New York's MoMA Appoints Christophe Cherix as Director After Six-Month Search

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New York‘s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has chosen Swiss curator Christophe Cherix to succeed Glenn Lowry’s three-decade stint as director.

Lowry said he was delighted about the appointment of his colleague of more than 15 years and spoke of the curator’s talents and leadership. The pair will work together over the next six months to ensure a smooth handover before Cherix takes on the role in earnest in September.

MoMA board chair Marie-Josée Kravis explained that Cherix has ‘indispensable qualities’ that meet the museum’s current challenges, including ‘brilliant curatorial leadership’, ‘deep insight and passion for MoMA’s collection’, and ‘a reputation for steady stewardship’.

While leading the department of drawings and prints, Cherix supported exhibitions by leading American artists like Ed Ruscha, and illuminated the work of radical and thought-provoking artists like Betye Saar and Adrian Piper.

He said his priority will be supporting museum staff and their development.

‘MoMA has long been a leader in embracing new forms of expression, amplifying the voices of artists from around the globe, and engaging the broadest audiences onsite,’ he said.

Before MoMA, Cherix served as curator of the Cabinet des Estampes at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Geneva.

Ahead of the handover, Cherix will co-curate an extensive survey dedicated to Cuban-born modernist Wifredo Lam (10 November 2025–28 March 2026). —[O]

Main image: Christophe Cherix. Courtesy © 2021 The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photo: Peter Ross.