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Refik Anadol’s controversial AI installation 'Unsupervised' at the Museum of Modern Art has sparked a heated debate on the nature of art and technology, recently highlighted in a '60 Minutes' segment. While Anadol defends his work as a poetic use of 'data as pigment' that captures viewer attention for an average of 38 minutes, critics and fellow artists raise concerns about the substance and ethics of the medium. The piece, which uses MoMA’s metadata to create morphing abstractions, became a viral sensation that challenged traditional museum engagement.

Paint Drippings: Art Industry News February 23

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This week’s art industry roundup highlights major shifts across the global market, including Art Basel’s announcement of 290 galleries for its flagship Swiss fair and Sotheby’s adjustment of its buyer’s premium rates. Significant personnel moves include Devyani Saltzman’s abrupt departure from the Barbican, which sparked an open letter from over 170 cultural figures, and Anne-Claire Legendre becoming the first woman to lead Paris’s Arab World Institute.

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Over 250 prominent cultural figures have signed an open letter protesting the abrupt departure of Devyani Saltzman from her role as Director of Arts and Participation at London’s Barbican Centre. Saltzman, who was appointed just last year to modernize the institution's programming, is set to leave in May following the recent arrival of new Chief Executive Abigail Pogson. High-profile signatories, including Salman Rushdie, John Akomfrah, and Isaac Julien, are demanding transparency regarding the decision-making process and the future of the position.

New Weatherspoon Exhibition Stitches Black Quilter’s Artistry, Life Stories

The Weatherspoon Art Museum has launched two concurrent exhibitions centered on the legacy of Southern Black quilters. "Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South," curated by Dr. Sharbreon Plummer, showcases 24 quilts from the collection of folklorist Roland L. Freeman, including works by UNCG alumna Gwendolyn Magee. Complementing this is "Harriet’s Powers," a site-specific immersive installation by artist Precious D. Lovell that pays homage to Harriet Powers, a 19th-century quilter born into slavery whose work is now held by the Smithsonian and the MFA Boston.

devyani saltzman abruptly leaves her role as director of the barbican in london 1234773690

Devyani Saltzman has abruptly left her position as Director of Arts and Participation at the Barbican Centre in London. Her departure, which comes just weeks after the arrival of a new CEO and shortly after she unveiled a five-year creative vision for the institution, marks another sudden leadership change at the major UK arts center.

judge orders return of slavery exhibit at presidents house barbican director devyani saltzman departs morning links for february 17 2026 1234773548

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstall an exhibition about slavery at the President's House monument in Philadelphia, which the Interior Department and National Park Service had removed last month. The judge's ruling, which invoked George Orwell's '1984', granted a preliminary injunction against the government's actions while a lawsuit from the City of Philadelphia proceeds.

Judge Orders Return of Slavery Exhibit at President's House; Barbican Director Devyani Saltzman Departs | Morning Links for February 17, 2026

judge orders return of slavery exhibit at presidents house barbican director devyani saltzman departs morning links for february 17 2026 1234773548

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily rehang an exhibition about slavery at the President's House monument in Philadelphia, blocking its removal by the Interior Department and National Park Service. The judge compared the government's attempt to alter historical facts to the "Ministry of Truth" from George Orwell's '1984'.

Art Critic, Jerry Saltz Speaks at Palm Beach Modern Auction to VIP Audience

Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz delivered a private talk at Palm Beach Modern Auctions in Florida. The event, held amidst works by artists like Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning, brought together museum professionals, gallery owners, dealers, and major collectors in a space typically associated with commerce.

Black Excellence fills Columbus Arts Council with warmth, artistry and community

The Columbus Arts Council in Mississippi hosted the opening reception of its second Black Excellence Art Exhibition, featuring fiber artist Stephany Brown reading from 'Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South' and a poem by Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones. The exhibition showcased a diverse range of works including Brittany Horne's luminous portrait of her daughter, Brown's hand-sewn quilts, Kenneth Smith's stained glass mosaics, and live music by vocalist-pianist Kyia King. Culinary arts students from East Mississippi Community College contributed food honoring Black chefs and agricultural scientists, creating a multisensory celebration of Black artistry and heritage.

