Massimiliano Gioni, the New Museum's artistic director, has been named its next director, succeeding Lisa Phillips after a 10-month search.
Massimiliano Gioni, the New Museum's artistic director, has been named its next director, succeeding Lisa Phillips after a 10-month search. The appointment was made on July 7, 2026, marking a significant leadership transition for the Manhattan institution.
Gioni has served as the New Museum's artistic director for 12 years, taking over from Phillips, who announced her retirement last September after 26 years at the helm. His tenure has been marked by substantial contributions to the museum's curatorial vision and programming.
During his two decades of experience, Gioni co-established the New Museum Triennial, which began in 2009. He has also curated numerous solo exhibitions for prominent artists, including Lynda Benglis, Judy Chicago, Theaster Gates, and Faith Ringgold, among others.
In 2021, Gioni was instrumental in realizing Okwui Enwezor's vision for "Grief and Grievance: Art and Mourning in America." More recently, he curated "New Humans: Memories of the Future," the inaugural exhibition for the museum's new OMA-designed expansion, and is co-curating an upcoming survey for video artist Arthur Jafa.
Gioni's career began in 2000 at the Italian contemporary art magazine Flash Art. He later co-founded The Wrong Gallery in New York with Maurizio Cattelan and Ali Subotnick. Since 2002, he has also held the position of artistic director for the Nicola Trussardi Foundation in Milan.
His international curatorial work includes organizing the Venice Biennale in 2013, making him the youngest curator to do so. He has also contributed to Manifesta 5, the fourth Berlin Biennale, and the eighth Gwangju Biennale, alongside exhibitions at Museo Jumex and the Deste Foundation.
The New Museum has navigated complex periods, and Gioni's career has also seen its challenges, including a controversy in 2017 regarding the unauthorized inclusion of video works by the Abounaddara collective. Reflecting on his new role, Gioni stated that the appointment is "less as a recognition of my work than a vote of confidence in our entire institution and its staff."
