Museum Flashpoints and Artists’ Rights in Flux

ARTnews checked in with Paul Slocum, described as one of digital art’s early champions, to talk about building something more durable than hype: a sustainable digital ecosystem. The conversation is focused on how digital work actually survives—practically, financially, and institutionally—when platforms shift and technology ages out. Slocum emphasizes the unglamorous but essential supports that make digital art viable over time: clearer structures for how work can be sold and collected, strong documentation, and ongoing maintenance instead of “set it and forget it” exhibitions. The through-line is that digital art isn’t a novelty category—it needs systems that treat code-based and technology-dependent works with the same seriousness and long-term planning other media receive.

The Art Newspaper looks at the UK’s artist resale right (ARR) as it reaches 20 years since being introduced, and the picture is more complex than the early fears suggested. When ARR arrived, auction houses and dealers warned it would push major sales offshore to places without resale royalties, like the US and Hong Kong, and add costly bureaucracy. But Christian Zimmermann, chief executive of DACS, says the UK market has largely accepted it, and even former opponents like dealer Ivor Braka are now compliant. ARR has also spread: there are now around 90 countries with some form of resale right. DACS has collected more than £176m since 2006, distributing over £144m, including £9.2m in 2025. Questions remain about caps, eligibility, and what qualifies—especially design and applied arts.

The Art Newspaper reports Ireland is moving from its pilot Basic Income for the Arts to a permanent scheme—also called Basic Income for the Arts (BIA)—but the transition is creating real uncertainty for some artists. The pilot ran from 2022 to 2025, paying two thousand artists €325 a week, and pilot payments stopped last month. The permanent scheme was announced on 10 February by Patrick O’Donovan, minister for culture, communications and sport. Applications open in May, are assessed over the summer, and payments won’t begin until the second half of the year—before the end of 2026. Eligibility guidance is due in April, leaving artists unsure how to plan. Some also describe complications with means-tested benefits, including Day Magee and Maryam Madani, who are dealing with reinstatement issues now that payments have ended.

ARTnews reports that curator Eugenio Viola says the Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá ended his contract, and he attributes the decision to labor-related concerns. According to the report, Viola contends that raising issues about working conditions at the museum led to repercussions culminating in the termination of his contract. The story is presented through Viola’s account of the situation and places it within a wider, ongoing discussion about how museums handle workplace concerns, including questions of governance and accountability. The core of the dispute, as described, is not about a single exhibition or curatorial disagreement, but about what happens when a senior figure says they flagged labor issues and then lost their position. ARTnews frames the development as part of broader tensions around institutional practices and staff conditions.

The Art Newspaper reports that Anne-Claire Legendre, a French diplomat and adviser to President Emmanuel Macron on the Middle East and North Africa, has been appointed chair of Paris’s Arab World Institute (Institut du monde arabe, IMA), replacing Jack Lang. Legendre, 46, will be the first woman to lead the institution since it was created in 1987. Lang, 86, resigned after becoming the target of an investigation connected to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The report describes surreal scenes at the IMA: Lang held a leaving ceremony as police raided his office and apartment. Lang said he had “nothing to hide,” called himself “completely innocent,” and said he knew nothing of Epstein’s crimes. The IMA—founded by France and 18 Arab countries in a Jean Nouvel building—draws around seven hundred fifty thousand visitors annually and is planning a new gallery opening at the end of 2027.

The Art Newspaper reports that Devyani Saltzman, the director of arts and participation at London’s Barbican, is leaving after 18 months in the role. The Barbican would not comment on reasons, saying it is “unable to comment on individual staffing matters,” but The Stage reports she was made redundant. Saltzman, appointed in 2024, had recently outlined a five-year creative vision for the venue, describing a seasonal approach meant to respond to “deep international geopolitical and technological change.” Her departure comes amid a turbulent period for the Barbican, which draws around 1.5 million people annually and recently welcomed a new chief executive, Abigail Pogson, who started last month. The article also notes earlier upheavals, including a 2021 staff reorganisation following a publication alleging more than 100 instances of prejudicial behaviour, and past controversy around the Curve Gallery.

Hyperallergic reports on questions raised by visitors about whether the British Museum removed the word “Palestine” from its displays. The museum acknowledged that it altered some interpretive texts to refer to “Canaan,” an ancient name for the region, but said that “Palestine” still appears elsewhere in the museum. Hyperallergic’s piece focuses on how those wording changes were noticed and debated, and why terminology in galleries carries weight beyond simple geography—particularly when institutions are seen as authoritative sources for public understanding. The reporting emphasizes the museum’s position that the term has not disappeared entirely, while also highlighting the concern that altering labels can read as taking sides or reshaping how history and identity are presented. The episode underscores how closely audiences now watch museum language, not just objects on view.

ARTnews reports that faculty at the University of North Texas have published an open letter calling on the school to disclose why a Victor Quiñonez exhibition was canceled. The letter argues that removing “legally protected artistic expression from a university gallery” runs counter to the university’s stated commitments to academic freedom, constitutional principles, and open exchange of ideas. The story centers on the faculty’s demand for transparency about the cancellation decision, rather than offering a detailed institutional explanation for it. ARTnews frames the dispute as a test of how a public university handles controversial or potentially contentious programming—especially when the action taken is a cancellation without a clear public rationale. The faculty letter’s language indicates they see this as more than a scheduling change: it’s about process, accountability, and whether a university will stand behind exhibition-making as part of its educational mission.

Hyperallergic reports that artist Tai Shani has pulled a book deal with Phaidon, citing allegations involving Leon Black, who owns the art book publisher. The article says Black has faced increased scrutiny as accusations detailed in a recent trove of Jeffrey Epstein files circulate more widely. Shani’s decision is presented as a refusal to proceed with a major publication project under those circumstances. Hyperallergic focuses on what that kind of move signals in the art world, where publishers, patrons, and owners can shape reputations and opportunities behind the scenes. The story does not frame this as a dispute about the content of Shani’s book, but as a choice tied to who controls the publishing platform and what associations that platform carries. It’s also a reminder that, for artists, a monograph is a significant professional marker—making the withdrawal consequential.

ARTnews reports that a federal judge ordered the reinstatement of a slavery display at George Washington’s Presidential House, and that the judge cited George Orwell in the decision. The article describes the dispute as one about public interpretation: whether displays acknowledging Washington’s relationship to slavery remain part of how the historic site presents his life and presidency. The judge’s order requires that the slavery display be put back, and the Orwell reference underscores the opinion’s emphasis on truth-telling and the dangers of manipulating historical narrative. ARTnews presents the case as having broader implications for museums and historic sites that navigate political pressure around difficult subjects, because interpretive exhibits are not neutral add-ons—they shape what visitors learn, and what institutions choose to acknowledge in public memory.

That’s the download for today—links to every story are in the show notes. Come back tomorrow for more art-world turbulence and triumphs; until then, Chinga la migra.

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