Glenn Lowry, the departing director of New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), announced this week that he will serve as an advisor for the Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi Arabia.
Having revealed his intention to step down from MoMA last September, Lowry will be succeeded by Christophe Cherix, who has been a longtime curator of prints and drawings, this upcoming fall. During an appearance on the podcast The Art World: What If…?!, hosted by Charlotte Burns, he detailed his future plans, which include involvement with the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi.
“I have a keen interest in the Middle East,” Lowry expressed to Burns. “It’s where I began my career, and I find the current developments there, especially in the Gulf but also beyond, to be quite intriguing.” He elaborated, “Despite a less dense population, there is an incredible spectrum of cultural activity to explore.”
A recognized authority in Islamic art, Lowry previously served as a curator at the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., which was formerly known as the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, before joining MoMA.
The Islamic Arts Biennale, instigated by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, was founded in 2020 by the Saudi Ministry of Culture as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s initiative to enhance tourism and reduce the nation’s dependence on oil. While the Biennale has garnered acclaim for showcasing exquisite early art historical artifacts and contemporary practices within the broader Muslim community, its connections to Saudi Arabia’s soft power have led to accusations of “artwashing” the country’s poor human rights record.
“I spend a substantial amount of time in the Gulf. The developments there are remarkable,” Lowry stated on the podcast. “The systems are distinctly different, supported in their own unique ways and executed with great ambition, reminiscent of the cultural ambitions seen in the U.S. a century ago.”
However, for Lowry, the contrasts between patronage models in the U.S. and those in Saudi Arabia may not be as stark, especially considering MoMA’s own board membership includes individuals with contentious backgrounds. Leon Black, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, whose financial dealings with the convicted sex offender are currentlyunder investigation by a Senate committee, remains on the board despite sustained calls for his removal. (During the interview, Lowry was asked about this matter but chose to sidestep it, insisting that Black and the board have acted in the best interests of the museum.) Additionally, there have been demands for the resignation of MoMA chair Marie-Josée Kravis, due to her spouse Henry Kravis’s investments in arms manufacturing and Israeli defense contractors.
Lowry has previously articulated his perspective on the ethical dilemmas facing the art world in 2023 — coincidentally during another episode of The Art World: What If…?!, where he suggested that scrutinizing museum trustees based on their political or financial connections could be considered “fascism.”
“It’s irrelevant whether their affiliations lean towards the progressive left or the reactionary right as long as they support the programs and artists we champion,” Lowry commented back then.
“I have great respect for activists. I often believe in their causes,” Lowry, who previously stated that protesters at MoMA were attempting to dismantle the institution, noted in the podcast of 2023. “Yet, ultimately, I am a pragmatist. I prefer to pursue outcomes. I acknowledge that neither I nor the activists possess all the answers, nor do the trustees. We navigate a landscape of compromises.”
Indeed, compromises.
