Subtlety prevails at Iraq show

Some commentators would argue that the days of frivolity, fatuous irony and the juvenile need for self-confession are gone: artists are getting all political.

Certainly the recently announced shortlist for this year's Turner Prize reflects this new-found seriousness: the most well-known of that list is Mark Wallinger, whose replica of Brian Haw's confiscated hoard of protest banners is currently on display at Tate Britain.

Tapping into this new political engagement, the ICA has asked 25 European, Iraqi and American artists to propose a memorial to the Iraq war.

It's an interesting idea but actually few of the featured artists are interested in memorials as such (too 'establishment'), so what we get are largely protest pieces: American artist Nate Lowman's 1950s petrol pumps and fellow US artist Sam Durant's proposed dumping of war debris around Capitol Hill, the White House, Parliament and Downing Street.

This is perhaps to be expected but often it means that the art rarely goes beyond crude agitprop.

Subtlety is so much more effective, and we get that in Dutch artist Marc Bijl's three wood and concrete stars (pictured). The stars and the colours are of the Iraqi flag, yet it's the more globally recognised stars of the American flag that dominate our thoughts.

Memorial To The Iraq War
ICA Gallery
The Mall, SW1Y 5AH