#smithsonian-institution — Public Fediverse posts

Trump Demands Smithsonian Install ‘Colossus’ George Washington Statue

In his latest salvo against the Smithsonian Institution, President Trump called on the organization to honor George Washington…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #Bunch #DonaldJ #George(1732-99) #LonnieGIII #MonumentsandMemorials(Structures) #Museums #NationalMuseumofAmericanHistory #SmithsonianInstitution #Trump #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesPoliticsandGovernment #Us #USA #Washington
https://www.newsbeep.com/730405/

https://www.europesays.com/people/220398/ Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian #AntheaMHartig #DistrictOfColumbia #DonaldTrump #GeneralNews #JDVance #JohnRoberts #LonnieBunch #Politics #SmithsonianInstitution #TonyJohnson #Trump #WashingtonNews

Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lonnie Bunch is stepping down from the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution following a tumultuous…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Celebrities #AntheaM.Hartig #DistrictofColumbia #donaldtrump #Entertainment #Generalnews #jdvance #john-roberts #LonnieBunch #politics #SmithsonianInstitution #TonyJohnson #Washingtonnews
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/841087/

Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lonnie Bunch is stepping down from the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution following a tumultuous…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #AntheaM.Hartig #DistrictofColumbia #DonaldTrump #generalnews #governmentandpolitics #jdvance #johnroberts #LonnieBunch #Politics #SmithsonianInstitution #unitedstatesofamerica #USnews #USTopics #USAnews #Washingtonnews
https://www.europesays.com/3240615/

Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lonnie Bunch is stepping down from the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution following a tumultuous…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #AntheaM.Hartig #DistrictofColumbia #DonaldTrump #Generalnews #JDVance #john-roberts #LonnieBunch #Politics #SmithsonianInstitution #UnitedStates #Us #USA #Washingtonnews
https://www.newsbeep.com/724026/

https://www.europesays.com/people/220060/ Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian following clash with Trump administration #AmericanHistory #CulturalInstitutions #DEPARTURE #DonaldTrump #HistoryPortrayal #LonnieBunch #MuseumComplex #MuseumLeadership #MuseumPolitics #NationalMuseumOfAmericanHistory #NewsRelease #RadicalActivists #ResearchComplex #Resignation #shnd #SmithsonianInstitution #SmithsonianLeadership #Trump #TrumpAdministration #USHistory #WhiteHouseReport #YearEndExit

Trump Wants a Museum of Mythology, Not the Truth About American History

Trump ordered political warning signs outside the Smithsonian because honest history threatens MAGA mythology. Patriotism requires truth, accountability, and repair.

Trump Wants a Museum of Mythology, Not the Truth About American History

Trump ordered political warning signs outside the Smithsonian because honest history threatens MAGA mythology. Patriotism requires truth, accountability, and repair.

Trump Wants a Museum of Mythology, Not the Truth About American History

Trump ordered political warning signs outside the Smithsonian because honest history threatens MAGA mythology. Patriotism requires truth, accountability, and repair.

Trump Wants a Museum of Mythology, Not the Truth About American History

Trump ordered political warning signs outside the Smithsonian because honest history threatens MAGA mythology. Patriotism requires truth, accountability, and repair.

Smithsonian races to finalise site for national Latino museum – The Art Newspaper

The Smithsonian Institution’s board of regents will meet later this month to discuss housing the new…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Artsanddesign #Arts #ArtsandIndustriesBuilding #ArtsAndDesign #DC #Design #donaldtrump #Entertainment #Museums&Heritage #nationalmall #NationalMuseumoftheAmericanLatino #SmithsonianInstitution #USPolitics #Washington
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/821503/

Smithsonian races to finalise site for national Latino museum – The Art Newspaper

The Smithsonian Institution’s board of regents will meet later this month to discuss housing the new…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Artsanddesign #Arts #ArtsandIndustriesBuilding #ArtsAndDesign #DC #Design #donaldtrump #Entertainment #Museums&Heritage #nationalmall #NationalMuseumoftheAmericanLatino #SmithsonianInstitution #USPolitics #Washington
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/821503/

Is the Smithsonian Really Trying to Destroy America?

