Hastings Art Gallery flag artwork theft

The story so far

An exhibition at the Hastings Art Gallery featured a New Zealand flag on the floor with an invitation for people to walk on it, and drew criticism from a Hastings District councillor and a local resident.^{2 Dec 2025} The installation, titled Flagging the Future, had prompted 101 complaints in a single week before it was stolen from the gallery on a Thursday.^{5 Dec 2025} A man has been charged with stealing the flag, which was defaced with the words "Please walk on me".^{16 Dec 2025} The accused said he had expected the artwork to be displayed behind a barrier or on a wall, not on the floor.^{16 Dec 2025}

Latest

A man has been charged with stealing the defaced flag from the Hastings Art Gallery.^{16 Dec 2025}

Key moments

1. 2 Dec 2025Flag installation on gallery floor draws criticism from councillor and resident
2. 5 Dec 2025Flagging the Future, which had drawn 101 complaints in a week, is stolen
3. 16 Dec 2025Man charged with stealing the defaced flag from the gallery

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.