1. Max Hollein served as Director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco from July 2016, until April 2018, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that Hollein would become its 10th director.
24 Facts About Max Hollein
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Max Hollein joined the Fine Arts Museums in July 2016 from his position as the director of Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Stadel Museum and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung.
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Max Hollein studied art history at the University of Vienna and business administration at the Vienna University of Economics.
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Max Hollein was involved in fundraising, travelling exhibitions, the inauguration activities at Guggenheim Bilbao as well as liaising with European cultural institutions, collectors, media, curators and sponsors.
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From 2001 to 2016, Max Hollein was the director of the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt.
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Max Hollein repositioned the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt nationally as well as internationally through a highly popular yet challenging exhibition programme from classical to contemporary art mounting up to ten major shows per year.
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In 2007 Max Hollein advocated against the demolition of the Schirn Rotunda and instead initiated a commission series with contemporary artists like Barbara Kruger, Ayse Erkmen, Rosa Barba or Heather Phillipson to create site specific works at the rotunda.
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At the Stadel Museum, Max Hollein introduced a wide spectrum of new exhibition formats.
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Max Hollein expanded the Stadel its holdings of contemporary art and started organizing exhibitions on contemporary artists such as Piero Manzoni and, John Baldessari, or and "Georg Baselitz: The Heroes".
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Max Hollein assumed the role of Director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco on 1 June 2016.
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Max Hollein successfully launched a contemporary art initiative, bringing the work of living artists into dialogue with the buildings and collections of the de Young Museum and Legion of Honor, with exhibitions by Urs Fischer, Sarah Lucas and Sarah Lucas and Julian Schnabel at the Legion of Honor and Carsten Nicolai and Leonardo Drew at the de Young museum.
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Max Hollein opened several critically acclaimed exhibitions, including The Brothers Le Nain: Painters of Seventeenth Century France, Frank Stella: A Retrospective, Danny Lyon: Message to the Future, Monet: The Earl Years and Stuart Davis: In Full Swing.
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Max Hollein expanded the de Young furthermore on the encyclopedic focus of its program, with exhibitions such as Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire, The Maori Portraits: Gottfried Lindauer's New Zealand, and Contemporary Muslim Fashions.
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Max Hollein succeeded in a selection process whose finalists included Adam D Weinberg, Julian Zugazagoitia, Emilie Gordenker, Timothy Rub, and Taco Dibbits.
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Max Hollein's appointment was supported by many in the art world; and criticized in three newspapers, The Guardian, The New York Times and The Observer for being the 10th white man appointed to the position at the Met, suggesting the institution's lack of diversity.
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Max Hollein shared his vision for the present and future role of encyclopedic museums, and outlined that he aims for The Met's galleries and programming to present a range of perspectives on history and examine the intersection of cultures, rather than offer a singular, linear narrative.
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Max Hollein has engaged in broader cultural debates as The Met's Director, including penning an essay about the Museum's leadership responsibilities in upholding the policies and practices for the acquisition of art and archaeological materials, and protecting cultural heritage around the globe.
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In 2020, Daniel H Weiss and Max Hollein publicly announced The Met's commitments to Anti-Racism, Diversity, and the wellbeing of their communities.
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Early in his tenure, Max Hollein said he would focus on further injecting modern and contemporary art into The Met's main Fifth Avenue building.
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Max Hollein built on The Met's digital platforms to scale its educational initiatives and disseminate content.
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Max Hollein took a stand on social controversies on several occasions and acknowledged the fundamental right of artists to protest against the controversial Sackler funding.
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In 2019, Max Hollein was a member of the jury that selected Doris Salcedo for the Nomura Art Award and to receive $1 million.
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Since July 2023 Max Hollein adds to his function as director the CEO title.
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Max Hollein is married to fashion designer Nina Max Hollein; they have three children.