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/is-the-smithsonian-really-trying-to-destroy-america

Is the Smithsonian Really Trying to Destroy America?

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/is-the-smithsonian-really-trying-to-destroy-america

Is the Smithsonian Really Trying to Destroy America?

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/is-the-smithsonian-really-trying-to-destroy-america

Is the Smithsonian Really Trying to Destroy America?

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/is-the-smithsonian-really-trying-to-destroy-america

https://www.europesays.com/people/187921/ Icom defends the Smithsonian amid Trump’s attacks – The Art Newspaper #DonaldTrump #InternationalCouncilOfMuseums #Museums&Heritage #POTUS #PresidentDonaldTrump #PresidentOfTheUnitedStates #PresidentTrump #SmithsonianInstitution #USPolitics

Louvre to lend Islamic art treasures to the Smithsonian – The Art Newspaper

Paris’s Musée du Louvre is set to lend 26 works from its world-class Islamic art collection for From…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Artsanddesign #Arts #ArtsAndDesign #Design #Entertainment #Exhibitions #Loans #MuséeduLouvre #Museums&Heritage #NationalMuseumofAsianArt #SmithsonianInstitution
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/803559/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/1131923/ Louvre to lend Islamic art treasures to the Smithsonian – The Art Newspaper #Arts #ArtsAndDesign #Design #Entertainment #Exhibitions #Loans #MuséeDuLouvre #Museums&Heritage #NationalMuseumOfAsianArt #SmithsonianInstitution #UK #UnitedKingdom

Grain-sized fossils have solved a 113-million-year-old mystery, linking volcanic carbon dioxide to one of the ocean’s largest plankton extinctions

Tiny fossils have helped scientists crack a Cretaceous cold case. Using chemical signals preserved in microscopic …
#NewsBeep #News #Science #andrewjacobson #AU #Australia #bradsageman #IndianOcean #jacobson #jonathanchen #kerguelenplateau #Northwestern #NorthwesternUniversity #SmithsonianInstitution #southatlantic
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/839728/

Trump orders signage to be erected outside Smithsonian museum warning visitors of political bias – The Art Newspaper

In a dramatic escalation of the White House’s pressure campaign against the Smithsonian Institution over what it sees…
#Politics #AmericanHistory #dc #DonaldTrump #Museums&Heritage #NationalMuseumofAmericanHistory #SmithsonianInstitution #USPolitics #washington
https://www.europesays.com/3158997/

Trump orders signage to be erected outside Smithsonian museum warning visitors of political bias – The Art Newspaper https://www.byteseu.com/2234749/ #AmericanHistory #DC) #DonaldTrump #Museums&Heritage #NationalMuseumOfAmericanHistory #Politics #SmithsonianInstitution #USPolitics #washington

Trump cites ‘white, male, Christian’ audit in Smithsonian disclaimer push

US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to insta…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #AbrahamLincoln #America #AntheaHartig #donaldtrump #Greensboro #KennedyCentre #KimSajet #MelanieStansbury #nationalmuseumofamericanhistory #Republican #SmithsonianInstitution #ThomasJefferson #TimBurchett #UnitedStatesofAmerica #ushouse #Washington #WhiteHouse
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/782908/

2/2
GAO (Government Accountability Office) has already found multiple instances of Vought's OMB (Office of Management & Budget) violating the law.
Congress *must* impeach even without the votes to remove. Letting them off w no charges at all is not acceptable.
Using apportionment, he forbids the #SmithsonianInstitution from spending money #Congress #allocated!
#ChristianNationalist #ChristoFascism #HeritageFoundation #GOP #KKK #fascist #USA #impeach #jail #RusselVought
https://www.ms.now/opinion/russell-vought-impeach-congress-spending

2/2
GAO (Government Accountability Office) has already found multiple instances of Vought's OMB (Office of Management & Budget) violating the law.
Congress *must* impeach even without the votes to remove. Letting them off w no charges at all is not acceptable.
Using apportionment, he forbids the #SmithsonianInstitution from spending money #Congress #allocated!
#ChristianNationalist #ChristoFascism #HeritageFoundation #GOP #KKK #fascist #USA #impeach #jail #RusselVought
https://www.ms.now/opinion/russell-vought-impeach-congress-spending