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L, an artist known for spiritually charged sculptures and paintings, has died at age 41 or 42. Their passing was announced by galleries that represented them, though a cause of death was not confirmed. Born Jason Metcalf in Salt Lake City, L created works using objects suspended in mineral oil, which they called "spells," and exhibited at major institutions including Documenta and the Getty Center, as well as galleries such as Marlborough Gallery, 56 Henry, and the Ranch. L was also a spiritual practitioner and neurodivergent, and their career included early performances like "Original Skin" and a notable 2015 show at the LA alternative space JOAN.

Barrick Museum of Art Launches Three Major Exhibitions

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art has launched its 2026 spring season with three major exhibitions and a new program of free field trips for students. The exhibitions, which run from February 20 to June 13, include the traveling group show 'Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology,' a solo exhibition by Guatemalan American artist Jackie Amézquita titled 'El camino se traza al andar,' and a solo exhibition by Amy Elkins called 'Mourning Songs of Salt and Silt.' An installation by Ash Ferlito and Patrick Costello, 'Moth Ball,' is also on view. The museum is hosting a free opening reception and a series of public lectures and events for Black History Month.

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Artist Ming Wong has created a new video installation titled "Dance of the Sun on the Water / Saltatio Solis in Aqua," currently on view at the National Gallery in London. The work reimagines the figure of Saint Sebastian, drawing inspiration from the museum's collection of classical paintings, including a 1475 altarpiece by Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo, as well as Derek Jarman's 1976 queer film "Sebastiane." Wong, the fifth artist selected for the National Gallery's Modern and Contemporary program, completed the piece during a one-year residency, exploring how the martyr's image has evolved across centuries and what it means in contemporary times.

Kimball Art Center’s new exhibit features artist with ties to the Sundance Film Festival

The Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah, has opened two new exhibitions, “Returning To Wonder” and “All Sketches Wish To Be Real,” featuring international and local artists. Among the featured artists is Alexandra Fuller, a multidisciplinary artist whose work includes cyanotypes of wildlife and who has ties to the Sundance Film Festival—her short film “Sister Wife” was accepted at the 2009 festival. The exhibitions also include works by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, American artist Lia Halloran, and Utah-based artist Antra Sinha. The center will host a series of public programs, including artist talks, workshops, and a book discussion, to engage the local community.

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The House Oversight Committee has released a crude drawing that President Donald Trump reportedly gave to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. The sketch, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, features a marker outline of a naked woman with Trump's apparent signature placed where her pubic hair would be. Trump has denied creating the drawing, claiming he has never drawn, and has filed a $10 billion libel lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch. The New York Times compared Trump's signature on the drawing with his correspondence from 1987 to 2001 and found they "closely matched."

This art exhibit has traveled from coast to coast. Now it’s opening in Utah

An art exhibition titled "Instrumentos de silencio" ("Instruments of Silence") created by Argentine Latter-day Saint artists Susana Silva and Gonzalo Silva is opening at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in Salt Lake City on January 16. The exhibition, which explores how memory and music were used to capture and codify the changes of colonization in Argentina, was awarded the 2023 Ariel Bybee Endowment prize by the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts. It has previously traveled from Sargent’s Daughters art gallery in New York City to the Graduate Theological Union Library in Berkeley, California, before arriving in Utah.

New Rules: The Artists to Watch for 2026

The article profiles three emerging artists to watch in 2026: Lebanese artist Dala Nasser, who creates politically charged works using materials like salted water and cyanotypes; Chinese-born, Berkeley-based artist Connie Zheng, whose work maps plantation economies and resource extractivism through painterly and symbolic compositions; and New York-based artist Nina Hartmann, who creates resin works inspired by DIY plaques and memorials, exploring hidden histories and Freemason symbolism. Each artist is highlighted for upcoming exhibitions or new series in 2026.

We’ve Been at the Tapestry Studio Since the 90s

An exhibition titled "We’ve Been at the Tapestry Studio Since the 90s" has opened at Salt Beyoğlu in Istanbul, exploring the unique pedagogical and artistic approach of the Tapestry Studio at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSGSÜ). Founded in 1976–77 by painter and academic Zekai Ormancı, the studio combined carpet weaving education with contemporary art, fostering a collaborative "learning together" model. In 1992, visual artist and academic Gülçin Aksoy joined as an assistant, transforming the space into a hub of creative dissent and interdisciplinary exchange that spilled into Istanbul's broader contemporary art scene during the 2000s.