Yentob becomes chairman of ICA to replace man who ridiculed conceptual art

The Institute of Contemporary Arts appointed Alan Yentob of the BBC yesterday to replace Ivan Massow, the controversial chairman who resigned in a fierce dispute over conceptual art.

The choice might be a belated acknowledgement that the cutting-edge gesture of appointing Mr Massow, a gay, fox-hunting Tory who later converted to Labour, was not the ICA's most successful artistic experiment of recent years. Mr Yentob, who will remain the BBC's director of drama, entertainment and children's television, has been closely involved with the cultural life of Britain for decades, notably on the boards of the Royal Court, the South Bank Centre and the Architecture Foundation.

Mr Massow, by contrast, was originally best known for being the first financial services chief to offer life insurance to homosexuals, and fell out with the ICA when he made a damning attack on conceptual art, an outburst that critics felt exposed him as unsuited to the ICA post.

In an article in the New Statesman, Mr Massow said that much conceptual art was "pretentious, self-indulgent, craftless tat". Tracey Emin, one of its foremost practitioners, "couldn't think her way out of a paper bag", he added. The comments provoked a storm in the art world and were felt to be embarrassing for the ICA, an institution that has been sympathetic to artists such as Emin and done much to promote them.

Mr Massow stood down as chairman in February after he found no support among the 12-strong council. Members apparently felt he was becoming a self-publicist to the detriment of the institution.

The appointment of Mr Yentob is unlikely to end in such censure. Gerrard Tyrrell, the deputy chairman, said they had seen a number of "superb" candidates and the council was convinced Mr Yentob was right for the job.

Philip Dodd, the ICA's director who once worked with Mr Yentob at the BBC, said he had "immense reservoirs of arts knowledge, together with an unquenchable delight in discovering new talent".

The appointment may be important for the ICA, which has been evolving its remit in recent years to embrace new ideas of culture in contemporary society.

It has appointed a scientist in residence, forged collaborations with cities including Mexico City and Sarajevo and set up a club for young creative businesses.

But its critics feel it has lost its role in the forefront of new ideas and that its exhibitions and talks are less stimulating than they once were. Mr Yentob said: "The ICA has always seemed to me to be an arts institution with an adventurous spirit and that is why I am delighted to accept its chairmanship.

"Right now it is uniquely placed to ignite the critical debate about the role of arts and culture in contemporary Britain. It's always challenged assumptions, has certainly been doing so recently, and will continue to do so."