Richard Flood was a visionary curator, writer, and editor whose sharp eye, wit, and fearless curiosity shaped contemporary art for more than four decades. He served as chief curator of the New Museum from 2005 to 2010, later as director of special projects and curator at large, where he organized landmark exhibitions including Unmonumental: The Object in the 21st Century, Double Album, Rivane Neuenschwander: A Day Like Any Other, and The Last Newspaper. Before joining the New Museum, Flood was chief curator of the Walker Art Center, where he presented influential shows such as Brilliant! New Art from London, along with major exhibitions on Arte Povera, Robert Gober, and Sigmar Polke. His earlier roles included managing editor of Artforum, director at Barbara Gladstone Gallery, and curator at MoMA PS1.A champion of emerging and boundary-pushing artists, Flood also contributed to Frieze and Parkett, taught at institutions including RISD and the Royal College of Art, and helped launch the New Museum’s IdeasCity initiative. His writings are collected in Richard Flood: Notes from the Playground (2017).
