Welcome! | Keith M. Francis

Welcome! by Keith M. Francis. A hand-sewn textile installation examining immigration, exclusion, and national identity. Exhibited in Italy at Altinate Cultural Center and Galleria Comunale di Arte Contemporanea.

Galleria Comunale di arte contemporanea, monfalcone, italy
A large-scale textile artwork titled "WELCOME!" by Keith Francis, shown in a gallery setting with a white bench in the foreground. The piece consists of sixteen American flags stitched together to form a large rectangular grid (four flags wide by four flags high). Each individual flag is defaced with a semi-transparent grey horizontal stripe running across the center. Printed in bold, sans-serif grey capital letters on these stripes are exclusionary phrases documenting the history of U.S. immigration restrictions. The phrases include: Top Row: "NO MUSLIMS," "NO CATHOLICS," "NO JAPANESE," "NO SLAVS" Second Row: "NO EPILEPTICS," "NO IRISH," "NO COMMUNIST," "NO ITALIANS" Third Row: "NO ASIAN," "NO NATIVE AMERICANS," "NO COLORED," "NO IDIOTS" Bottom Row: "NO MEXICANS," "NO CHINESE," "NO JEWS," "NO NON-WHITES" The work serves as a stark, confrontational critique of the "golden door" myth, highlighting the legislative history of exclusion in the United States. It was famously exhibited alongside works by Andy Warhol and Banksy at the Altinate Cultural Center in Padua, Italy.

Exhibition History
American Beauty, Altinate Cultural Center / San Gaetano, Padua, Italy
(Sept 13, 2023 – Jan 21, 2024)
Galleria Comunale di Arte Contemporanea, Monfalcone, Italy

Exhibition Context 
Featured in the international exhibition "American Beauty," showcasing 120 historic and contemporary artists examining American culture, including Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Robert Longo, Annie Leibovitz, Vito Acconci,
and Banksy.

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UNTITLED, MELTING
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