This Critical Dialogue program examines how art objects can become flashpoints for public response—whether through acts of protest, vandalism, or institutional suppression—and how those responses reshape the work’s meaning and impact. We will consider key questions: How does violence enacted on an artwork alter its message? What shifts when a work becomes the target of protest? And how do institutions—educational, legal, and cultural—navigate these tensions historically and today? This program will explore the complex interplay between freedom of expression, public response, and institutional control in the contemporary art world.

The panel discussion will include three experts in their respective fields: Amy Adler, Betsy Schneider, and Shahzia Sikander.

Free and open to the public | Registration is appreciated