Trump's Opposition by Smithsonian, Closure of Geffen Branch at MOCA due to Protests, Speculations Arise over Putin's Daughter's Art Dealings: Daily News Updates for June 10, 2025

Art and Politics Collide: The Smithsonian-Trump Standoff

In a dramatic turn of events, the Smithsonian Institution finds itself at the centre of a heated dispute with the Trump administration. The conflict, centred around the portrayal of slavery and related historical narratives in the museum's exhibits, has escalated over the past year.

In 2025, former President Trump escalated his attacks against the Smithsonian, alleging that the museums placed too much focus on "how bad slavery was" in their exhibitions. In response, Trump signed an executive order, assigning Vice President JD Vance—who is also on the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents—to halt government spending on exhibits that, according to the administration, did not align with its agenda.

The order also involved attorney Lindsey Halligan, formerly part of Trump’s legal team, to help identify and remove what the administration described as "improper ideology" within Smithsonian content. The Smithsonian was asked to produce extensive internal documentation, including emails, memos, and digital copies of exhibit labels, under a demanding timeline deemed unrealistic by experts like museum ethics specialist Janet Marstine. Marstine stated the requirements "set the Smithsonian up for failure" because no institution could provide such comprehensive materials so quickly.

Amid these pressures, the Smithsonian has conducted its own review and emphasized its dedication to nonpartisanship and an "unbiased presentation of facts and history." The institution committed to making necessary adjustments to ensure its content meets its standards.

Meanwhile, in the world of art, the Ramsay Art Prize, established by the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2017, has announced its winner. Sydney-based artist Jack Ball has won the prestigious prize worth AUD$100,000 for his large, multimedia installation, Heavy Grit (2024).

Elsewhere, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has launched a new artist residency in collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin. The focus of this residency is on artists whose practice incorporates craft or artisanal materials and methods. The inaugural edition includes artists Aspen Golann, Ibrahim Said, and Joy Harvey.

The Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) closed its Geffen branch due to National Guard soldiers descending on the city and law enforcement clashing with anti-ICE protesters. The closure has disrupted the ongoing durational performance, Police State, by Russian artist Nadya Tolokonnikova. Despite the museum being closed, Tolokonnikova's performance continues.

In other news, Wangechi Mutu, a Kenyan-American artist, discusses her artmaking approach in an interview with the Financial Times. Mutu, who grew up under a dictatorship, addresses the dangerous fictions being used about Europe and Africa, including notions of national purity. She also discusses her artmaking approach, which she says involves figuring out ways to be rebellious without being noticed.

Elizaveta Krivonogikh, also known as Elizaveta Rudnova, is interning at Alexandre Vichnevsky’s two spaces, L Galerie and Studio Albatros, following her studies at Icart, a private art school in Paris. Reports suggest that she is also working at an art gallery in Paris that exhibits Ukrainian artists and some Russian émigrés.

The Smithsonian Institution's statement seemed to allude to previous targeting of the Smithsonian museums by the administration. Lonnie G. Bunch, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian. Despite being fired by Trump, the National Portrait Gallery director, Kim Sajet, has continued to report to work.

In Rome, Wangechi Mutu's solo show at the Galleria Borghese will feature works suspended from the ceiling, leaving "negative space" for visitors to float through. An 11-inch Auguste Rodin sculpture titled Despair (1892), long-thought to have been a copy, just sold for about $1 million.

References: [1] Smithsonian Magazine. (2025). The Smithsonian vs. Trump: The Battle Over Historical Narratives. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/smithsonian-vs-trump-battle-over-historical-narratives-180975758/

Trump's Opposition by Smithsonian, Closure of Geffen Branch at MOCA due to Protests, Speculations Arise over Putin's Daughter's Art Dealings: Daily News Updates for June 10, 2025