The departure of director David Elliott from the Mori Art Museum to take over the Istanbul Modern in Turkey is the first major leadership change at Japan's largest privately endowed cultural institution. Though it was not without controversy, Elliott's tenure saw the 3-year-old museum develop into what is arguably Tokyo's most important new forum for contemporary art, and where it goes from here will be left to the incoming director, Elliott's former deputy, Fumio Nanjo.
Nanjo, 57, is one of a handful of ambitious Japanese curators -- among them Yuko Hasegawa of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo -- who have over the last few decades worked to transform what has been a conservative, tradition-bound and in some cases moribund institutional arts scene into one of the world's most progressive centers for the consumption and creation of contemporary art.
While big, predictable shows that present the work of long-enshrined artists remain the bread and butter of public museums, Nanjo has made a name for himself by introducing audiences to an enormous new range of creative activity.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.