OUTLAW

Beyoncé Projection on Guggenheim Was Not Authorized, Museum Says

A display reading “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album” was projected on the museum’s exterior this week ahead of the release of ‘Act II: Cowboy Carter.’

With Beyoncé getting ready to giddy-up for Act II: Cowboy Carter, there’s at least one New York City institution that didn’t know it was getting roped in for the ride: the Guggenheim. The storied museum told ARTnews on Thursday that it was unaware that Bey had plans to project a promotional message—“This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album”—onto its facade this week. “The Guggenheim was not informed about and did not authorize this activation,” museum officials told ARTnews. “However, we invite the public—including Beyoncé and her devoted fans—to visit the museum May 16–20 when we present projections by artist Jenny Holzer on the facade of our iconic building to celebrate the opening of her major exhibition.” The singer appeared to reference the apparent stunt on her Instagram Story on Wednesday night, posting a map screenshot of the Guggenheim’s coordinates. The ad, which features Cowboy Carter’s name and March 29 release date, was also projected on the city’s Whitney Museum, New Museum, and the Museum of Arts and Design. Representatives for these museums did not immediately respond to ARTnews’ request for comment.