Iranian Artist Speaks Her Heart

Weekly Newsletter

Plus: Impressions from the reopened New Museum, impending strike at NYU, Islamic futurism, the price of Egyptian blue, and much more.

After being closed for several years, the New Museum on Manhattan’s Lower East Side is reopening today, showcasing a fresh design and expanded galleries. We visited a press preview earlier this week and came away with mixed reactions. Dive into our candid, unfiltered thoughts as well as Aaron Short’s analysis of the $82 million renovation.

This edition is filled with essential reads. Iranian artist Leila Seyedzadeh, now based in New York, shares her emotions as her hometown Tehran faces relentless bombardment. David Markus, a contract professor at NYU, discusses the reasons behind an upcoming strike planned by him and his colleagues. Curator Sadaf Padder introduces artists leading the charge in Islamic futurism. Critic Aruna D’Souza reflects on Zarina’s architectural paintings. Additionally, this month’s Art Movements features art coach Paddy Johnson offering practical advice on securing gallery representation. Enjoy the reading and have a wonderful weekend.

—Hakim Bishara, editor-in-chief

What Do We Really Think of the New New Museum?

Hyperallergic’s editors engage in a sincere discussion about the institution’s expanded facilities 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 OMA-designed, $82 million expansion of the Lower East Side institution opened this week, receiving mixed feedback. | Aaron Short

Pratt’s 2026 Fine Arts MFA Thesis Exhibitions, on View This Spring

Pratt Fine Arts invites visitors to a two-part exhibition curated by Alessandra Gómez at Dock 72 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Learn more

News

From Our Critics

The Canonization of Frida Kahlo

An exhibition dismantles any fixed perception of the artist, avoiding a single, simplified portrayal. | Liz Kim

Zarina Brought the World to New York

Her art was deeply rooted in South Asian histories, yet she maintained an independent identity free from national constraints. | Aruna D’Souza

Interdimensional Timelines: Hartford Art School Exhibits Liz Nielsen’s Photograms

As her tenure as the university’s Distinguished Chair in Photography concludes, Nielsen’s “light paintings” are displayed this spring in West Hartford, Connecticut.

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Opinion

Flying Back With the Birds to My Hometown of Tehran

Since the conflict began, I feel as if I am living in a shadow. It lacks physical form but is ever-present. | Leila Seyedzadeh

I’m an NYU Contract Professor. This Is Why We Plan to Strike.

For years, NYU’s management has made the teaching staff, many of whom are artists, more casual by establishing a secondary tier of full-time contract faculty. | David Markus

When a Palestinian Artist Asserts Her Own Humanity

Basma al-Sharif’s screening at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf faced threats and a smear campaign, underscoring her films’ themes of separation and displacement. | Adam Broomberg and Michele Faguet

On View in NYC

What Can $500 Buy at the Affordable Art Fair?

And, more importantly, does the art justify the cost? | Rhea Nayyar

The Sartorial Is Political in “The New York Sari”

At the New York Historical, an exhibition highlights the sari’s role as a living art form, heirloom, document, and political statement. | Lakshmi Rivera Amin

A Visual Journey Through 150 Years of the Legal Aid Society

A new exhibit at the NY Historical chronicles 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 always embraced realities beyond direct perception, and these artists use calligraphy, installation, and speculative images to continue that legacy. | Sadaf Padder

Meet the Woman Who Made Museums More Accessible

The first head of Accessible Programs at the National Gallery of Art shares her journey and thoughts on the future of museum accessibility. | Emma Cieslik

The Tender Work of Preserving Renee Good’s Memorial

A traveling photographer chose to remain in Minneapolis to care for the hundreds of artworks, objects, and messages left in honor of the poet and mother. | Isa Farfan

Art Problems: How Do I Get Gallery Representation?

Dreaming of showcasing your work in a favorite gallery? Paddy Johnson provides the blueprint.

Art Movements: And the $100K Rauschenberg Award Goes to…

Winners of the Rauschenberg Centennial Award, Madeleine Grynsztejn’s departure from MCA Chicago, Banksy’s potential unmasking, and other industry news this week.

Remembering Axel Burrough, Kazumasa Nagai, and Éliane Radigue

This week, we pay tribute to a groundbreaking composer, an Indigenous muralist, and an Upper East Side gallerist.

Required Reading

Ukrainian mosaics, the intersection of art and motherhood, Dolores Huerta’s activism, copaganda in the US, the debate between wall labels and artworks, and examining if your diet has fascist elements.

A View From the Easel

This week, artist Lex Maria transforms school supplies and Jade van der Mark collects faces on the subway. Interested in participating? Review our submission guidelines.

Opportunities This Month

Explore residencies, fellowships, grants, and open calls from Vermont Studio Center, the Japanese American National Museum, and more on our March 2026 list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers.