We the People

Presented in the Nasher’s Great Hall, Nari Ward’s We the People transforms one of the most recognizable phrases in American civic life into a powerful meditation on democracy, belonging, and participation. The monumental installation spells the words “We the People” using thousands of shoelaces, a humble material that carries traces of individual lives while collectively forming a statement about community and shared responsibility.

Created through Ward’s longstanding practice of repurposing everyday materials to uncover personal and social histories, the work invites reflection on who is included in the nation’s democratic ideals and how those ideals continue to evolve. Installed alongside the presentation of historic copies of the Declaration of Independence, We the People offers a contemporary perspective on the aspirations, contradictions, and possibilities embedded within America’s founding principles.

Nari Ward’s We the People is organized by the Nasher Museum of Art and is part of We the People: A Duke & Durham Initiative that marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence through a series of public events examining the nation’s evolving identity. Nari Ward’s We the People is on view at the Nasher Museum courtesy of the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, London.