2/2
GAO (Government Accountability Office) has already found multiple instances of Vought's OMB (Office of Management & Budget) violating the law.
Congress *must* impeach even without the votes to remove. Letting them off w no charges at all is not acceptable.
Using apportionment, he forbids the #SmithsonianInstitution from spending money #Congress #allocated!
#ChristianNationalist #ChristoFascism #HeritageFoundation #GOP #KKK #fascist #USA #impeach #jail #RusselVought
https://www.ms.now/opinion/russell-vought-impeach-congress-spending

White House Defends 1882 Immigration Law Excluding Chinese Immigrants

The Trump administration is defending the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act against charges that the law had a racist…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #China #ChineseExclusionAct #Chineseimmigrants #immigrants #immigrationnews #Refugees #SmithsonianInstitution #stephenmiller #theWhiteHouse #TrumpAdministration #trumpimmigration #WhiteHouseimmigration
https://www.europesays.com/3127485/

White House attacks Smithsonian for telling ‘radical’ LGBTQ+ stories at American history museum

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-objects-smithsonian-lgbtq-stories

White House attacks Smithsonian for telling ‘radical’ LGBTQ+ stories at American history museum

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-objects-smithsonian-lgbtq-stories

White House attacks Smithsonian for telling ‘radical’ LGBTQ+ stories at American history museum

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-objects-smithsonian-lgbtq-stories

White House attacks Smithsonian for telling ‘radical’ LGBTQ+ stories at American history museum

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-objects-smithsonian-lgbtq-stories

Anthea Hartig, Smithsonian Museum Director, Faces the White House’s Wrath

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/arts/design/anthea-hartig-smithsonian-american-history.html

Anthea Hartig, Smithsonian Museum Director, Faces the White House’s Wrath

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/arts/design/anthea-hartig-smithsonian-american-history.html

Anthea Hartig, Smithsonian Museum Director, Faces the White House’s Wrath

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/arts/design/anthea-hartig-smithsonian-american-history.html

Anthea Hartig, Smithsonian Museum Director, Faces the White House’s Wrath

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/arts/design/anthea-hartig-smithsonian-american-history.html

Historians Reject Trump Administration’s Criticism of Smithsonian Museum

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/arts/smithsonian-trump-activism-american-history.html

Historians Reject Trump Administration’s Criticism of Smithsonian Museum

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/arts/smithsonian-trump-activism-american-history.html

Historians Reject Trump Administration’s Criticism of Smithsonian Museum

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/arts/smithsonian-trump-activism-american-history.html

Historians Reject Trump Administration’s Criticism of Smithsonian Museum

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/arts/smithsonian-trump-activism-american-history.html

Smithsonian museum will loan more than 200 works to institutions in all 50 states and Puerto Rico – The Art Newspaper

On the eve of festivities in Washington, DC, marking 250 years since the signing of the US Declaration…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Artsanddesign #Arts #ArtsAndDesign #Design #Entertainment #HirshhornMuseumandSculptureGarden #Loans #Museums&Heritage #SmithsonianInstitution
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/741241/

https://www.europesays.com/ie/567274/ Smithsonian museum will loan more than 200 works to institutions in all 50 states and Puerto Rico – The Art Newspaper #Arts #ArtsAndDesign #ArtsAndDesign #ArtsDesign #Design #Éire #Entertainment #HirshhornMuseumAndSculptureGarden #IE #Ireland #loans #Museums&Heritage #SmithsonianInstitution

https://www.europesays.com/uk/1046173/ Smithsonian women’s museum launches augmented reality experience after congressional setback – The Art Newspaper #Art&Technology #AugmentedReality #DC #Exhibitions #Museums&Heritage #NationalMall #SmithsonianAmericanWomen'sHistoryMuseum #SmithsonianInstitution #Technology #UK #UnitedKingdom #VirtualReality #VR #Washington

Smithsonian women’s museum launches augmented reality experience after congressional setback – The Art Newspaper

