Project Description

2014

Group Photography Project
Global Flag is a project initiated by the Norwegian artist Stian Omland. He invited artists all around the world to participate in an exhibition where the artists commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution. The artists take a fresh look at Norway’s national symbols, like the Flag, the National Coat of Arms, the Constitution, the National Anthem and most likely others, and re-interpret them in an artistic context.

The project: Norwegian author Tor Åge Bringsværd has written a short piece on a future there may not be a need for national symbols. The text will be exhibited along with photos taken by photographers all over the world, of them holding up the Global Flag and viewing their Global Homeland through it. A total of twelve flags, in the form of Plexiglass plates, will be travelling from photographer to photographer on their journey around the world.

The text:
Perhaps, in the future – if it ever arrives – there will be no national symbols at all? All the people of Earth will have a common flag, simply a transparent fabric (or a clear plastic rectangle). When gazing through the fabric/ plastic rectangle, we will always see our dear homeland, no matter where in the world we are. For there are no longer borders – and we belong everywhere.
– Tor Åge Bringsværd
(Translated by Stian Omland)

Part of the exhibition
“Typically Norwegian! – National symbols”
Spriten Kunsthall, Skien, Telemark (NO)
May 8th-26th, 2014