In the work “Klien Venedig” or Small Venice, Godigna Collet created flags that address national identity. A native of Venezuela, she used that flag in a series that addresses foreign influence on a region. .
She removes all of the stars from the flags and puts them in an ammunition box weaponizing them.
The power of colonialism led to the fragmentation of regional culture. Here we are presented with many variations of the flag. Each overlaid with influencers flags, like national identity is a propaganda design contest.
We may think of military takeovers, but in our current state of neo-colonialism these usurpings are often expressed by controlling resources and economic pigeon holing. Oligarch’s inside dealing, nepotism, and corrupt banking practices can repress, restrain and seriously confuse entire nations.
These disparate flags point to the powerful often unseen forces that come with a global economy. The beneficiaries of power and the exploited weave together a new place, perhaps uncertain of who they are teamed up with.
These flags serve to illustrate the power of foreign markets and international influencers and their ability to obfuscate the true origins and culture of a nation.
Rachel Koper, Sept.2019