Welcome to BSA Images of the Week!

A pioneer of French graffiti from Guadaloupe, Shuck One, is presenting Regeneration at the Pompidou Center’s Black Paris exhibition (March 19–June 30), honoring Black figures who shaped France’s history through large-scale paintings and collages depicting key moments like the Tirailleurs Sénégalais, the 1967 Guadeloupe riots, and the BUMIDOM migration program, alongside portraits of pioneers such as Aimé Césaire, Angela Davis, and Joséphine Baker.  

Christie’s has been flooded with fury over its AI art auction, raising questions about intellectual property, artistic integrity, and the role of technology in creative pursuits. Taking a look at the selections in the auction, you may feel like you are bobbing in the deep end. In Sotheby’s news, “I feel like street art and punk rock have the same core,” says Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 as he cashes in on his Banksy, which could go for more than 6 million, according to the AP.

In news about the ongoing policy blizzard in Washington, Trump called Zelensky a ‘dictator’, sent his team to Riyadh to negotiate with Russians, declared himself king while attempting to end New York congestion charge practices, fired more federal workers, is trying to rehire some others.

Elon Musk held a symbolic chainsaw on stage at CPAC, presented to him by Argentine President Javier Milei. Because of conflicting statements, its unclear what the plan for Medicaid is, but people are nervous. It may be that not all of these changes are what citizens expected or are willing to accept: Angry voters confronted GOP representatives at a Town Halls in North Carolina and Wisconsin,  and 9,000+ people attended one online in Oregon. It is unclear when the financial relief for the poor will come, but it must be en route.

Meanwhile, accused murderer Luigi Mangione was in court Friday, and a large gathering of supporters were in the street around the courthouse, holding signs and yelling slogans related to the broken healthcare system that leaves many feeling victimized in the US. For some reason, it doesn’t matter which party is in the White House over the decades; many people are either uninsured, underinsured, or bankrupted by healthcare costs. According to the New York Health Foundation website, “In New York State, an estimated 6% of consumers—representing approximately 740,000 adults—had medical debt in collections on their credit records as of February 2022.” We keep seeing mentions of Mangione as a sort of folk hero on the street. These are stirring and strange times.

Meanwhile, here’s our interview with the streets this week, including City Kitty, Homesick, Modomatic, Muebon, Hearts NY, V. Ballentine, Nice Beats, Rams, Batola, PEAKS, Adze, Daniel Daz Carello, Andre Trainer, and Maniphes.