Physics journal Annalen der Physik publishes Albert Einstein’s paper On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, later considered his special theory of relativity (1905); Federal Trade Commission is formed to regulate interstate commerce in the U.S. (1914); Cuban leader Fidel Castro delivers a 4 1/2 hour long speech at the United Nations (1960); Dmitri Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2, his last concerto, premieres in Moscow (1967); Theater censorship ends in Britain as the Theatres Act 1968 comes into force (1968); American Museum of Immigration at the base of the Statue of Liberty is dedicated (1972); Norway rejects membership in the European Economic Community (1972); Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic from Washington, D.C. to Paris in a record-breaking time of 3 hours, 33 minutes (1973); Rockefeller Center in New York City is declared a national landmark (1988); Shinzo Abe formally ends his first term as Prime Minister of Japan (2007); Saudi Arabia announces it is overturning its ban on women driving, becoming the last country in the world to do so (2017); U.S. income inequality is the widest it has been in over 50 years according to new census figures (2019); World Health Organization announces 800,000 children in DR Congo will be vaccinated in nine days in the world’s largest measles epidemic (2019); Switzerland votes to legalize same-sex marriage in nationwide referendum (2021); Donald Trump is found guilty of fraud for inflating his assets in a civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James (2023).
On this day, September 26, was born poet and Nobel Prize Laureate T. S. Eliot (1888); and died artist, sculptor, and founder of the St. Louis City Museum, Bob Cassilly (2011) and poet and editor of Poetry magazine, Harriet Monroe (1936).
Welcome to the start of fall; welcome to the 178th edition of Prescriptions. Here is our look at recent events in the arts.
Fernsehfilme II / Ulrich Seidl
Ulrich Seidl: On Life, Love, and Death
Seidl’s ongoing exploration of the human condition takes centre stage. His interest in the everyday, in particular those who fall outside the bounds of daily order, is often described as unsettling. On view at Eye Filmmuseum through January 31, 2027.
Faye Driscoll, Chimera (Walker Art Center). Photo: Francesca Beltran. Courtesy of the artist.
Performing Arts Season / Walker 2026–2027
In today’s world, Walker Art Center’s commitment to connecting community with creative innovators has never been more vital. Vanguard dance, music, and adventurous theater artists offer fresh ideas and energy. Through June 2027.
Bruno Boudjelal
Rencontres d’Arles 2026
As everything pushes toward simplification, division and reduction, this year’s edition of Rencontres d’Arles creates a space for attentiveness to bring out its depth while continuing to find beauty. On view through October 4, 2026.
Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale 2026
The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia – In Minor Keys by Koyo Kouoh (1967–2025) – will run from Saturday 9 May to Sunday 22 November 2026 (preview 6, 7, 8 May) at the Giardini and the Arsenale venues, and in various locations around Venice. Through November 22, 2026.
SMITH, Sans titre (Sub Limis), série Löyly, 2010. Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Paris, Bruxelles
SMITH: Ici Grand Ouvert
An artist-researcher, SMITH navigates between photography, moving images, installation, sculpture and performance. Shrugging off chronology, he shifts the boundaries of portraiture and landscape. On view at MAC VAL through January 31, 2027.
Justyna Górowska, Hydrosex Call, 2025. Photo Jan Koszewnik
untame flow stay release
The presentation “untame flow stay release” responds to unjust, environmentally toxic and ableist structures, systems that continue to suppress individuals and communities by individualizing violence. On view of Temporary Gallery through November 29, 2026.
Outsider, 2026, at Handbag Factory, London / Ziqi (Tree) Xu
Carrying the Land Home
Thinking about mobility, and about being mobile not by vocation but by necessity, clearly concerns displacement itself, but often fails to consider the baggage being carried, what is left behind. By Chiara Causo.
Johanna-Maria Fritz
Inferno & Paradiso
Inferno & Paradiso is an immersive slide-projection exhibition created by Alfredo Jaar, one of the most socially active artists of our day. Twenty contemporary reportage photographers are selected. On view at Photo Elysée through November 1, 2026.
Gary Briechle / I Want To See a Lighthouse
I Want To See a Lighthouse
Gary Briechle photographs what is familiar and available: neighbors, children, backyards. His subjects seem caught between presence and absence. Indifferent to intention, but carry the quiet burden of existence. Forthcoming by Charcoal Press, October 2026.
Nadav Kander, Chongqing Municipality, 2006
Nadav Kander: The Edge of Things
From the banks of China’s Yangtze River to the shores of the River Thames and places such as Chernobyl, Kander’s works stand out for their ability to evoke both emotion and a sense of timelessness. On view at Foam through January 20, 2027