A month after the US House of Representatives rejected a bill that would have d…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Virtualreality #Art&Technology #augmentedreality #DC #Exhibitions #Museums&Heritage #nationalmall #SmithsonianAmericanWomen'sHistoryMuseum #SmithsonianInstitution #Technology #VirtualReality #VR #Washington
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/722371/

https://www.europesays.com/cz/125322/ Noc v muzeu 2: Hereččino utrpení v zaříznutých kalhotách, tajný dozor na place a úprava temného scénáře #AmyAdams #BenStiller #Entertainment #HankAzaria #komedie #NocVMuzeu2 #prima #PrimaMax #ShawnLevy #SmithsonianInstitution #TipNaFilm #Zábava #zajímavosti #ZajímavostiZNatáčení #ZákulisíFilmu

U.F.C. Viewing Party Draws Thousands to White House Ellipse

By the hundreds, they marched down America’s main Street Sunday evening to celebrate their own idea of freedom.…
#Politics #Dana(1969-) #dc #Fans(Persons) #lotteries #mixedmartialarts #NationalMall(Washington #SmithsonianInstitution #UltimateFightingChampionship #washingtondc #White
https://www.europesays.com/3063659/

U.F.C. Viewing Party Draws Thousands to White House Ellipse https://www.byteseu.com/2108147/ #Dana(1969) #DC) #Fans(Persons) #Lotteries #MixedMartialArts #NationalMall(Washington #Politics #SmithsonianInstitution #UltimateFightingChampionship #WashingtonDC #white

Houston’s Created Its Own Problem: The Unnecessary Fight To Snatch Up The Discovery Space Shuttle Continues

It’s been 15 years since NASA announced the permanent homes for the agency’s retired space shut…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Space #Houston #HoustonSpaceCenter #NASA #NationalAirandSpaceMuseum #Science #SenatorJohnCornyn #SmithsonianInstitution #SpaceShuttleDiscovery #SpaceShuttleEnterprise #spaceshuttles #TexasSenator
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/694274/

15 of the Best Photos Smithsonian Just Added to Unsplash for Free https://petapixel.com/2026/05/29/15-of-the-best-photos-smithsonian-just-added-to-unsplash-for-free/ #smithsonianinstitution #smithsonian #Spotlight #unsplash #archive #Culture #history #museum #News #free #art

15 of the Best Photos Smithsonian Just Added to Unsplash for Free https://petapixel.com/2026/05/29/15-of-the-best-photos-smithsonian-just-added-to-unsplash-for-free/ #smithsonianinstitution #smithsonian #Spotlight #unsplash #archive #Culture #history #museum #News #free #art

15 of the Best Photos Smithsonian Just Added to Unsplash for Free https://petapixel.com/2026/05/29/15-of-the-best-photos-smithsonian-just-added-to-unsplash-for-free/ #smithsonianinstitution #smithsonian #Spotlight #unsplash #archive #Culture #history #museum #News #free #art

15 of the Best Photos Smithsonian Just Added to Unsplash for Free https://petapixel.com/2026/05/29/15-of-the-best-photos-smithsonian-just-added-to-unsplash-for-free/ #smithsonianinstitution #smithsonian #Spotlight #unsplash #archive #Culture #history #museum #News #free #art

Republicans derail women’s history museum with anti-trans rule

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/republicans-derail-women-history-museaum

Republicans derail women’s history museum with anti-trans rule

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/republicans-derail-women-history-museaum

Republican attempt to erase trans women could derail long-awaited Smithsonian museum

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trans-women-erased-womens-museum

Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Guidelines Take Political Turn Under Trump – ProPublica

Trump Administration

Grant Guidelines for Libraries and Museums Take “Chilling” Political Turn Under Trump

Former Institute of Museum and Library Services leaders from both political parties expressed concern that the new funding guidelines could encourage a more constrained or distorted view of American history.

by Jaimie Seaton for ProPublica

February 6, 2026, 10:30 am

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

A library in rural Alaska needed help providing free Wi-Fi and getting kids to read. A children’s museum in Washington wanted to expand its Little Science Lab. And a World War I museum in Missouri had a raft of historic documents it needed to digitize. They received funding from a little-known federal agency before the Trump administration unsuccessfully tried to dismantle it last year.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. But this time, it has unusually specific criteria.

