MoMA names Christophe Cherix its new director
The Swiss-born curator has worked in the Museum of Modern Art’s drawings and prints department since 2007

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has announced that it is promoting curator Christophe Cherix to be its new director.
The announcement follows a six-month international search after the museum’s current director, Glenn Lowery, announced that he would step down from MoMA’s top post after leading the museum for three decades.
Ed Ruscha and Christophe Cherix in 2023.
Cherix joined MoMA—one of the world’s most powerful arts institutions— in 2007 after serving as curator of the prints at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2013, he was named MoMA’s Robert Lehman Foundation chief curator of drawings and prints. During his 18-year tenure at MoMA, the Swiss-born curator has overseen important acquisitions and mounted exhibitions including last year’s critically-acclaimed ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN, as well shows on the work of Betye Saar, Adrian Piper, Marcel Broodthaers, Yoko Ono and Jasper Johns.
MoMA’s board unanimously confirmed Cherix’s appointment, which was announced to staff today, according to the New York Times.
‘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,’ board chair Marie-Josée Kravis said in a press release.
The directorship will mark Cherix’s first time leading an arts institution. He will officially start as director in September, the month Lowry planned to step down.
‘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 and online,’ Cherix said in a statement.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
‘As the museum approaches its centennial, my highest priority is to support its exceptional staff and ensure that their unique ability to navigate the ever-evolving present continues to thrive.’
Anna Fixsen is a Brooklyn-based editor and journalist with 13 years of experience reporting on architecture, design, and the way we live. Before joining the Wallpaper* team as the U.S. Editor, she was the Deputy Digital Editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversaw all aspects of the magazine’s digital footprint.
-
Watch dance, music and film collide at a unique event at Abbey Road Studios
In this exclusive film, watch Abbey Road’s first Artist in Residence, Jordan Rakei, collaborate with industry-leading creatives to produce a dance performance in the hallowed Studio One
By Anna Solomon
-
Frances Elkins gets her dues at Christie's this June
You can soon take home a piece of the legendary American designer’s legacy…including a $3 million Alberto Giacometti sculpture.
By Anna Fixsen
-
The new Phone 2 Pro from CMF combines generous scale with true affordability
We explore the ins and outs of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the newest device from the Nothing sub-brand that focuses on bold design and carefully honed value engineering
By Jonathan Bell
-
Wolfgang Tillmans on shaping photography as we know it: ‘I want to lay reality bare’
As Wolfgang Tillmans’ retrospective ‘To Look Without Fear’ opens at MoMA, we interview the acclaimed photographer about 35 years of activism, breaking conventions and capturing ‘the weight of existence’ through the everyday
By Pei-Ru Keh
-
Philippe Parreno unveils new commission at the revamped MoMA
The French artist has created a site-specific installation for the entrance of the New York art museum. Here, we go behind-the-scenes with an exclusive interview, and photographs captured by Parreno himself
By Pei-Ru Keh
-
A MoMA exhibit traces the parallels between art, design and computing
By Jim Henry
-
Cultural exchange: MoMA goes big in Paris at Fondation Louis Vuitton
By Amy Verner
-
Always a pacesetter: MoMA pays tribute to the early works of Yoko Ono
By Brook Mason
-
Latin America in Construction: MoMA redefines the International Style
By Stephanie Murg
-
Behind the scenes with The Living at MoMA’s Björk retrospective
By Pei-Ru Keh
-
Photographer Christopher Williams explores ’The Production Line of Happiness’ at MoMA, New York
By Stephanie Murg