American Identities

David Levinthal

David Levinthal (born 1949) explores the role of myths in American visual culture. Using carefully constructed miniature scenes, the artist reveals how narratives of power, heroism, and identity are constructed in the United States - from the Wild West to baseball and Barbie.

Levinthal's photography has never been seen in the Netherlands before. This exhibition marks the first major collaboration between the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and a European museum; a significant moment for cultural cooperation between the United States and the Netherlands.

Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

“Chicanx” or “Chicano” is a gender-neutral term referring to individuals of Mexican heritage in the United States. This exhibition explores how Chicano artists creatively engage with the narratives through which the United States presents its history. Their work reveals that history is not a single, fixed truth.

The exhibition challenges us to reflect on themes such as whiteness, borders, and traditional gender roles. It insights into how a young and diverse society like the United States grapples with its own identity.