In July 2025, the Foundation for Art & Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) unveiled Flying, a monumental tile‑mosaic mural by Russian-born artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, at the U.S. Embassy London. Spanning nearly 30 feet across a central floor of the embassy, the work depicts figures soaring above the Earth, evoking themes of freedom, aspiration, and transcendence. By situating the piece within a high-traffic area of the embassy, the installation invites diplomats, staff, and visitors alike to engage with art as part of their everyday encounter with the mission.

The mural transforms the embassy from a traditional site of administration and political negotiation into a vibrant cultural space. Through this work, the embassy signals that diplomacy is not only about policy and security, but also about fostering understanding, dialogue, and shared cultural experience. Flying is part of FAPE’s “25 FOR 250” initiative, which places site-specific artworks in U.S. embassies worldwide ahead of the United States’ semiquincentennial in 2026, underscoring the use of art as an instrument of soft power.

Cultural diplomacy plays a central role in this context. Art at embassies reaches beyond government officials to engage civil society, students, artists, and the public. By presenting work by the Kabakovs — whose oeuvre explores utopia, memory, and displacement — the embassy creates a platform for global reflection on identity, migration, and hope. It demonstrates that embassies can simultaneously be sites of policy and spaces for artistic, educational, and humanistic exchange.

The installation also illustrates the strategic role of art in public diplomacy. Beyond aesthetics, the mural conveys values the United States seeks to project internationally: openness, creativity, and dialogue. Through initiatives like the “25 FOR 250” programme, embassies worldwide leverage cultural projects to foster transnational connections, strengthen relationships with host communities, and offer tangible encounters with American artistic achievement.

For Berlin Global’s audience, flying highlights how embassies in major European capitals are reimagining their role in cultural diplomacy. By commissioning site-specific works, hosting exhibitions, and opening diplomatic spaces to creative exchange, embassies become bridges between nations, offering a form of soft power that complements traditional diplomatic efforts. As the semi quincentennial approaches, the U.S. Embassy London’s commitment to cultural engagement demonstrates that diplomacy can be both political and profoundly cultural, turning spaces of statecraft into forums for shared human experience.

• https://uk.usembassy.gov/