and for the work of young international artists.