Art Dispatches From “Habibi City”

This week in New York, there's a cultural celebration known as "Habibi City." While it's a joyous occasion, the author acknowledges the bittersweet realization that they may not be able to secure another ticket to the Laylit event. Amidst the anticipation of rain, the week offers a variety of attractions worth exploring.

On Governors Island, Mohawk artist Alan Michelson (Six Nations of the Grand River) presents "The Oyster" (2026) at a site where nearly a million oyster shells from Manhattan restaurants have been gathered. The installation serves as a tribute to Indigenous futurity, while also highlighting the mollusk's history within the city.

Upstate, The Met has recently reintroduced a preserved papyrus fragment of Homer's The Odyssey to its exhibition. The fragment, now displayed in the Department of Greek and Roman Art, contains three lines from Book 20 of the poem that were previously omitted from modern editions. It's worth noting that this isn't the only missing detail from Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of the epic tale.

Simone Forti, a prominent artist who passed away recently, is commemorated through the publication of a previously unpublished interview. In the interview, Forti discusses her relationship with Yoko Ono, a fellow transcultural migrant and 20th-century artist who shares Forti's experiences of discrimination based on her Asian heritage.

Forti's art often defies traditional boundaries, incorporating sound, drawing, poetry, movement, new media, and sculpture. Her works frequently evoke a sense of physicality and challenge conventional notions of decorum, as seen in pieces like Huddle (1961) and her satirical Museum of Modern (F)Art paintings. Ono, likewise, has made significant contributions to the art world through her conceptual instruction paintings and other groundbreaking works.