Fake flag
(1994)
- Artist/s name
- Constanze ZIKOS
- Medium
- thermo-setting laminate, enamel paint, crayon, metallic and plastic self-adhesive tape on composition board
- Measurements
- (a-h) 198.1 x 262.2 cm (overall)
- Accession Number
- 1999.29.a-h
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1999
- Gallery Location
- Not on display
Australia is a country founded on immigration. Since the end of the Second World War, Australian society has been subject to extraordinary transformation and development through the arrival and contribution of migrants from around the world.
Fake flag emphasises a constantly evolving sense of national identity in Australia. It evokes a republican spirit that respects shared cultural origins while celebrating our social diversity.
Zikos's references to ethnic identity and cultural difference are never heavy-handed. His fascination with decorative patterns connects to the history and forms of classical Greek art, while his use of unconventional materials like Laminex, enamel paint and adhesive tape reflect contemporary artists' enduring interests in aspects of modernity and the everyday – in this case, interior décor and suburban taste.
