Dread Scott: The Body Politic brings together work that reflects Dread Scott’s longtime commitment to art that confronts political issues and interrogates American patriotism.

On view in the exhibition are two newly commissioned projects, as well as a selection of pre-existing works. Defending the Flag (2026) is a durational performance piece in which a guard dressed in military uniform stands in front of a U.S. flag on a flagpole while holding a military rifle, crystallizing social power dynamics in the form of a charged encounter between the state and the public. The second commissioned piece is a monumental work on canvas made up of dozens of layered body prints. Created with the participation of community members, the piece is an immense yet ethereal representation of civil society.

These new pieces will be complemented by existing works, including a large-scale screenprint Imagine a World Without America (Green Land) (2025), a series of modified photographs of governmental seats of power, and a selection of pre-existing body prints.

The exhibition draws on the urgency of the present moment, inviting viewers to consider their own positions within the systems his work lays bare.

Dread Scott: The Body Politic is curated by René Morales.