The first biography of legendary curator and museum director Pontus Hultén narrates the story of one of the most influential curators of the 20th century, interweaving it with the story of modern art in this era. Groundbreaking and canonized, rebellious and scandalized - Pontus Hultén, curator and museum director, was a fearless combatant for modern art, inspiring contemporary curators, artists, other creatives and art historians today more than ever. Over his 50-year career, Hultén spearheaded the evolution of the modern art museum as a power centre with a radically expanded role in society, as founding director of art institutions in six countries, including Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and MOCA in Los Angeles. This first, award-winning biography by Claes Britton not only narrates the highly entertaining story of Hultén's life and career, but also that of an exploratory era in the global art and society. "Pontus was the first curator. Today everyone is a curator." -Germano Celant