Age 50

Occupation Director, MoMA PS1; chief curator at large, the Museum of Modern Art

Location Midtown Manhattan

His Favorite Room Mr. Biesenbach lives in an all-white, 550-square-foot high-rise apartment that contains little more than a table, a bed, a couch and two or three chairs. His favorite feature is the view from his window, which he photographs every day and posts to Instagram for his #window23 project. “It’s a calming place because there aren’t many distractions,” he said. “That’s what makes the window so important. How can you compete with the world?”

You’re taking minimalism to a new level in here. I always was that sparse. I remember once I had a burglary, and I called the authorities and they said, “What was stolen?” They saw the place was completely empty. I said my disc player and my sneakers were stolen.

Given your job, I thought there’d be lots of wonderful art on the walls. I think art should be public. That’s why I work with institutions. I have it so much in my life that for me my home is a retreat.