Today is February 16. Today in history, in the U.S. the state of Kentucky passes into law allowing women to attend school, conditionally (1838); American Charles Wilkes discovers the Shackleton Ice Shelf in Antarctica (1840); Franz Liszt’s symphony Orpheus premieres in Weimar, Germany (1854); U.S. Fort Donelson is captured by General Ulysses S. Grant following the surrender of around 12,000 Confederate soldiers (1862); Russian troops conquer the Ottoman Empire city of Erzurum during World War I (1916); DuPont Corp patents nylon, developed by Wallace Carothers (1937); The Swedish classic The Seventh Seal directed by Ingmar Bergman is released (1957); Fidel Castro becomes the 16th Prime Minister of Cuba after overthrowing Fulgencio Batista (1959); France performs underground nuclear test at Ecker, Algeria (1966); Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev, premieres in Moscow after a limited release three years prior (1969); Agatha Barbara is elected as 1st female president of Malta (1982); Hezbollah formally announces its existence in southern Lebanon with an open letter (1985); Dutch PPR, Political Party Radicals, disbands (1991); The Kyoto Protocol (later to be superseded by the Paris Agreement) goes into effect, the global warming pact ratified by nearly 200 countries excluding the United States (2005); Former French President Nicholas Sarkozy is placed under investigation for campaign funds (2016); Donald Trump and Trump Organization are ordered to pay $354 million in fines in the New York civil fraud case (2024), Trump himself raking in over 30 felony convictions before beginning his second term in 2025.
Today is February 16. The U.S. celebrates President’s Day, officially Washington’s Birthday (observed 3rd Monday of February). On this day was born artist Franz West (1947), and died Italian writer and Nobel Prize Laureate Giosuè Carducci (1907).
Welcome to the 170th edition of Prescriptions. Here is our guide to current events in the arts.
Cristina Schek, Glamarine V, 2025
Line of Beauty
Young Masters Art Prize is delighted to present Line of Beauty, the 2025 Young Masters People’s Choice Award Winners, bringing two contemporary artists Cristina Schek and Alexandra Baraitser into dialogue at The Exhibitionist Hotel. On view through April 30, 2026.
Martin Parr, INDIA. Jaipur. Amer Fort. 2019
Martin Parr: Global Warning
This exhibition revisits the work of Martin Parr, bringing together a selection of series produced since the 1970s that find new resonance in light of the growing disarray of the contemporary world. On view at Jeu de Paume through May 24, 2026.
Nan Goldin, Elephant Mask, Boston, 1985 © Nan Goldin
This Will Not End Well / Nan Goldin
Icon of contemporary photography, Nan Goldin is exhibited as a filmmaker. Organized by Moderna Museet in collaboration with Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milano, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin and Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais, Paris. On view at Grand Palais March 18 – June 21, 2026.
William Eggleston, Untitled, 1971
William Eggleston: The Last Dyes
William Eggleston pioneered the use of dye-transfer for art photography in the 1970s and as the title suggests, these photographs are the final prints ever made of Eggleston’s images with this analog process. At David Zwirner Gallery through March 7, 2026.
Pablo Picasso, Le joueur de cartes II (The Card Player II), 1971
Late Picasso
The latter part of Picasso’s career burns with restless intensity. The exhibition presents around fifty works, some once overlooked but now recognized as a powerful sign of future artistic expression. On view through April 5, 2026 at Moderna Museet.
Jeff McMillan, Installation view of Untitled (Texas Series), 2021-24. Courtesy of the artist
The Long Now: Saatchi Gallery at 40
Celebrating four decades of ground-breaking contemporary art, The Long Now is an expansive group show presenting new works by iconic artists closely associated with the Saatchi Gallery’s dynamic history. On view through March 1, 2026.
Martha Roschmann
30 Under 30 Women Photographers 2026
Artpil proudly announces the 30 Under 30 Women Photographers 2026. For its 17th Edition, this annual selection continues to help photographers gain further exposure and participate in the collective.
Alexandra Corcode | Aurora Fea | Bianca Alexandra Dumitru | Chiara Monzi | Cristina Cannatello | Daniela Mezzapesa | Elena Costa | Elisa Turri | Estin Liew | Federica Bava | Fiora Garenzi | Francesca Rossignoli | Frida Alin | Giulia Frump | Gloria Bertelli | Ilaria Manini | Joanna Schaus | Katerina Kallopoulos | Linley Wyatt | Maddalena Salato | Madeline Kessi | Martha Roschmann | Moena Weiss | Nika Sandler | Ottavia Giola | Paola Osornio | Samantha Schein | Siouxsie Coutellec | Tianyun Chen | Yihan Pan
