Whitney Museum Opened Coumba Samba Exhibition
The New York institution debuted a solo show featuring works modeled after depleted uranium shells.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Fine Art
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The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York has opened a solo exhibition titled Coumba Samba: Stars and Stripes. The installation in the museum's Lobby Gallery features sculptures modeled after depleted uranium shells painted in national flag colors.
Why it matters
The exhibition explores the intersection of art and geopolitical history by examining the legacy of nuclear materials. Through these sculptures, the artist highlights historical themes surrounding atomic weaponry and international conflicts involving uranium.
Coumba Samba earned a BA from Camberwell College of Arts in London and studied at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has previously participated in institutional showcases including Fade at the Studio Museum in Harlem and Greater New York 2026 at MoMA PS1.
The players
Coumba Samba
She is a Senegalese American artist based in New York whose work bridges historical nuclear narratives and contemporary sculpture.
Whitney Museum of American Art
This major New York City institution focuses on 20th-century and contemporary American art.
The details
The works on display center on depleted uranium shells, a motif that connects historical nuclear sites like the Shinkolobwe mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to allegations regarding the 2003 Iraq invasion. The installation invites viewers to engage with these sensitive materials through a contemporary artistic lens.
Timeline
1945 marked the year uranium from the Shinkolobwe mine was used in the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
Artist Coumba Samba was born in 2000.
The U.S. government invaded Iraq in 2003 amid allegations of uranium sourcing.
Samba participated in the Greater New York exhibition at MoMA PS1 in 2026.
This exhibition opened to the public as of September 20, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This exhibition underscores a shift in how contemporary art institutions are integrating geopolitical critiques into solo showcases. It reflects a growing trend of artists using the gallery space to confront complex historical narratives linked to the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Visitors can view the installation in the Whitney Museum's Lobby Gallery during standard museum hours. Access to the exhibition is included with general museum admission.
The takeaway
This show demonstrates how modern artists are reclaiming and recontextualizing historical objects to comment on global power structures. Visitors are encouraged to reflect on the contrast between the aesthetic presentation of the sculptures and the violent history of their source materials.
Further reading
Learn more about local installations by visiting the Fine Art section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Artdaily.
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