In cover letters accompanying the applications, the institute said it “particularly welcomes” projects that align with President Donald Trump’s vision for America.

These would include those that foster an appreciation for the country “through uplifting and positive narratives,” the agency writes, citing an executive order that attacks the Smithsonian Institution for its “divisive, race-centered ideology.” (Trump has said the museum focused too much on “how bad slavery was.”) The agency also points to an executive order calling for the end of “the anti-Christian weaponization of government” and one titled Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again.

The solicitation marks a stark departure for the agency, whose guidelines were previously apolitical and focused on merit.

Former agency leaders from both political parties, as well as those of library, historical and museum associations, expressed concern that funded projects could encourage a more constrained or distorted view of American history. Some also feared that by accepting grants, institutions would open themselves up to scrutiny and control, like the administration’s wide-ranging audit of Smithsonian exhibits “to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals.”

The new guidelines are “chilling,” said Giovanna Urist, who served as a senior program officer at the agency from 2021 to 2023. “I think that we just need to look at what’s happening with the Smithsonian to know that the administration has a very specific goal in mind when it comes to controlling the voice of organizations and museums across the country.”

An agency spokesperson told ProPublica it is not unusual for the institute to publish directors’ letters with grant applications, and that this one informs readers “about this Administration’s thematic emphases in the semi-quincentennial year.” He did not comment on criticisms that those letters insert political themes into a historically nonpartisan program.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, IMLS is working to revitalize our cultural institutions, urging less traditional applicants to consider working with us, and to promote civic pride and a deep sense of belonging among all Americans,” he said, adding that any institution that “meets programmatic requirements and goals” outlined in the funding opportunity “will receive all due consideration and undergo peer review.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Guidelines Take Political Turn Under Trump — ProPublica

Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Guidelines Take Political Turn Under Trump – ProPublica

Trump Administration

Grant Guidelines for Libraries and Museums Take “Chilling” Political Turn Under Trump

Former Institute of Museum and Library Services leaders from both political parties expressed concern that the new funding guidelines could encourage a more constrained or distorted view of American history.

by Jaimie Seaton for ProPublica

February 6, 2026, 10:30 am

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

A library in rural Alaska needed help providing free Wi-Fi and getting kids to read. A children’s museum in Washington wanted to expand its Little Science Lab. And a World War I museum in Missouri had a raft of historic documents it needed to digitize. They received funding from a little-known federal agency before the Trump administration unsuccessfully tried to dismantle it last year.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. But this time, it has unusually specific criteria.

In cover letters accompanying the applications, the institute said it “particularly welcomes” projects that align with President Donald Trump’s vision for America.

These would include those that foster an appreciation for the country “through uplifting and positive narratives,” the agency writes, citing an executive order that attacks the Smithsonian Institution for its “divisive, race-centered ideology.” (Trump has said the museum focused too much on “how bad slavery was.”) The agency also points to an executive order calling for the end of “the anti-Christian weaponization of government” and one titled Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again.

The solicitation marks a stark departure for the agency, whose guidelines were previously apolitical and focused on merit.

Former agency leaders from both political parties, as well as those of library, historical and museum associations, expressed concern that funded projects could encourage a more constrained or distorted view of American history. Some also feared that by accepting grants, institutions would open themselves up to scrutiny and control, like the administration’s wide-ranging audit of Smithsonian exhibits “to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals.”

The new guidelines are “chilling,” said Giovanna Urist, who served as a senior program officer at the agency from 2021 to 2023. “I think that we just need to look at what’s happening with the Smithsonian to know that the administration has a very specific goal in mind when it comes to controlling the voice of organizations and museums across the country.”

