Banksy unmasked; Virgil's archive goes on tour; underground artist head-to-heads; and more
Welcome Digest [3.16.26]
Welcome To March 16th
Today’s Important Headlines
Banksy may have finally been unmasked
In a report published by Reuters on Friday, the legendary British artist Banksy was identified as 51-year-old Robin Gunningham from Bristol, England. The report examines decades-old records, drawing on interviews, arrest records, witness accounts, and other documentation. Banksy’s lawyer urged Reuters not to publish the findings, arguing that the artist’s anonymity allows him to work without fear of censorship or retaliation. Reuters maintains that artists should be subject to public scrutiny and that understanding the background of a figure as influential as Banksy is in the public interest.
Virgil Abloh’s Archive is going on tour
The Virgil Abloh Archive opened its traveling “World’s Fair” in Los Angeles this weekend with a two-day program of talks, screenings, and workshops exploring the ideas behind Abloh’s work. The installation lets visitors browse shelves of reference books, view rare design files and unpublished zines, and sit in on conversations with creatives including Cam Hicks and Davonte Jolly. The event also debuted the V.A.A. x Air Jordan 1 High “Alaska”, which will release widely on April 3. After Los Angeles, the World’s Fair will travel to Chicago, New York City, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
Underground artists went head-to-head in PlaqueBoxMax’s Song Wars
PlaqueBoyMax hosted another edition of his popular series Song Wars, where underground artists join the stream to play unreleased tracks for a panel of judges, who score them on a scale of up to 60 points. Highlights included new songs from Sk8star, Teezus, Slayr, and 1300SAINT. Slayr ultimately took the win, with 1300SAINT, Babe Dylan, and Teezus close behind in the final rankings.
Oscars roundup
One Battle After Another wins Best Picture, while Sinners leads the night with four wins after a record 16 nominations, taking home Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Cinematography. In the most Marty Supreme ending possible, the film took home zero awards despite nine nominations. Many online wondered whether Chalamet’s ballet comment or the film’s unusually bold press run had anything to do with the shutout. For some of the lesser-known winners, we recommend checking out The Girl Who Cried Pearls, The Singers, and Two People Exchanging Saliva.
Anonymous artists put Trump and Epstein in a Titanic pose outside the Capitol
An anonymous collective has placed a 12-foot sculpture titled King of the World in Washington, D.C., depicting Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein recreating the famous pose from Titanic. The group behind the earlier statue The Secret Handshake says the installations respond to renewed scrutiny following the release of files tied to Epstein and the federal government’s push for transparency.
Instagram is driving the art market’s comeback
Still below its 2022 peak, the art market grew 4% to an estimated $59.6 billion, with aggregate sales across both dealer and auction markets rebounding after two years of decline. The report attributes the recovery in part to a fundamental shift toward younger, digitally native buyers who are increasingly discovering and purchasing art through Instagram.
Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)
Moodboard 045
Today’s inspiration supplement. Click through to view.
From The Archive
An extra piece of content from the Welcome Archive for Magazine subscribers only.
One Way System by Teresa Milheiro
Portuguese artist Teresa Milheiro created the piece as part of her conceptual jewelry practice examining social control. Mirrors positioned like eye patches force the wearer to look in a single direction toward a needle aimed at the forehead, turning the object into a physical metaphor for systems that pressure people to follow a single path.
