US EditionA Controversial Flag Invited Art Gallery Visitors to 'Please Walk on me.' It Lasted 19 Days
- Māori artist Diane Prince's 1995 artwork, a New Zealand flag with 'please walk on me' on the floor, was removed from Nelson's Suter Art Gallery after 19 days on Thursday, 2025.
- Prince created the piece in response to a 1990s government policy limiting compensation to Māori tribes for historical land theft, and the removal follows a similar 1995 Auckland gallery incident amid protests and police complaints.
- The work, part of the Diane Prince: Activist Artist exhibition, aimed to provoke reflection on the Māori experience after British colonization, but it reignited debates on artistic freedom, national symbols, and colonial history.
- Nelson protesters, including local Ruth Tipu who posted social media videos, criticized the piece as offensive and shameful, while deputy mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens defended artistic expression despite escalating tensions leading to the removal.
- Police are looking into multiple complaints but reported no incidents at the exhibition. The gallery stated the artwork was removed due to concerns over safety and escalating tensions, not because of any pressure from law enforcement. Meanwhile, artist Diane Prince expressed that she does not identify closely with the New Zealand flag.
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A controversial flag invited art gallery visitors to 'please walk on me' It lasted 19 days (copy)
A New Zealand flag printed with the words “please walk on me” and displayed on the floor of an art gallery in the city of Nelson has been removed from display after protests. The work by Māori artist Diane Prince…
San Gabriel Valley TribuneReposted by 
Boston Herald
Boston HeraldA controversial flag invited art gallery visitors to ‘please walk on me.’ It lasted 19 days
A New Zealand flag printed with the words “please walk on me” and displayed on the floor of an art gallery in the city of Nelson has been removed from display after protests.
Colorado Springs Gazette+6 Reposted by 6other sources
A controversial flag invited art gallery visitors to 'please walk on me.' It lasted 19 days
A New Zealand flag printed with the words “please walk on me” and displayed on the floor of an art gallery in the city of Nelson has been removed from display after protests. The work by Māori artist Diane Prince…
·Colorado Springs, United States
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