(Bloomberg) – After six months of searching for a new director, the Museum of Modern Art in New York chose to hire in-house. Since 2013, MOMA’s chief painting and print curator Christophe Cherix will replace outgoing director Glenn Lowry, who has served in the position for 30 years.
The position is one of the most coveted positions in the global art world, and whispers about potential candidates have taken over the art world gossip mill since Lowry announced his departure last September. “Christophe’s outstanding curatorial leadership in modern and contemporary art, profound insight and passion for MOMA’s collection and a reputation for stable management is an indispensable quality that can reach the next director of the museum,” said Marie-Josée Kravis, chairman of the MOMA board of directors.
She continued: “We are excited that after a strict global search, the trustees voted unanimously to appoint Christopher, who accepted the appointment.”
Cherix joined MOMA in 2007. Since then, he has curated or co-curated well-received exhibitions including the 2024 blockbuster “Ed Ruscha / Now”, “At the time”, “Adrian Piper: Synthesis of Institutions, Synthesis of 1965-2016, 2018”, and “Marcel Broodthaers: Marcel Broodthaers: Retrospective”.
The news marks the end of the era under Lowry, where donations grew from about $200 million to about $1.7 billion. Lowry also took charge of MOMA’s body growth through a new building in the early 2000s through Yoshio Taniguchi, which included about 630,000 square feet of new and renovated space before expanding again in 2019, this time designed by Diller Scofidio Renfro, increasing the exhibition space by about 30%.
“In the coming months, we will work together to ensure a smooth and successful transition. Christophe is a talented and talented curator and I look forward to seeing the museum grow and thriving in the direction of his abilities,” Lowry said in the same press release.
Cherix will officially start the position in September this year.
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