In 2024, while he had run the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York for over 30 years, Glenn Lowry had announced his departure, leaving his succession unanswered. Although several names have circulated, including that of Thelma Golden, current director of the Harlem Museum Studio, is ultimately Christophe Cherix, chief curator of the Moma drawings and prints department, who will take the direction of the museum in September. It was his first experience at the head of a museum institution.
Christophe Cherix, born in Switzerland in 1969, holds a license in art history and French from the University of Geneva. He first succeeded the German art historian Rainer Michael Mason as curator of the print cabinet at the Museum of Art and History of Geneva. In 2007, he joined the MoMA as a curator, before being appointed chief curator of the department of drawings and prints in 2013. His specialty was modern and contemporary art, especially of the years 1960-1970. In 2010, he was part of the promotion of the Curatorial Leadership Center for New York, with a residence at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
In MoMA, Christophe Cherix organized several exhibitions in close collaboration with Glenn Lowry. In 2024, he thus ensured the police station of the exhibition “Ed Ruscha: Now and then”. This exhibition highlighted the artist’s practice, centered on language materiality and the use of unconventional materials, such as blackberry juice or chocolate.
Under the direction of Glenn Lowry, the MoMA experienced significant development, with an annual budget multiplied by three, going from 90 to 160 million dollars (from 80 to 148 million euros). The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art was enlarged in 2019 by buying the neighboring building. However, his mandate was not free from challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic thus put the museum to the test, with a reduction in its workforce in 2020, reduced from 960 to 800 employees. Since the MoMA has found a large part of its audience, with an annual budget of around $ 185 million (171 million euros).
While waiting for his taking office, Christophe Cherix will collaborate with curator Beverly Adams on an exhibition dedicated to the Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, scheduled for November in MoMA.
