(Bloomberg) — After a six-month search for a new director, the Museum of Modern Art in New York has chosen an internal hire. Christophe Cherix, MoMA’s chief curator of drawings and prints since 2013, will succeed the outgoing director Glenn Lowry, who occupied the position for 30 years.
The position is one of the most coveted in the global art world, and whispers about potential candidates have occupied the art-world gossip mill ever since Lowry announced his departure last September. In a press release, MoMA’s board chair Marie-Josée Kravis said, “Christophe’s brilliant curatorial leadership in modern and contemporary art, deep insight and passion for MoMA’s collection, and reputation for steady stewardship stood out as indispensable qualities to meet the moment as the Museum’s next director.”
“We are thrilled that after a rigorous global search, the Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Christophe, and that he accepted the appointment,” she continued.
Cherix joined the MoMA in 2007. Since then, he has curated or co-curated critically acclaimed exhibitions including 2024’s blockbuster “ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN,” “Adrian Piper: A Synthesis of Institutions, 1965–2016” in 2018, and “Marcel Broodthaers: A Retrospective” in 2016.
The news marks the end of an era under Lowry’s leadership, which saw the museum’s endowment grow from roughly $200 million to about $1.7 billion. Lowry also oversaw MoMA’s physical growth via a new building by Yoshio Taniguchi in the early 2000s, which encompasses about 630,000 square feet of new and renovated space, and then again in 2019, when another expansion, this time designed by Diller Scofidio Renfro, increased exhibition space by about 30%.
In the same press release, Lowry said that “in the months ahead, we will work together to ensure a smooth and successful transition. Christophe is a gifted and talented curator, and I look forward to seeing the Museum evolve and thrive under his able direction.”
Cherix will formally begin the position this September.
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