El Museo del Barrio has apologized for renting space to a conspiracy-focused conference marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, as first reported by the New York Times.

The East Harlem institution, home to an extensive collection of works by artists of Latin American descent, rented part of its building to the International Center for 9/11 Justice for "Turning the Tide: 9/11 25 Years Later." The conference ran from September 10 through September 13.

The speaker lineup drew participants including first responders, elected officials, and victims' family members. Bill Manning, former editor-in-chief of Fire Engineering magazine, told the audience the Twin Towers fell from controlled demolition. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski claimed the federal government covered up events including 9/11 and what she described as the assassination of podcaster Charlie Kirk.

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd also addressed the conference. He said he wanted to probe "what actually happened" on 9/11.

The museum distanced itself from the event's content after the fact. "El Museo del Barrio recognizes its responsibility as a steward of the public trust and deeply regrets this event," the institution said in a statement shared with Hyperallergic. "At the time of contracting, the Museum was not aware of the full program, content and speaker list for this event."

The apology puts the museum among the growing number of cultural venues forced to reckon with who rents their spaces. Institutions frequently rent auditoriums and galleries to outside groups as a revenue stream, often vetting renters on logistics rather than ideology.

The museum's statement does not detail what it knew at the time of contracting or what, if any, screening process preceded the booking. The International Center for 9/11 Justice has not responded publicly to the museum's statement, according to the available reporting.

How El Museo del Barrio revises its rental policies — and whether other venues adopt stricter content reviews for outside bookings — will shape the next chapter of a controversy that has put the museum's stewardship of public trust under scrutiny.