“A country may obtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries want to follow it, admiring its values, emulating its example, and/or aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness.” So wrote the political theorist Joseph Nye, who coined the term “soft power” in 1990. The U.S. has bolstered its soft power by exporting, among other things, cultural and artistic products (did you know that the Pentagon has a film liaison unit in Hollywood?). This exhibition presents new commissions and recent works by 20 international artists who celebrate socio-political differences, and asks viewers to consider the powerful influence the art world holds. —C.J.F.