Barclays Center Launches Artist Residency and New Commissions Program in Brooklyn

Conceptual artist Paul Pfeiffer has been named the inaugural artist-in-residence at Brooklyn's Barclays Center arena, beginning next month. The announcement was made on Thursday by the venue's parent organization, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. Pfeiffer, recognized for his work with mass-media imagery of athletes and celebrities, will be integrated into the arena's operations, including events featuring the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty basketball teams, as well as concerts. His residency includes a collaborative year-long initiative called Exodus with artist Shaun Leonardo and the Social Justice Fund, focusing on media workshops for individuals affected by the criminal justice system. Clara Wu Tsai, co-owner of the Liberty and Nets and vice chair of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, noted that Pfeiffer's interest in basketball and media made him an ideal partner, with the program aiming to provide exposure and potential employment opportunities. Additional artistic projects at the arena include a new initiative called 'Art on the Hour,' launching concurrently with Pfeiffer's residency, which will display 60-second moving-image works hourly on a large circular digital screen above the main plaza until spring 2027, featuring a different artist each month. In the autumn, new installations will debut, including a suspended commission by Sarah Sze titled Wave (2026) in the main entrance atrium, consisting of over 250 screens with animated projections. A new entrance on Flatbush Avenue will feature a work by Mark Bradford, Tina (2026), made from singed paper and silver foil, and Rashid Johnson's Untitled Anxious Audience (2019), previously shown at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. In May 2027, Brooklyn-born artist Kambui Olujimi will unveil a large-scale bronze sculpture on the plaza, depicting figures playing the street game Skelly. These additions join existing works by artists such as LaToya Ruby Frazier and Mickalene Thomas, curated through the Brooklyn Art Encounters program, overseen by Andria Hickey with advisory input from figures like Thelma Golden and Michael Govan. The initiatives aim to bring art into public spaces, moving beyond traditional museum settings.