Plus: Impressions from the reopened New Museum, impending strike at NYU, Islamic futurism, the price of Egyptian blue, and much more.
After several years of closure, the New Museum on Manhattan's Lower East Side is reopening today with a new look and expanded galleries. We attended a press preview earlier this week and came back with mixed feelings. Read our candid, messy thoughts below, plus Aaron Short's report on the business side of the $82 million facelift.
This week's edition is packed with must-reads. Leila Seyedzadeh, an Iranian artist living in New York, writes about her feelings these days as her home city of Tehran is under unceasing bombardment. David Markus, a contract professor at NYU, explains why he and his colleagues plan to strike soon. Curator Sadaf Padder acquaints us with the artists heralding Islamic futurism. Critic Aruna D’Souza muses on Zarina's architectural paintings. And in this month's Art Movements, art coach Paddy Johnson offers useful tips for how to get gallery representation. As always, there's much more. Enjoy reading and have a great weekend.
—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief
What Do We Really Think of the New New Museum?
Hyperallergic’s editors sit down for an earnest conversation about the institution’s expanded building and inaugural exhibition. | Hrag Vartanian, Hakim Bishara, Valentina Di Liscia, Lisa Yin Zhang, and Lakshmi Rivera Amin
What’s So New About the New Museum Building?
The Lower East Side institution’s OMA-designed, $82 million expansion debuted this week to mixed reviews. | Aaron Short
Pratt’s 2026 Fine Arts MFA Thesis Exhibitions, on View This Spring
Pratt Fine Arts is delighted to invite visitors to a two-part show curated by Alessandra Gómez at Dock 72 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
News
- Nearly 200 artists, curators, and staff participating in the Venice Biennale are calling on the event organizers to exclude Israel from this year’s program in a new open letter.
- California schools are removing references to Chicano labor leader Cesar Chávez, who was accused of sexually abusing girls in a new investigation.
- The New York Academy of Art announced it will donate $65,900 in funds associated with Jeffrey Epstein to an organization supporting survivors of sex trafficking.
- Seattle police have arrested a man for allegedly shattering highly valuable glass sculptures at Chihuly Garden and Glass, causing $240,000 worth of damage.
- How much did it cost to paint Pompeii’s dazzling “Blue Room”? A new study has the estimates.
From Our Critics
The Canonization of Frida Kahlo
An exhibition blasts apart any crystallized conception of the artist until no easily digestible singular figure emerges. | Liz Kim
Zarina Brought the World to New York
Her visual idiom was fully embedded in South Asian histories, but she never fell into a too-close relationship with national identity. | Aruna D’Souza
Interdimensional Timelines: Hartford Art School Exhibits Liz Nielsen’s Photograms
As she concludes her term as the university’s Distinguished Chair in Photography, Nielsen’s “light paintings” are on view this spring in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Opinion
Flying Back With the Birds to My Hometown of Tehran
Since the war began, I feel as if I am living inside a shadow. It has no physical form, yet it follows me everywhere. | Leila Seyedzadeh
I’m an NYU Contract Professor. This Is Why We Plan to Strike.
For years, NYU’s administrators have casualized the school’s teaching force, many of them artists, by creating a second tier of full-time contract faculty. | David Markus
When a Palestinian Artist Asserts Her Own Humanity
Basma al-Sharif’s screening at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf was met with threats and a smear campaign, proving the point of her films on separation and displacement. | Adam Broomberg and Michele Faguet
On View in NYC
What Can $500 Buy at the Affordable Art Fair?
And, more importantly, is the work on view worth the price? | Rhea Nayyar
The Sartorial Is Political in “The New York Sari”
At the New York Historical, an exhibition reminds us that the sari is a living art form, an heirloom, a document, and a political statement in one. | Lakshmi Rivera Amin
A Visual Journey Through 150 Years of the Legal Aid Society
A new display at the NY Historical traces the impact of the largest legal organization for low-income individuals in the United States. | Isa Farfan
Features
Artists Set Islamic Futurism Into Motion
Islamic visual traditions have long made space for realities beyond direct perception, and these artists work in calligraphy, installation, and speculative image-making to carry them forward. | Sadaf Padder
Meet the Woman Who Made Museums More Accessible
The first head of Accessible Programs at the National Gallery of Art tells us about her path and the future of museum accessibility. | Emma Cieslik
The Tender Work of Preserving Renee Good’s Memorial
A traveling photographer has decided to stay in Minneapolis to care for the hundreds of artworks, objects, and messages left in memory of the poet and mother. | Isa Farfan
Community
Art Problems: How Do I Get Gallery Representation?
Dreaming of showing at your favorite gallery? Paddy Johnson has the masterplan.
Art Movements: And the $100K Rauschenberg Award Goes to...
Winners of the Rauschenberg Centennial Award, Madeleine Grynsztejn leaves MCA Chicago, Banksy is (maybe) unmasked, and other industry news this week.
Remembering Axel Burrough, Kazumasa Nagai, and Éliane Radigue
This week, we honor a pioneering composer, Indigenous muralist, and Upper East Side gallerist.
Required Reading
Ukrainian mosaics, artists and motherhood, Dolores Huerta speaks out, copaganda in the US, wall labels versus artworks, and is your diet a little bit fascist?
