Lars Nittve

Lars Nittve
Born	(1953-09-17) 17 September 1953 (age 71) Stockholm, Sweden
Education	Stockholm School of Economics M.A., Stockholm University
Known for	Executive Director, M+, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Hong Kong (2011–2016) Director of Moderna Museet, Stockholm (2001–2010) Director of Tate Modern, London (1998–2001)
Awards	PhD, HC, Umeå University, Sweden (2009) H.M The King's Medal in Gold, 12th size in the Order of the Serafim's Ribbon (2010) Swedish Manager of the Year Honorary Award (2002) City of Malmö Grand Culture Award (2009) Bridge of Culture Denmark-Sweden Award (1997)

Lars Nittve (born 17 September 1953) is a Swedish museum director, curator, art critic and writer.^[1] He was the founding Director of Tate Modern in London;^[2] former Director of the Moderna Museet in Stockholm;^[3] the founding Director of Rooseum – Center for Contemporary Art – in Malmö, Sweden;^[4] and Director of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek, Denmark.

Nittve was the Executive Director of M+, museum for visual culture of West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.^[5]

Early life and education

Lars Nittve was born in Stockholm in 1953.^[6] He studied at the Stockholm School of Economics, and obtained an M.A. at Stockholm University.^[1] He also pursued postgraduate studies at New York University.^[1] In 2009, Nittve earned a PhD, HC, from the Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.^[7]

Career

In 1978 to 1985, Nittve served as lecturer in art history at the Stockholm University.^[8] During the same period he has been Senior art critic for the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm,^[9] and contributed regularly to Artforum, New York City.^[10]

From 1986 Nittve was appointed Chief Curator at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm,^[3] where he curated a large number of high-profile exhibitions – both monographic and thematic, among them "Walter De Maria",^[11] "Kandinsky and Sweden", "Hilma af Klint"^[12] and the seminal "Implosion – a Postmodern Perspective".^[13][14] From 1990 to 1995, he served as the founding Director of Rooseum – Center for Contemporary Art – in Malmö, Sweden,^[4] where he organized the whole exhibition program, including surveys of "Susan Rothenberg",^[15] "Allan McCollum",^[16][17] "Sherrie Levine"^[18] and "Andreas Gursky".^[19] In July 1995, Nittve became Director of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek, Denmark, where he also curated the groundbreaking exhibition "Sunshine & Noir – Art in L.A. 1960–1997".^[20] In the spring of 1998, he was named the first Director of Tate Modern, London, which opened in May 2000 to great acclaim.^[21]

In 2001, he took up his post as Director of Moderna Museet, the national Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm.^[22] He co-curated the thematic exhibition Fashination in 2004 about the dialogue between art and fashion in the last ten years.^[23] Other exhibitions include "Time and Place: Los Angeles 1957–1968" (2008);^[24] "Anthony McCall" (2009)^[25] and most recently "Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting" (2010).^[26] During his time at the Moderna Museet, Nittve was instrumental in the fundraising effort (70 million USD) that strengthened the collection and oversaw the expansion of the institution – including The Second Museum of Our Wishes, which focuses on bringing more works by women artists into the collection,^[27][28] the creation of the innovative Renzo Piano designed Pontus Hultén Study Gallery (opened in May 2008),^[29] The American Friends of the Moderna Museet Inc. and the opening of Moderna Museet Malmö in 2009.^[30]

At the end of 2010, Nittve left his post as Director of the Moderna Museet after having served the maximum length of nine years anyone is permitted to hold the post.^[31][32]

From 2011–2016, Nittve was Executive Director of the M+ museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.^[33][34][35]

Awards and recognition

Lars Nittve has served on the jury of numerous international prizes^[36][37][38] and has been on the board of a large number of international art organizations.^[12] He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Art.^[12]

In 2009 he was awarded a PhD H.C by Umeå University, Sweden, where he is also professor in Art history since 2010.^[7]

In 2010, Nittve was awarded H. M. The King's Medal in gold, 12th size in the Order of the Serafim's ribbon.^[39]

Nittve is the author of several publications on art, as well as articles in journals and catalogues in Sweden and abroad.^[40]

In 2013 he was ranked at number 73 in ArtReview Magazine's annual Power 100^[41]

References

1. "Lars Nittve | deFINE ART". Archived from the original on 26 June 2013.
2. "2000: Sneak preview of new Tate Modern". 8 May 2000.
3. "The Moderna Museet History – Moderna Museet". Archived from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
4. "News – Artforum International".
5. "Articles". 22 July 2020.
6. "Lars Nittve". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
7. "Lars Nittve – artistic advisor for Bildmuseet at Umeå Arts Campus".
8. "Man on a M+ssion". 25 September 2011.
9. "Stockholm Museum of Modern Art head to set up Hong Kong museum | All Art News". Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
10. "Articles". 22 July 2020.
11. "Walter de Maria: The 5-7-9 Series, Rome, March 22 – May 29, 2012". 12 April 2018.
12. "Biographies Keynote Speakers « Nodem Nodem". Archived from the original on 4 July 2013.
13. http://www.worldcat.org/title/implosion-ett-postmodernt-perspektiv-a-postmodern-perspective/oclc/757081980 ^{[bare URL]}
14. "HKU SPACE – Public Lecture by Dr. Lars Nittve". Archived from the original on 23 May 2012.
15. "Trove".
16. "Allan McCollum | Lars Nittve".
17. "Calder portfolio".
18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
19. "Randian – Andreas Gursky in a Chinese Context".
20. "Newsroom".
21. "Director appointed for new Tate Gallery of Modern Art – Press Release".
22. "Tate Modern chief quits for job in Sweden". The Daily Telegraph. 21 June 2001. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017.
23. "BBC – Bradford and West Yorkshire – Going Out – Exhibitions – the art of fashion!".
24. "Artdaily.org – The First Art Newspaper on the Net". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008.
25. "Moderna Museet Now: Anthony McCall press release – Moderna Museet". Archived from the original on 3 December 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
26. "Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting. Press preview 27 May. – Moderna Museet". Archived from the original on 3 December 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
27. "Government contribution to the Second Museum of Our Wishes – Moderna Museet". Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
28. "Postidea". Archived from the original on 22 February 2016.
29. "Pontus Hultén donates 700 works to Moderna Museet – the Local". Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
30. "Unique collaboration – Moderna Museet". Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
31. "Director Lars Nittve's contract ends October 31st – Moderna Museet". Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
32. http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=35776&int_modo=1#.UVqL35NkPng
33. Radio Television Hong Kong 23 June 2010 Archived 28 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
34. Nittve to head Museum at WKCD, RTHK News, 24 June 2010
35. "Lars Nittve Resigns as Director of M+ Museum". artnet News. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
36. "Turner Prize 1985 artists: Terry Atkinson".
37. "Kunsthal Charlottenborg".
38. "CCAA » Critic Awards". Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
39. "Medal presentations 28 January 2010 – Sveriges Kungahus".
40. "Amazon.com". Amazon.
41. "Lars Nittve / Power 100 / Art Review". Archived from the original on 15 April 2014.

External links

• Exhibition of the Modern Museum, Stockholm
• Interview with Lars Nittve (swedish)
• Lars Nittve, Lars Nittve on a swedish radiointerview (2002-07-07)