Massimiliano Gioni Promoted to Director of New Museum
The New Museum has promoted its artistic director Massimiliano Gioni to succeed Lisa Phillips as director, ending an eight-month international search that unanimously favored the insider. Gioni, who joined in 2006, will retain curatorial oversight while taking on administrative duties. The move reflects a trend of museums elevating curators to CEOs, prioritizing continuity amid financial uncertainty. Gioni's global network includes curating the 2013 Venice Biennale, leading the Nicola Trussardi Foundation, and organizing shows for institutions like Museo Jumex and Qatar Museums. He inherits a $19 million budget, 149 employees, and a $120 million endowment, with fundraising critical as donations constitute 87.5% of revenue. Board president James Keith Brown praised Gioni's commitment to artists and experimentation. Dealer Jeffrey Deitch cited his academic skill, entrepreneurial drive, and charisma. Gioni starts August 1, following Phillips's 26-year tenure that included a $130 million expansion doubling exhibition space to 120,000 square feet.
Key facts
- Massimiliano Gioni named director of New Museum, succeeding Lisa Phillips.
- Unanimous board vote after eight-month international search.
- Gioni joined New Museum in 2006 as artistic director.
- He curated the 2013 Venice Biennale and led Nicola Trussardi Foundation for 24 years.
- New Museum has $19 million operating budget, 149 employees, 52 trustees, $120 million in assets.
- Philanthropic contributions account for 87.5% of revenue ($22.5 million in FY2025).
- Gioni's compensation as artistic director was $430,931; Phillips made $874,548.
- New Museum completed second major expansion adding 60,000 square feet, funded by $130 million capital campaign.
Entities
Artists
- Massimiliano Gioni
- Lisa Phillips
- Jeffrey Deitch
- Christophe Cherix
- Scott Rothkopf
- Esther Bell
- Richard Armstrong
- Adam Weinberg
- Dakis Joannou
- Urs Fischer
- Faith Ringgold
- Mariët Westermann
- Adam Levine
- Brian Kennedy
- Carlo Rambaldi
- Lynda Benglis
- Judy Chicago
- Theaster Gates
- Hans Haacke
- Nicole Eisenman
- Kahlil Joseph
- Marta Minujin
- Chris Ofili
- Raymond Pettibon
- Okwui Enwezor
- Arthur Jafa
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Ali Subotnick
- Marta Kuzma
- Marcia Tucker
- John Akomfrah
- Tacita Dean
- Carsten Höller
- Ragnar Kjartansson
- Kapwani Kiwanga
- Pipilotti Rist
- Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
- Lauren Cornell
- Laura Hoptman
- Tracey Emin
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
- Rirkrit Tiravanija
- Kara Walker
- David Foster Wallace
- Shohei Shigematsu
- Rem Koolhaas
- James-Keith Brown
- Harald Szeemann
- Anicka Yi
- Pawel Althamer
- Ed Atkins
- Jason Farago
- Camille Henrot
- Sarah Lucas
- Gustav Metzger
- Carol Rama
- Anri Sala
- Peter Saul
- Nari Ward
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul
- Naomi Beckwith
- Glenn Ligon
- Mark Nash
- Ana Mendieta
- William Kentridge
- David Wojnarowicz
- Paul McCarthy
- Andrea Zittel
- Marta Minujín
- Marcel Duchamp
- Jeff Koons
- Takashi Murakami
- Valentino
- Hito Steyerl
- Roger Caillois
- Eleanor Maguire
Institutions
- New Museum
- Artnet News
- Museum of Modern Art
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Clark Art Institute
- Guggenheim Museum
- Mellon Foundation
- Toledo Museum of Art
- Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
- Nicola Trussardi Foundation
- Deste Foundation
- Museo Jumex
- Long Museum
- Qatar Museums
- Aïshti Foundation
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
- Frick Collection
- Flash Art
- The Wrong Gallery
- Venice Biennale
- Manifesta
- Berlin Biennale
- Gwangju Biennale
- Triennale di Milano
- Wall Street Journal
- OMA
- The Art Newspaper
- Cooper Robertson
- Trax
- New York Observer
- New York Times
- Fondazione Nicola Trussardi
- Phillips Collection
- Rhizome
- SANAA
- Biennale di Venezia
- exibart.com
- Toby Devan Lewis
- Edlis Neeson
- The Store X
- Italian Ministry of Culture
- Artuu Paper
- Segno
Locations
- New York
- Williamstown
- Massachusetts
- Ohio
- Toledo
- Jacksonville
- Florida
- Milan
- Venice
- Athens
- Mexico City
- Shanghai
- Doha
- Beirut
- Greece
- Los Angeles
- Manhattan
- New York City
- Italy
- United States
- Berlin
- Gwangju
- Qatar
- China
- Mexico
- South Korea
- Germany
- Busto Arsizio
- Lebanon
- Washington
- London
- United Kingdom
- Washington, DC
- Bowery