Ingrid Swenson is a freelance curator and writer. Recent curatorial work includes an exhibition of the work of Stephen Cripps for Turner Contemporary, Margate (2022); and two exhibitions for No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath; Being There, an exhibition of contemporary to mark the acquisition of four paintings by Thomas Gainsborough of the Tugwell Family, and a two-person exhibition of the work of contemporary artist Georgie Hopton, alongside the work of Georgian artist Mary Delany (2025). Publications include; Masterpieces in Pieces, A Young Person’s Guide to Taking Great Art Apart (Hachette 2022) and Shopping Lists, A Consuming Fascination (Cheerio 2023).
From 1998 to 2021 she was Director of PEER, London, the acclaimed small-scale independent arts organisation in east London. At PEER she commissioned or presented work by over 100 artists in the gallery space on Hoxton Street, in the wider Shoreditch community and beyond. She has worked with emerging, mid-career and established artists including Martin Creed, Mike Nelson, Siobhan Hapaska, Anthony McCall, Bob and Roberta Smith, Danh Vō, John Smith, Fiona Banner, Jimmy Robert, Jadé Fadojutimi, Samson Kambalu, Lubna Chowdhary and Vlatka Horvat. For more information go to www.peeruk.org
While Director of PEER, Ingrid also curated the Raymond Pettibon retrospective for Whitechapel (2001), was the AHRB Curator at Royal Holloway University of London (2002) and was Acting Director of RSA Art for Architecture Award Scheme (2003). Prior to PEER, Ingrid worked in a number of arts organisations, including the ICA (exhibitions coordinator 1988-1994), Serpentine (interim curator 1997), Contemporary Arts Society (curator of The Economist building programme, 1996-7).
Ingrid holds an MA in Art History from the University of Sussex (1985), and has been a guest lecturer on BA and MA fine art and curating courses, including Sotheby’s Institute, RCA, Central St. Martins, City University, and Chelsea School of Art. She received an MBE for her Services to the Arts in East London in 2017.