This morning at 10 a.m., in partnership with Creative Time, 21c Museum Hotel Durham hoisted the tenth public artwork in the nationwide Pledges of Allegiance series, Don’t Worry Be Angry by artist Jeremy Deller.
“Don’t worry, be angry” reflects the roots of much of Deller’s artworks, inspired by social ritual and folkloric history. Deller’s work is animated by a commitment to all narratives, whether they are sourced from high or low culture. This flag acts as a gentle call-to-action with a serious message: “Don’t worry,” the artist reminds us, there are other options for protest: “Be Angry.”
When asked to comment on his flag, Deller replied, “I hope it’s pretty self-explanatory.”
In a gesture of solidarity, the flag will be raised simultaneously at the following fourteen locations: Creative Time headquarters at 59 E 4th Street in New York, NY; University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum in Tampa, FL; Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) in Detroit, MI; Herbert F Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY; KMAC Museum in Louisville, KY; RISD Museum at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence , RI; The Union for Contemporary Art in Omaha, NE; Atlanta Contemporary in Atlanta, GA; California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA; Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ; Mid-America Arts Alliance in Kansas City, MO; The Commons, in partnership with the Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS; Texas State Galleries at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX; and 21c Museum Hotel in Durham, NC. Da Corte’s flag will fly for the remainder of the month before being replaced by the next Pledges of Allegiance flag.
> Learn more about the project
ABOUT JEREMY DELLER
Jeremy Deller was born in 1966. He lives and works in London. His works, trans-historical and presenting freedom of expression as a social vector of sense and values, initiate a dialogue between cultures, people, past, present and what the future could be. In the lead-up to the UK’s 2017 general election, posters by Deller bearing the text “Strong and stable my arse” caused a sensation when they appeared throughout London.
ABOUT CREATIVE TIME
Creative Time, the New York based public arts non-profit, is committed to working with artists on the dialogues, debates, and dreams of our time. Creative Time presents the most innovative art in the public realm, providing new platforms to amplify artists’ voices, including the Creative Time Summit, an international conference convening at the intersection of art and social justice.
Since 1974, Creative Time has produced over 350 groundbreaking public art projects that ignite the imagination, explore ideas that shape society, and engage millions of people around the globe. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has been at the forefront of socially engaged public art, seeking to convert the power of artists’ ideas into works that inspire and challenge the public. Creative Time projects stimulate dialogue on timely issues, and initiate a dynamic experience between artists, sites, and audiences.
Pictured: Jeremy Deller, Don’t Worry Be Angry, 2017. Nylon, hand appliqué, 48 in. by 72 in.
