The American Flag, Stonehenge, Chairman Mao Zedong: instantly recognizable, powerful symbols of the nations that produced them. But what instills pride in one citizen may be a call to protest for another, or may represent a complex combination of thoughts and feelings. The seven works in this installation take a critical look at such images to spark dialogue around provocative issues of national identity. They challenge long-held assumptions about these symbols with a combination of humor, beauty and biting commentary, highlighting the close link between politics and contemporary art. A new acquisition, Jeremy Deller’s off-the-wall video portrait of British culture, English Magic (2013), is accompanied by works by Dave Cole, Burhan Dogançay, Matthew Day Jackson, Lyle Ashton Harris, Catherine Opie and Stan Nanchez.
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