A museum has removed a work by Māori artist Diane Prince that invited viewers to walk over the New Zealand flag.
The work was displayed at the Suter Art Gallery in Nelson, New Zealand. It was part of a solo show for artist Diane Prince (known indigenously as Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whatua, and Ngāti Kahu). The show was organized by Pātaka Art + Museum, which also displayed the work at its venue last year.
The work was a recreation of Prince’s 1995 work Flagging the Future. The work was an assortment of found items, including korari (a type of local flax) and harakeke (a type of flower used by Māori tribes). However, the most distinct feature was the use of the New Zealand flag, laid down on the ground with the words “Please walk on me”.
While the 1995 original work did not garner much controversy, the latest recreation did. It started when Ruth Tipu, a local Nelson resident, started picking up the flag from the ground every day in protest. She said: “When they come into the gallery and then they see our flag on the ground, and it says, ‘please walk on me’, it distresses my heart. That’s not what we are, that’s not what we stand for. And that flag, it deserves more.”
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Soon, the media picked up the story, causing major backlash across the country. The Suter Art Gallery decided to remove the work from display, though it also expressed support to Prince: “While many have engaged with the work thoughtfully and respectfully, recent days have seen a sharp escalation in the tone and nature of the discourse, moving well beyond the bounds of respectful debate. […] This should not be interpreted as a judgement on the artwork or the artist’s intent.”
