Outset Netherlands is proud to have supported the production of the official publication of Four Flags – documenting the temporary international project in all participating cities throughout its run.
The project was launched on April 15 in Amsterdam as a way to support artists during a period of closed institutions and cancelled exhibitions as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown measures. Four Flags is an initiative of Julia Mullié (curator and art historian) and Nick Terra (director of Galerie Fons Welters) who invited artists to create a flag after seeing four unused flag holders on the facade of their apartment. Each flag was produced in an edition of 4 (+ 1 AP) and sold for 150.- each with the full proceeds going to the artists. New flags and names were released on their Instagram page @fourflags2020. Artists included Jennifer Tee, Willem de Rooij, Raquel Van Haver and Evelyn Taocheng Wang.
Subsequently, new editions of Four Flags were established in various cities to which artists from the local scene were invited. Four Flags Sao Paolo was hosted by gallerist Jacqueline Martins; Four Flags Bogotá by gallerist Jaime Martinez from FORO.SPACE, Daniela Cortes and collector Juan Diego Arango; Four Flags Chicago by Stephanie Cristello, founder of Chicago Manual Style and THE SEEN, in collaboration with independent curator and writer Ruslana Lichtzier; Four Flags Lisbon was hosted by ZBD publisher Luiza Texeira de Freitas and Natxo Checa; Four Flags New Delhi was hosted by curator Vidisha Aggarwal from Nature Morte. Also, other forms of bringing forth Four Flags arose. Collector Siska Bulkens and curator Louis-Philippe Van Eeckhoutte brought Four Flags to Belgium where the flags could be seen at eight non-profits throughout the country.
With the support of Outset, initiators Mullié and Terra were able to realise the only official publication of the project which plays a pivotal role in documenting the projects and its momentum during this historical period. They have chosen the format of a newspaper to ensure accessibility and easy distribution aligned with the way the flags were produced and distributed.
Four Flags has succeeded in capturing the zeitgeist during the beginning of the COVID lockdown period in the Netherlands. It is an inspiring example of the incredible flow of creativity coming out of these strange and precarious times. With artworks proudly flying outside of closed art institutions, championing creativity for the public in a time when access to art is limited.
To order the publication, send a message to the official Instagram page @fourflags2020.
