It’s a bit like those scenes in movies where people try to escape the Gestapo by racing through alleys and canals and empty plazas to the gates of the nearest friendly embassy – except it’s just navigating the outdoor dining tables on the bustling Main St., El Segundo sidewalk, and then you’re in. Welcome to the Free Republic of California, established 2020.
Interdisciplinary artist Cole Sternberg’s installation begins with a “canvassing office” opening directly off the building’s bright lobby, where the new nation’s reconfigured state seal is proudly displayed (a modified version of the current one most notably with just the one star now) along with artist-made gear, literature, merch, and propaganda materials, and an intricate white-board style breakdown of the plan.