Paul Pfeiffer Named Inaugural Artist-in-Residence at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center
11April 4, 2026
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BS&E), the parent company ofBarclays Centerin Brooklyn, has announced “Brooklyn Art Encounters,” a multiyear program aimed at bringing art to the arena’s public, digital, and surrounding spaces. It has named Conceptual artistPaul Pfeiffer, renowned for his uncanny works centering sports figures, as its inaugural artist-in-residence. Pfeiffer, who per a press release will be embedded “within the ecosystem of the arena,” will team with artist Sean Leonardo and the nonprofit Social Justice Fund on “Exodus,” a yearlong series of workshops aimed at youth and adults affected by the criminal justice system.
The “Brooklyn Art Encounters” follow on from the presentation last summer ofLaToya Ruby Frazier’sThe Liberty Portraits: A Monument to the 2024 Champions. Comprising a group of large-scale photos of the members of the women’s basketball team the New York Liberty, the work was installed on theBarclays Centerplaza. Future programming will be overseen by Andria Hickey, onetime chief curator of the Shed, with an advisory team comprising museum leadersThelma Golden,Michael Govan,Clara Kim,Hans Ulrich Obrist,Anne Pasternak, andAkili Tommasino.
BS&E additionally announced the launch of the new digital art series “Art on the Hour,” which will present minute-long works on the Barclays Center’s outdoor Oculus screen at the top of each hour. A different artist will be featured every month. The program kicks off in May and runs through spring of 2027.
This fall, Sarah Sze, known for her work investigating technology and information, will present a massive suspended sculpture, titled Wave, in the arena’s atrium. Also this fall, Mark Bradford and Rashid Johnson will each present monumental paintings at Barclays Center’s new Flatbush Premium entrance.
In May 2027, interdisciplinary artist Kambui Olujimi, a Brooklyn native, will present a group of large-scale bronze figures engaged in the traditional Brooklyn street game of skelly on the arena’s plaza.
“The artists in this program aren’t simply participants, they have helped us consider and ultimately realize how we create space for art in public life,” said BS&E vice chair Clara Wu Tsai in a statement. “Brooklyn has one of the greatest concentrations of creative talent anywhere in the world, and Barclays Center is one of its busiest transit points. This program places art in dialogue with the architecture and daily rhythm of the plaza, redefining what a sports arena can be for fans, players, and the public. In working closely with artists to develop these projects, we hope to spark imagination, creativity, and a sense of wonder in a space where millions of people gather.”