raising flags – Art in Motion

Standing still is not an option – movement is essential! From the movement of flags in the wind, to movement in the minds of the public, and ultimately to societal change – this is where the raising flags project by museum in progress takes its cue. It employs the flag as a dynamic medium to set ideas and attitudes in motion and make them accessible to a wide audience. In the process, the public space is not merely a site of presentation but is activated as a discursive arena that addresses socio-political issues, evokes emotional responses, and encourages reflection.

As carriers of visual communication, flags span a broad cultural and historical arc: from their function as identifying marks and military signals in antiquity to their use as heraldic symbols and insignia of power in the Middle Ages, and finally, to their role as identity-forming projection surfaces of social systems in modern times. Today, in an era of profound societal upheaval, increasing conflict and political tension, flags are omnipresent. The rise of right-wing populism in many countries is reflected in the increasing instrumentalisation of flags as symbols of nationalist identity. However, they are not only used as national emblems but are also waved, altered, or even burned in protest. Flags define communities and signal a sense of belonging, which always implies differentiation from others. They mark who belongs and exclude others, thus becoming a symbolic tool of exclusion. In many countries, certain flags are banned – often for political, ideological, or ethical reasons. Especially in authoritarian, anti-democratic states, flags serve as instruments of propaganda, repression and power consolidation. They foster identification with the regime and create an atmosphere of conformity. They symbolise political order and reinforce social pressure to conform to the prevailing ideology. Against this backdrop, the artistic engagement with the flag takes on a new significance. Art counters the political appropriation of this historically charged medium and opens a discursive space for global perspectives. raising flags transforms the flag from a symbol of exclusion into an open sign that encompasses diverse artistic expressions – integrative, critical and unifying.

To date, 38 international artists have created around 70 flags for raising flags. The project is being realised in various locations, in virtual exhibition spaces on the Internet and in the media spaces of newspapers and magazines. The curatorial focus is not on artistic positions already known for their iconic flags but rather on those for whom the flag is a new medium. In this way, the project seeks to explore unfamiliar perspectives on the medium, rather than reiterate familiar images.

The first phase of raising flags began on 1 May 2023 – Labour Day, a day when numerous flags traditionally dominate public space. Entitled “Nation Flags of Ideas”, this phase addressed questions of social coexistence in challenging times. The concept of nations and belonging was examined from various perspectives, from the experience of stateless nations to the emergence of digital crypto-nations that challenge traditional borders. The participating artists engaged with topics such as climate change, consumerism and capitalism, drawing connections between social, political and environmental crises as well as power structures. Religions such as Judaism and Islam were reflected upon as expressions of cultural identity and their symbolic significance was questioned. This included examining the transformation of religious symbols and their perception in the public sphere, while also addressing political tensions and the misuse of these symbols. The fragile nature of peace and the necessity of actively preserving it were also highlighted. Through these multifaceted themes, the flags of the first phase invited reflection on social responsibility and collective action.

“The essence of wind and the wind of change”, the second phase of raising flags, began in August 2023 and explored the metaphor of wind as a symbol of change and transformation. Flags in the wind symbolise not only the dynamics of change but also the ongoing tension between stasis and continuous movement. The participating artists examined themes such as visibility and the power of perception, as well as the role of art as a means of communication that fosters contemplation and public dialogue – a function that the flags of raising flags also assume. The engagement with symbols and corporeality, for instance in the representation of identity and social positioning, opened up new perspectives on the perception of public signs. It also raised the question of the relationship between individual and collective processes of transformation. The flags in this phase addressed contemporary challenges by thematising both political and personal dimensions of change and resistance to standstill. In both phases, ten flags were installed along the River Wien, transforming the public space from Stubenbrücke to Oskar-Kokoschka-Platz into a visible art zone.

Since 1 May 2023, every three to four months, four new flags have been displayed on the well-frequented Stubenbrücke in Vienna, addressing key social issues such as global crises, migration, existential questions and distress signals. museum in progress has reclaimed this site for art, a space long characterised by the Lemur Heads by Franz West – a work whose absence left a palpable void for many. Obtaining the necessary permits for the project proved challenging, however. For example, the City of Vienna’s Department of Architecture and Urban Design initially rejected the proposal, deeming it a “significant impairment of public perception” with an “overwhelming presence”. After successful persuasion, four municipal departments and the Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments eventually approved raising flags at this location.

In June 2024, museum in progress presented a selection of raising flags at the sā Biennale, the largest contemporary land art exhibition in Asia, in Ladakh, India. The works were mounted on bamboo poles at an altitude of 3,600 metres, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Ladakh Range and the Southern Himalayas. From July to October 2024, an exhibition in collaboration with the sommer.frische.kunst festival followed, with forty flags displayed throughout the village of Bad Gastein. These included works by five newly involved artists and a giant flag measuring 700 x 1050 cm, mounted on a maypole above the village. The opening featured a flag performance, including a flight over the Gasteiner Ache gorge and waterfall on a flying fox. As an extension of raising flags, museum in progress is also presenting digital works on the theme in its online exhibition space “digital mip”. Some of these works exist as both digital pieces and physical flags, while others are created exclusively for the digital realm. In addition, full-page multiples related to the project are being successively published in the media spaces of the weekly newspaper Die Furche and the magazine wienlive.

raising flags continues to evolve. In January 2025, a presentation of seventeen works took place in Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the one world foundation. During the final phase of publication preparations in March 2025, a flag parade featuring a large selection of raising flags works was held on board the historic, listed former cargo ship “Alma” on the Seine in the heart of Paris, at the invitation of the owner. The project will continue at various locations, inviting more artists to participate. Depending on the context, location and infrastructure, raising flags can be presented in different configurations and scales. This publication therefore documents an intermediate stage in an ongoing project.

The concept of raising flags seamlessly integrates into previous projects by museum in progress, which has been realising exhibitions in public, virtual and media spaces with around 700 artists since 1990. Through its unconventional exhibition formats, museum in progress defines temporary museum spaces – “museums for a time” – on building facades, firewalls, scaffolding, billboards, public screens, railway stations, underground, bus and tram stations, the Vienna State Opera, concert halls, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, television and even on aeroplanes. With its site-specific and context-dependent interventions, museum in progress reaches and engages a wide audience in their everyday lives. Change is a fundamental aspect of this museum concept, as reflected in its name. Without change, contemporary art as we know it would be unthinkable, since innovation and originality are core qualities of artistic practice. It is therefore only logical that museums, as institutional custodians of art, develop adaptable exhibition formats and remain in motion.

The dynamic medium of the flag fully unfolds its impact in the interplay of wind and light. Both elements influence the way a flag is perceived, changing its colours and shapes depending on external conditions. Thus, raising flags oscillates between materiality and immateriality. Flags are spatial, performative objects that shape space through their movement and presence. For museum in progress, a largely immaterial museum, flags offer an ideal form of expression: they define a space while remaining in constant motion, free of fixed boundaries. raising flags is more than a visual intervention in public space – it is also a call for movement in thought and society. The flags stand for openness, change and dialogue across borders.

(Kaspar Mühlemann Hartl, April 2025)