SOME RUSES ARE SO SUBTLE THAT THEY DEFEAT THEMSELVES
Eksjö museum, 2016
BESK – Beierheimer Eva/Stark Kristina
Decomposition of two flag poles
Vinyltext quotes on flagpole by Eva Beierheimer
Concrete roots by Kristina Stark
Flags poles originally signifies a site for displaying national/group identity. Flag poles have phallic implications, especially when running a flag up the pole. Capturing the enemies flag is regarded as victory. Raising ones own flag on “enemy” territory (“motherland”) can be perceived as a form of metaphorical rape.
The flags are displaced from the poles without erecting a substitute. Two sentences from Franz Kafka’s “The Burrow” are attached to the poles and become a black and white pattern reminding of birch trees. Roots emerge from the poles shaft into the grass.
The installation with text and concrete roots transforms the bars into natural fragments while questioning the concept of man-made borders.
