ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

William Powhida's Institutional Critique and Zero Art Fair Challenge Art World Economics

publication · 2026-04-20

William Powhida, an artist based in New York, made a notable contribution to ArtReview's 2025 Power 100 issue, using satire to comment on the art world through diverse mediums. His critiques target both institutions and individuals within the art ecosystem, as seen in his 2009 piece 'How The New Museum Committed Suicide with Banality,' which highlights the impact of collector Dakis Joannou. In July, he, alongside Jennifer Dalton, initiated the Zero Art Fair, which features free artwork and introduces an innovative economic framework. For the Power 100 cover, Powhida illustrated art figures on a hill, symbolizing power relations. He also addresses trends like artist Amy Sherald's rise and the Gulf states' use of art for soft power, while critiquing issues such as colonialism and wealth disparity.

Key facts

  • William Powhida contributed an artist project to ArtReview's 2025 Power 100 issue.
  • Powhida's work satirizes the contemporary art world through drawings, watercolours, diagrams, and texts.
  • He cofounded the Zero Art Fair in New York with Jennifer Dalton, where artwork is free with a novel contract.
  • The fair's model gives artists a 50% share in first sales and 10% resale royalties in perpetuity.
  • Powhida's 2009 drawing 'How The New Museum Committed Suicide with Banality' examines Dakis Joannou's influence.
  • The Power 100 cover image depicts art world figures separated from global conflicts like Gaza.
  • Powhida references Andrea Fraser's 2024 essay and Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò's concept of 'elite capture.'
  • He notes the prominence of Amy Sherald in the 2025 list and contrasts Gulf states' soft power with Trump's attacks on culture.

Entities

Artists

  • William Powhida
  • Jennifer Dalton
  • Dakis Joannou
  • Amy Sherald
  • Andrea Fraser
  • Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò

Institutions

  • ArtReview
  • New Museum
  • Zero Art Fair
  • The Brooklyn Rail
  • e-flux

Locations

  • New York
  • United States
  • Gaza
  • São Paulo
  • Sharjah
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • Los Angeles

Sources