Rainbow Flags Fly at Neue Nationalgalerie for US Anniversary

Two rainbow flags in the original 1978 design by Gilbert Baker have been raised at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The flags are on loan from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and will fly until September. Baker, a gay artist, first displayed the flag at a demonstration for gay rights in San Francisco in 1978. He died in 2017 at age 65. The Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK) has organized a program titled "We the people"—quoting the opening words of the U.S. Constitution—featuring lectures, talks, and tours addressing various aspects of American history and present. On Saturday, three tours at the Alte Nationalgalerie will focus on artists active in Germany and the U.S. in the 19th century. At the Hamburger Bahnhof, a talk with conceptual artist Andrea Fraser and a special tour of American artists in the gallery are planned.