Culture

Jeffrey Deitch to Head Los Angeles MOCA

by Jordan Yerman | January 11, 2010 at 02:47 pm

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Jeffrey Deitch will head the Los angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Jeffrey Deitch is a New York City curator and man-about-town who still has real-world street cred: he comes from actually running a gallery, rather than academia, which could be just what LA MOCA needs.

Deitch Projects, Jeffrey Deitch's galleries on SoHo's Grand and Wooster Streets, continues to host an ever-changing roster of emerging artists, and established artists trying new stuff. Deitch Studios, a tertiary space, is in Long Island City, Queens. Much of what I've seen there borders on the non-commercial, which is pretty bold for a gallery occupying such prime real estate. Deitch Galleries embrace multimedia art, such as that done by Fischerspooner (more known for their musical performances if I recall correctly).

Hiring Deitch wouldn't be like handing over the reins to the head of an auction house or to mega-shaker Larry Gagosian — although Gagosian’s shows of late have been better than most museums. Deitch, a gadfly and jack-of-all-trades, is a consummate insider with credibility and real-world skills. He not only has a Harvard MBA and was a Vice President of Citibank, he’s a great writer, a seasoned curator, has advised international collectors, and knows the inner workings of art and money, artists and collectors, institutions and the public.

Does anyone know what the Deitch/Alife connection is? Those guys are into a little bit of everything.