About the Exhibition

Astrid Krogh (Danish), (K)NOT FLAG. Mirrored acrylic, woven.

Designed in the shape and scale of a conventional flag, and installed on the existing historic flagpole, this flowing flag-mirror will reflect the dynamic surroundings of downtown Durham, briefly capturing the reflections of the visitors and citizens coming and going to 21c. Astrid envisions the work as an expression of how 21c embraces change and global engagement.

“K)NOT FLAG,” says Copenhagen-based artist Astrid Krogh, is “a reflection of identity. Every flag tells a story, either through its specific colors or design, which often offer a visual reflection of the identity of a country. (K)NOT FLAG is different: it is a flag of woven mirror foil, in which reflections are woven together into a knot, a form that suggests the complexity of identity. The intertwined reflections create a flow of imagery, a symbol of 21c’s mission to engage with and welcome a changing world.

The soft quality of the thin mirror textile vibrates like drapery when seen at street level; when blowing in the wind, (K)NOT FLAG becomes a dynamic presence in the Durham streetscape, wherein the reflections of moving cars and passersby and changing lighting conditions will transform the appearance of (K)NOT FLAG.”

Born and educated in Denmark, Astrid Krogh lives and works in Copenhagen. Krogh’s work has been featured in exhibitions and galleries in the U.S. and Europe. Since 1998, Krogh has completed commissions and architectural collaborations commissioned by the Danish State Railways, the Government of Norway, the Danish Parliament, the Royal Danish Library, the Netherlands National Health Authority, Maersk, Velux, and Coloplast. (K)NOT FLAG is Krogh’s second architectural collaboration in the U.S.; her first, Lightmail, is a series of fiber optic and LED tapestries that fill a seven-story solarium at 21c Museum Hotel, Cincinnati.