A View From the Easel
This week, artist Lex Maria repurposes school supplies and Jade van der Mark collects faces on the subway.
Want to take part? Check out our submission guidelines.
Opportunities This Month
Residencies, fellowships, grants, and open calls from Vermont Studio Center, the Japanese American National Museum, and more in our March 2026 list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers.
Facts Only
The New Museum on Manhattan's Lower East Side reopened with an $82 million expansion designed by OMA.
Hyperallergic editors provided mixed reviews of the museum's new building and inaugural exhibition.
Iranian artist Leila Seyedzadeh, based in New York, wrote about her feelings regarding the bombardment of Tehran.
NYU contract professor David Markus and colleagues plan to strike over labor conditions.
Curator Sadaf Padder introduced artists working in Islamic futurism.
Critic Aruna D’Souza analyzed Zarina's architectural paintings and their relationship to South Asian histories.
Nearly 200 artists, curators, and staff participating in the Venice Biennale signed an open letter calling for Israel's exclusion.
California schools are removing references to Chicano labor leader Cesar Chávez following allegations of sexual abuse.
The New York Academy of Art announced it will donate $65,900 linked to Jeffrey Epstein to an organization supporting sex trafficking survivors.
Seattle police arrested a man for allegedly damaging $240,000 worth of glass sculptures at Chihuly Garden and Glass.
A new study estimated the cost of painting Pompeii’s "Blue Room."
Pratt Fine Arts is hosting a two-part MFA thesis exhibition curated by Alessandra Gómez at Dock 72 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The New York Historical Society is exhibiting "The New York Sari," exploring the garment's cultural and political significance.
Artists Basma al-Sharif and Zarina were featured in critical analyses of their work.
The article includes opportunities for artists, such as residencies and grants, listed for March 2026.
Executive Summary
The New Museum in Manhattan's Lower East Side has reopened after several years of closure, featuring an $82 million expansion designed by OMA. The reopening has received mixed reviews, with editors at Hyperallergic offering candid perspectives on the new building and its inaugural exhibition. Meanwhile, Iranian artist Leila Seyedzadeh shares her emotional response to the ongoing bombardment of Tehran, while NYU contract professors, including David Markus, explain their plans to strike over labor conditions. The article also highlights emerging trends in Islamic futurism, the legacy of artist Zarina, and practical advice for artists seeking gallery representation. Additional news includes controversies at the Venice Biennale, the removal of Cesar Chávez references in California schools, and the arrest of a man for damaging glass sculptures at Chihuly Garden and Glass. The piece concludes with exhibition reviews, opinion pieces, and opportunities for artists.
The content presents a diverse range of cultural and artistic developments, blending institutional critiques with personal narratives and broader industry trends. While the New Museum's reopening dominates the discussion, the inclusion of voices from marginalized communities—such as Iranian artists and Palestinian filmmakers—adds depth to the conversation. The mixed reactions to the museum's expansion reflect ongoing debates about the role of institutions in contemporary art, while the labor strike at NYU underscores broader issues of precarity in academic and artistic fields. The article balances institutional news with grassroots perspectives, offering readers a multifaceted view of the art world's current landscape.
Full Take
The article presents a snapshot of the art world's current tensions and transformations, blending institutional critiques with personal and political narratives. The reopening of the New Museum, despite its mixed reception, symbolizes the enduring role of physical spaces in an increasingly digital art landscape. However, the inclusion of voices like Leila Seyedzadeh’s—an Iranian artist grappling with the emotional toll of war—highlights how geopolitical conflicts permeate cultural discourse. The planned strike by NYU contract professors further underscores the precarity faced by artists and educators, revealing systemic issues within academic institutions.
The piece also reflects broader cultural shifts, such as the rise of Islamic futurism, which challenges Western-centric narratives in art. The controversy over Israel’s participation in the Venice Biennale and the removal of Cesar Chávez references in California schools point to ongoing debates about representation, memory, and accountability. These stories collectively suggest a moment of reckoning for institutions, where demands for inclusivity and ethical responsibility clash with entrenched power structures.
The article’s strength lies in its diversity of perspectives, though it risks overwhelming readers with its breadth. The juxtaposition of institutional news (e.g., museum reopenings) with grassroots movements (e.g., labor strikes) invites readers to question who holds power in the art world and how narratives are shaped. The inclusion of practical advice for artists, such as tips for gallery representation, adds a grounded dimension to the discussion.
**Patterns detected:** None. The article presents a balanced range of voices and avoids overt manipulation. However, the sheer volume of topics could dilute deeper analysis of any single issue.
**Bridge questions:**
How might the labor strike at NYU reflect broader trends in the gig economy’s impact on creative fields?
What does the mixed reception of the New Museum’s expansion reveal about the evolving expectations of cultural institutions?
How can art criticism better amplify marginalized voices without tokenizing them?
Sentinel — Likely Human
This article presents a typical, highly structured arts and culture newsletter with a mix of reporting, commentary, and reviews. The writing style, while fluent, exhibits patterns suggestive of AI assistance, particularly in its formulaic structure and reliance on general claims.