An agency spokesperson told ProPublica it is not unusual for the institute to publish directors’ letters with grant applications, and that this one informs readers “about this Administration’s thematic emphases in the semi-quincentennial year.” He did not comment on criticisms that those letters insert political themes into a historically nonpartisan program.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, IMLS is working to revitalize our cultural institutions, urging less traditional applicants to consider working with us, and to promote civic pride and a deep sense of belonging among all Americans,” he said, adding that any institution that “meets programmatic requirements and goals” outlined in the funding opportunity “will receive all due consideration and undergo peer review.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Guidelines Take Political Turn Under Trump — ProPublica

You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague – Smithsonian Magazine

Trending Today

You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

Officials are managing an influx of tourists coming to see “Idiom,” a seemingly infinite tunnel of books by the artist Matej Krén, at the Municipal Library

By Christian Thorsberg, Correspondent January 16, 2026

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Nearly 30 years after a dizzying sculpture fashioned from books was first installed at the Prague Municipal Library in the Czech Republic, literature lovers on TikTok and Instagram have turned the artwork into a viral fascination and unexpected tourism hotspot.

Idiom, created by Slovak artist Matej Krén, features roughly 8,000 books stacked into a tower. Mirrors placed on the top and bottom give the illusion of infinite length, and a raindrop-shaped entryway invites visitors to peek inside the wormhole—almost like they’re literally disappearing into a good book.

“The Idiom is meant to symbolize the infinity of knowledge,” according to a description of the sculpture on the library’s website. “[Books] are like bricks to [Krén], but they contain much more information, destinies, stories and knowledge. He puts them into the form of dwellings: primitive on the one hand, infinitely intelligent on the other.”

The installation made its debut at the Sao Paulo International Biennial in 1995, and in 1996 it was brought to Prague. It was first exhibited for a summer at the Jiri Svestka Gallery, which in the 1950s was a communist warehouse of banned books, before moving to its permanent home at the library in 1998.

For years, Idiom stood as little more than a familiar fixture, with its fame generally limited to the regular library-goers in the Czech capital. But beginning in 2022, the sculpture gained renown by going viral on BookTok, the pocket of TikTok dedicated to discussions of books and writing. Algorithms on Instagram similarly pushed the sculpture to the forefront of feeds.

“Kids that were in Prague looking into their phones suddenly saw a cool thing that they liked and they wanted to see it as well,” Czech journalist Janek Rubeš told Radio Prague International in 2023. “And as it is in today’s world, everyone wants to have the same picture or same video, because it looks cool and they can get likes.”

Quick fact: Idiom on the cover of Science

A photo of the sculpture was featured on the magazine’s cover in January 2011.In that issue, researchers analyzed a massive collection of 5.2million books to study cultural trends.

Today, librarians and local tourism officials are bewildered at the foot traffic the sculpture generates. During peak travel seasons—such as Christmas and Easter—more than 1,000 people each day endure wait times of more than two hours to snap a photograph.

“We’ll have to deal with it in some way, because working with tourist crowds is a completely different service from that we have provided up to now,” Lenka Hanzlikova, a spokesperson for the library, tells Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Most readers laugh about it and say it’s bizarre, but we have had people who wanted to return books and joined the queue.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague – Smithsonian Magazine

Trending Today

You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

Officials are managing an influx of tourists coming to see “Idiom,” a seemingly infinite tunnel of books by the artist Matej Krén, at the Municipal Library

By Christian Thorsberg, Correspondent January 16, 2026

Get our newsletter!

Nearly 30 years after a dizzying sculpture fashioned from books was first installed at the Prague Municipal Library in the Czech Republic, literature lovers on TikTok and Instagram have turned the artwork into a viral fascination and unexpected tourism hotspot.

Idiom, created by Slovak artist Matej Krén, features roughly 8,000 books stacked into a tower. Mirrors placed on the top and bottom give the illusion of infinite length, and a raindrop-shaped entryway invites visitors to peek inside the wormhole—almost like they’re literally disappearing into a good book.

“The Idiom is meant to symbolize the infinity of knowledge,” according to a description of the sculpture on the library’s website. “[Books] are like bricks to [Krén], but they contain much more information, destinies, stories and knowledge. He puts them into the form of dwellings: primitive on the one hand, infinitely intelligent on the other.”

