This article is part of our latest special report on Museums, which focuses on the intersection of art and politics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum makes a bold architectural statement on the Michigan State University campus.

Designed by the architect Zaha Hadid, the eight-year-old museum’s sharp lines and stainless steel exterior are a sharp contrast with the brick classrooms, office buildings and dormitories that sit nearby, many dating back more than a century.

So, it seems fitting that two shows now on view at MSU Broad, as the museum is nicknamed, are making bold political statements, too.