In celebration of the New Museum's 40th anniversary, the institution hosted "Who's Afraid of the New Now?" on December 2 and 3, 2017. Borrowing its title from an artwork of the same name by Allen Ruppersberg—who had his first New York survey at the New Museum in 1985—the event featured a selection of artists whose exhibitions, works, and interventions have shaped and transformed the identity and history of the New Museum. Engaging in dialogue with each other, the forty artists discussed an array of topics related to their practice, their history with the Museum, and beyond.

The event was organized by Natalie Bell, Assistant Curator; Gary Carrion-Murayari, Kraus Family Curator; Helga Christoffersen, Assistant Curator; Massimiliano Gioni, Edlis Neeson Artistic Director; and Margot Norton, Curator.