Corona in the City

The idea for Four Flags was born when we (Nick Terra and Julia Mullié) were sitting in the windowsill enjoying the sunshine. Our eye fell on the four flag holders on our facade after which we decided to invite artists to design flags. Every day there are four different flags of four artists on display and every week two new ones are hung.

The flags are produced in an edition of 4 + 1 AP and sold for €150 each (excluding shipping costs). The full proceeds will go to the artist.

With this project we want to show art in the public space now that this is not possible in the museums; not only on our facade, but hopefully also on the facades of people who buy the flag. In addition, we want to give artists a helping hand in this way. Not only financially: many artists have been forced to postpone exhibitions to which they have worked for months. There is a lot of uncertainty about when new projects can be shared with an audience. Four Flags immediately offers this opportunity where the project can be experienced both online and physically.

In the meantime, Four Flags has already grown considerably: the Belgian collector Siska Bulkens bought the whole series of flags (about 30 in total) and gives them on loan to eight non-profits in Belgium that all the flags pass through:

Netwerk Aalst, Aalst – Houtkaai 15, 9300 Aalst (https://netwerkaalst.be/nl)
Kunsthal, Ghent – Lange Steenstraat 14, 9000 Ghent (https://kunsthal.gent/en/)
Be-Part, Waregem – Westerlaan 17, 8790 Waregem (https://bepartexhibitions.be/)
AAIR, Antwerp – Ploegstraat 27, 2018 Antwerp (https://www.aair.be/en/)
CC Strombeek, Grimbergen – Place commune 1, 1853 Grimbergen (https://www.ccstrombeek.be/expo)
KIOSK, Ghent – Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent (http://www.kioskgallery.be/)
La Loge, Brussels – 1050, rue de la Vault 86, 1050 Ixelles https://www.la-loge.be/)
CIAP, Genk – C-Mine 10, 3600 Genk (https://www.ciap.be/nl/)

In addition, ‘Four Flags’ are being set up in various places around the world, inviting local artists from the local scene.

Jaqueline Martins with the gallery of the same name started Four Flags São Paulo;
Stephanie Cristello, founder of Chicago Manual Style, started Four Flags Chicago;
Jaime Martinez, owner of gallery Foro.Space, founds Four Flags Bogotá;
Kunstverein für die Nordrhein und Westfalen is in the process of setting up Four Flags Düsseldorf.

Photography: Ernst van Deursen.

by Nick Terra en Julia Mullié

Met Four Flags transformeren Nick Terra en Julia Mullié vlaggen zoals we ze kennen – vaak functioneel gebruikt als teken van overwinning of uiting van nationale identiteit – tot een tijdelijk canvas. Een veranderende expositie in de openlucht die op subtiele wijze de publieke ruimte gebruikt als tentoonstellingsplek nu musea en galeries gesloten zijn. Het oppervlak waarin de kunstenaars werken is minimaal en de mogelijkheden beperkt, maar doordat vlaggenstokken wijdverspreid zijn kunnen de werken zich organisch door de stad bewegen en kunnen kopers letterlijk de vlag uithangen.