The installation made its debut at the Sao Paulo International Biennial in 1995, and in 1996 it was brought to Prague. It was first exhibited for a summer at the Jiri Svestka Gallery, which in the 1950s was a communist warehouse of banned books, before moving to its permanent home at the library in 1998.

For years, Idiom stood as little more than a familiar fixture, with its fame generally limited to the regular library-goers in the Czech capital. But beginning in 2022, the sculpture gained renown by going viral on BookTok, the pocket of TikTok dedicated to discussions of books and writing. Algorithms on Instagram similarly pushed the sculpture to the forefront of feeds.

“Kids that were in Prague looking into their phones suddenly saw a cool thing that they liked and they wanted to see it as well,” Czech journalist Janek Rubeš told Radio Prague International in 2023. “And as it is in today’s world, everyone wants to have the same picture or same video, because it looks cool and they can get likes.”

Quick fact: Idiom on the cover of Science

A photo of the sculpture was featured on the magazine’s cover in January 2011.In that issue, researchers analyzed a massive collection of 5.2million books to study cultural trends.

Today, librarians and local tourism officials are bewildered at the foot traffic the sculpture generates. During peak travel seasons—such as Christmas and Easter—more than 1,000 people each day endure wait times of more than two hours to snap a photograph.

“We’ll have to deal with it in some way, because working with tourist crowds is a completely different service from that we have provided up to now,” Lenka Hanzlikova, a spokesperson for the library, tells Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Most readers laugh about it and say it’s bizarre, but we have had people who wanted to return books and joined the queue.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague – Smithsonian Magazine

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You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

Officials are managing an influx of tourists coming to see “Idiom,” a seemingly infinite tunnel of books by the artist Matej Krén, at the Municipal Library

By Christian Thorsberg, Correspondent January 16, 2026

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Nearly 30 years after a dizzying sculpture fashioned from books was first installed at the Prague Municipal Library in the Czech Republic, literature lovers on TikTok and Instagram have turned the artwork into a viral fascination and unexpected tourism hotspot.

Idiom, created by Slovak artist Matej Krén, features roughly 8,000 books stacked into a tower. Mirrors placed on the top and bottom give the illusion of infinite length, and a raindrop-shaped entryway invites visitors to peek inside the wormhole—almost like they’re literally disappearing into a good book.

“The Idiom is meant to symbolize the infinity of knowledge,” according to a description of the sculpture on the library’s website. “[Books] are like bricks to [Krén], but they contain much more information, destinies, stories and knowledge. He puts them into the form of dwellings: primitive on the one hand, infinitely intelligent on the other.”

The installation made its debut at the Sao Paulo International Biennial in 1995, and in 1996 it was brought to Prague. It was first exhibited for a summer at the Jiri Svestka Gallery, which in the 1950s was a communist warehouse of banned books, before moving to its permanent home at the library in 1998.

For years, Idiom stood as little more than a familiar fixture, with its fame generally limited to the regular library-goers in the Czech capital. But beginning in 2022, the sculpture gained renown by going viral on BookTok, the pocket of TikTok dedicated to discussions of books and writing. Algorithms on Instagram similarly pushed the sculpture to the forefront of feeds.

“Kids that were in Prague looking into their phones suddenly saw a cool thing that they liked and they wanted to see it as well,” Czech journalist Janek Rubeš told Radio Prague International in 2023. “And as it is in today’s world, everyone wants to have the same picture or same video, because it looks cool and they can get likes.”

Quick fact: Idiom on the cover of Science

A photo of the sculpture was featured on the magazine’s cover in January 2011.In that issue, researchers analyzed a massive collection of 5.2million books to study cultural trends.

Today, librarians and local tourism officials are bewildered at the foot traffic the sculpture generates. During peak travel seasons—such as Christmas and Easter—more than 1,000 people each day endure wait times of more than two hours to snap a photograph.

“We’ll have to deal with it in some way, because working with tourist crowds is a completely different service from that we have provided up to now,” Lenka Hanzlikova, a spokesperson for the library, tells Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Most readers laugh about it and say it’s bizarre, but we have had people who wanted to return books and joined the queue.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: You Can See a Swirling Sculpture Made of 8,000 Books at a Library in Prague

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