Lars Nittve stuns Hong Kong art world with exit from M+ museum he built from scratch

Five-year chief of museum in the making stuns the art world with plans for January departure

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M+ executive director Lars Nittve will step down after his contract ends on January 9. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 12:00am, 6 Oct 2015Updated: 6:43pm, 6 Oct 2015

The art world was left reeling in shock last night as the West Kowloon cultural hub announced the departure of its museum leader, triggering fresh questions as to why world-renowned cultural leaders would leave the mega project one after another.

Lars Nittve, executive director of M+, the visual culture museum to open in 2019, will step down after his contract ends on January 9, according to the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.

Arts hub chief executive Duncan Pescod said Nittve would continue to support the project as an external adviser.

Nittve, a heavyweight of the art world, will be the second top executive to exit in just over half a year following the premature departure of Pescod's predecessor Michael Lynch, who left his job in August. The talk within the arts community was about whether politics had gotten in the way of the arts hub's administration.

Group photo with CEO Mr Michael Lynch, Museum Committee Chairman Dr Victor Lo, Herzog & de Meuron Senior Partners Mr Pierre de Meuron and Mr Ascan Mergenthaler and M+ Executive Director Dr Lars Nittve.

"It's disastrous," gallerist Pearl Lam said. "Why does Lars want to leave? … Is there such an inherent problem in Hong Kong that we don't know how to keep these cultural leaders?"

That question appeared to be answered by art critic John Batten, who said Nittve's move was understandable given the tremendous political pressure facing West Kowloon.