Offside – adjective, adverb

illegally beyond a prescribed line or area or in advance of the ball at the beginning of or during play or a play

Flags have always been used by people and societies to shape identities. They create a sense of fellowship, hope and optimism, feeling of pride, create stories, and believe in the same. This was always the case; we may only assume it will continue. Red tape is a reflection of how flags are used as tools to test cultural, political, and social nerves. It does not offer an opinion or calls to action; it simply reflects what is happening in the realities around us. Flags are not always raised to declare victory, triumph, or achievement. They are also raised to mark a handover, a battle loss, or even accept the other’s victory over an individual or society. Very often flags become synonyms for the loss of pride, trust, and optimism. Today it is difficult to find countries that have not experienced such surrender. Red tape is on a permanent quest for the image of the real, where pride and optimism seem to be drowned in the currents of the ‘game’. As a result, the flag questions the surrounding reality and describes best the political, economic, and social situation: it is the flag of despair, feelings of exclusion, and lack of pride in the state, its institutions, and symbols.

Red Tape, 2018
Public Space Intervention, Prishtina, Kosovo
Printed textile flag, Dimensions: 600 x 400 cm
Installation view: MAXXI Museum, Rome
Courtesy Fondazione MAXXI & The Artist ©
Photo: Roberto Luigi Apa & Atdhe Mulla