# New Museum's Global Ambitions Under Massimiliano Gioni > The Bowery's scrappy art institution doubles its space and appoints a cosmopolitan director who plans to keep artists at the center. - Title: New Museum's Global Ambitions Under Massimiliano Gioni - Summary: The Bowery's scrappy art institution doubles its space and appoints a cosmopolitan director who plans to keep artists at the center. The New Museum is… - Keywords: new museum, massimiliano gioni, bowery, art museum, expansion, lisa phillips, arthur jafa, diego marcon, marcia tucker, new york, museum director, contemporary art - Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/style/new-museum-massimiliano-gioni - Author: Nate Freeman - Published: 2026-09-25T16:47:50.598+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: new museum, massimiliano gioni, bowery, art museum, expansion, lisa phillips, arthur jafa, diego marcon, marcia tucker, new york, museum director, contemporary art ## Secret dinner launches new era The New Museum celebrated its expansion with an exclusive dinner at Oberon, an OMA-designed restaurant in its lobby that resembles a landed spaceship. ## Gioni becomes director after 20 years Massimiliano Gioni was appointed director after two decades as artistic director under Lisa Phillips, who discovered him curating the Berlin Biennale in 2006. ## Artists and trustees as two bosses Gioni called the opening dinner 'the first supper' to bring together his two constituencies: artists and trustees, reflecting the museum's founding principle. > "We called it 'the first supper,' to bring together what I call my two bosses: the artists and the trustees." ## Staying true to artist-first mission Gioni vowed not to turn the museum into a corporate entity focused on management, honoring founder Marcia Tucker's vision of prioritizing artists over bureaucracy. > "We want to remain the place of the artists. We don't want to just become a corporate entity." ## Museum founded by fired curator Marcia Tucker started the New Museum in 1977 after being fired from the Whitney for championing a Richard Tuttle show the uptown board rejected. ## From SoHo to the Bowery The museum moved from a 19th-century SoHo building to the Bowery, a street historically associated with dereliction but now home to artists and galleries. ## Expansion doubles exhibition space The new building seamlessly integrates with the old one, doubling exhibition space and allowing shows to flow naturally without the constraints of massive elevator banks. ## Three inaugural shows open The reopening features Arthur Jafa's first New York museum survey, Diego Marcon's 'Arrivederci, Piggies!', and Lisa Phillips's 'The Devil's Mile' about the Bowery's 400-year history. ## Jafa show integrates multiple mediums Arthur Jafa's 'I Am Tony' combines his signature videos with massive sculpture, screenprints, collage, assemblages, and immersive installations across the expanded galleries. ## Bowery show localizes global museum Phillips's exhibition traces the Bowery from a Lenape footpath to today, featuring local artists like Billy Sullivan and galleries such as Hoffman Donahue. ## International partnerships expand reach Marcon's show is co-produced by institutions in Madrid, Paris, Chicago, and Toronto, reflecting the New Museum's growing global network of collaborators. ## Gioni brings cosmopolitan perspective The new director has curated the Venice Biennale and interviewed every living former director for an oral history, positioning the museum within a cross-Atlantic web of institutions. ## Power couple leads cultural institutions Gioni's wife is Cecilia Alemani, curator of the 2022 Venice Biennale and director of the High Line, making them one of the art world's most influential couples. ## Opening night draws art world crowds The vernissage brought hundreds of artists and collectors to the Bowery, with Jafa chatting with Gioni in his own show and galleries hosting dinners at nearby restaurants. ## Gioni balances ambition with anxiety The new director acknowledged the weight of his role, joking that he's like a man who jumped from a plane without a parachute, saying 'so far, so good' as he falls. > "it's the joke of the guy who jumped from a plane without a parachute and he keeps saying, 'So far, so good,' as he approaches earth." ## Bowery transforms with museum energy Opening night brought unusual foot traffic to the historic street, with diners spilling onto sidewalks and board members mixing with the neighborhood's evolving character. ## New building connects past and future Gioni designed the shows as 'introspectives rather than retrospectives,' using the expanded space to show visitors 'the art of tomorrow today' while honoring local history. > "see the art of tomorrow today" ## Key takeaway The New Museum is expanding its footprint and global reach while staying true to its founding mission of prioritizing artists over bureaucracy.