London’s Victoria and Albert Museum today named Martin Roth as director starting Sept. 1, choosing a culture manager with 10 years’ experience of running Dresden’s extensive art collections and organizing international shows.
Roth, who is 56, takes over from Mark Jones, who has led the V&A since 2001 and is leaving to be master of St. Cross College at Oxford University. Roth is currently director general of Dresden’s State Art Collections, among the oldest and most important collections in the world.
The V&A describes itself as the “world’s greatest museum of art and design,” with a collection spanning 3,000 years. It encompasses architecture, ceramics, glass, fashion, jewelry, metalwork, painting, photography and more. The museum last month chose architect Amanda Levete to lead a 35 million pound ($58 million) redevelopment that will create new exhibition rooms, a public courtyard, and a new side entrance.
Roth has “a strong record of leading and managing complex arts organizations,” Paul Ruddock, chairman of the V&A board of trustees, said in an e-mailed statement. “He is the ideal person to build on the recent successes of the V&A.”
As Dresden’s museum chief, Roth has overseen the reopening of the World War II-bombed Historic Green Vault treasure chamber, the rebuilding of the ruined royal palace (due for completion in 2013) and the renovation after flood damage of the 16th-century Albertinum.
Old Masters
The Dresden art collections were assembled by the electors of Saxony including August the Strong, a passionate collector of art and treasures. The 15 separate collections, housed in seven museum buildings, include old masters, jewels, porcelain, weaponry, modern art, sculpture, graphics and folk art.
