White is Better than Red

WHAT An analysis of flags as national symbols, freeing them from any right-wing claim and showing how they could be an unbiased symbol for all. WHY This project was triggered by the rise of nationalism and xenophobia in Poland and the use of the flag in this political context. Anna Kic investigated the official rules that apply to the flag and bent these into a more democratic approach. HOW Four Polish flags showcase the official cleaning, folding, hanging and disposing instructions, treating the flag as a simple piece of cloth. Further experiments show how the object acquires symbolic meaning, by cutting out the emblem, blurring the colours, or interweaving the Polish and European flag.