Designing the Nation State

Our nationality seems entirely self-evident, solid even. But it is not. The nation-state is a relatively recent invention, in which design plays a major role. The authority of the state rests on designed symbols and rituals: the national flag, the anthem, the coat of arms. By now, states have become something akin to marketing enterprises. Through commercial campaigns, tourist attractions, and social media, they seek to claim their own share of our collective consciousness.

To this day, nationalism remains a driving force behind both bloody wars of conquest and on the other hand democratic movements for equal rights. The exhibition Designing the Nation State is the first to examine the relationship between design and the nation-state. What is a state, who has the right to found one, and which designs are required to do so? How does something become a national symbol, and who gets to decide?

Cover image: Naomi Harris, Corn Dog, from the series EUSA, Tulip Festival, Orange City, Iowa, 2008–2015