The Brooklyn Museum lights up at sunset as the workday draws to a close. Amidst everyday encounters—be it discarded art, a new church or books that spark curiosity—there is a constant backdrop of human struggle and resilience.

Back at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), community members rally for Savneet Talwar’s reinstatement, fighting against an unjust dismissal. Far from the safety of the museum walls, ICE releases scanned drawings made by children in detention camps, a poignant reminder of their plight.

The art world oscillates between high-profile events and local struggles: from the grand opening of a new Guggenheim outpost to Sharmistha Ray’s vibrant pickling courts. Meanwhile, artists like Ellen Pau use water states as metaphors for vanishing cities, while in St Louis, an exhibition seeks to recapture the scents and sensuality of ancient Rome.

Amidst these narratives, AI companies such as Anthropic are described as noxious entities, destroying out-of-print books to train their models. Their actions are a stark reminder that human stories and history must be preserved by more conscientious means if we wish to hold onto hope in an ever-more digital age.