By Viri Garcia Gallardo, Executive Editor
“White Flags”—the newest installation at the University Art Gallery—presents an unconventional perspective on surrender. In warfare, white flags are considered a symbol of submission, but this thought-provoking installation challenges visitors to rethink their understanding of power, authority, and resistance. Created by The Finishing School—an interdisciplinary artists’ collective exploring contemporary psychological and social conflicts—the exhibit aims to disrupt the conventional meaning of the white flag as a sign of surrender.
“White Flags” reimagines surrender as a complex, multifaceted act that exists on a spectrum between resistance and self-preservation. The installation poses an essential question to viewers: Is yielding always an act of weakness, or can it be a strategic choice for survival?
Each flag is meticulously arranged to mirror military formations and propaganda displays, evoking a sense of institutional order. However, the texts inscribed on the flags subvert this visual structure, featuring statements that challenge the systems they appear to reinforce.
The text is borrowed from military tactical manuals. Initially designed to instruct soldiers on evasion, resistance, and escape from hostile environments, these directives take on new meaning when stripped from their traditional context.
“The fact that these statements all come from military tactical manuals and have been turned inside out to be read as something else … I think that is yet another way that we take back our power,” said University Art Gallery curator Aandrea Stang.
White Flags exemplifies Finishing School’s broader artistic mission: interrogating power structures through immersive and participatory installations. Finishing School blurs the boundaries between art and activism, using diverse media to address surveillance, militarization, and institutional control themes.
Their work frequently engages viewers in active dialogue, transforming passive observation into critical reflection. They challenge conventional narratives and expose the complexities of compliance and defiance by reimagining familiar symbols—like the white flag of surrender—within unexpected contexts.
At its core, White Flags highlights the ways power operates through ideology and discipline. The survival tactics displayed on the flags are not straightforward commands but ambiguous prompts open to interpretation. This reflects individuals’ difficult choices when navigating systems of authority—whether in personal relationships, workplaces, or broader societal structures.
“You don’t have to give up. You don’t have to surrender. There are things you can do in all aspects of your life—not just politics, but in the nuanced aspects of your life,” Stang said. “You don’t just have to give up.”
In times of civil unrest and overt displays of state authority, resistance to social “norms” is often seen as degenerative. “White Flags” complicates that narrative by illustrating how moral dilemmas, strategic decisions, and personal survival shape resistance. Visitors are asked to consider the psychological effects of living under systemic power. Further, to question ideas of agency, autonomy, and the internal discipline required to navigate these structures.
Since its premiere last month, White Flags has sparked lively discussions among students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Attendees told The Bulletin they were drawn to the exhibit’s layered meanings, which recognize historical military strategies and connect them to current struggles with authority.
“I never thought about surrender in such a complex way before,” said Amy Martinez, a political science student. “This exhibit shows there’s much more to it than just giving up. It’s about survival, too.”
As Julia Estrada, an undeclared freshman, walked through the exhibit, she paused to take in the arrangement of the flags. “This exhibition made me reflect on my own experiences with power dynamics in school,” she said. “It’s like seeing my struggles visually represented.”
Stang, the Gallery’s curator, said she hopes the installation will provoke deep thought in visitors.
“Given the activities and nature of our campus, I wanted to give people something to provoke thought and to consider,” Stang said. “The gallery is usually a quiet space—almost like a library—but this exhibit is meant to be contemplative, thought-provoking, and inspire discussion.”
Although the installation does not offer easy answers, it invites a deeper interrogation of power, control, and resistance, urging visitors to reflect on their roles within social and political dynamics. Giving up is not always a way to be defeated; sometimes, it is a way to live to fight another day.
“White Flags” will be displayed at the University Art Gallery until Apr. 19. The CSUDH campus community is invited to a closing reception from 3 to 6 p.m.
