Chair, Advisory Board Buro Stedelijk since 2022
(Involved in the establishment and development of Buro Stedelijk since 2020)

Rubiah Balsem is a cultural leader, social systems architect and founder and directr of Studio Balsem, where she develops new blueprints for the cultural institutions and ecosystems of the future.

“The times are changing, and our institutions need to evolve with 21st-century society. Art and culture play an indispensable role in this transformation, helping us imagine a future in which multiple realities can coexist and different definitions of leadership, community, success and citizenship are given space.”

Her practice explores the architecture behind culture: how structures, relationships and leadership shape who belongs, participates and has agency. She sees citizens as co-creators and artists as agents of change.

Alongside her practice, she works as a strategic advisor, curator and serves as chair in boards and supervisory boards across the cultural sector, including OSCAM, Amsterdam Art, GLUE, Art Rotterdam, Museum Cobra, Brutus, Loods6 and Centraal Museum.

Picture by Robin de Puy