Net.flag
Encyclopedia
net.flag is a work of internet art
created in 2002 by Mark Napier
. Along with Unfolding Object
by John Simon, it was commissioned by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
in New York City
, and was among the first works of internet art
to enter the permanent collection of a major museum.
net.flag is an interactive work hosted on the museum's website
. It contains images of all the national flag
s in the world. Each flag is broken into its respective components, which are then categorized according to several broadly descriptive terms; users may pick and choose from a menu of these components to form a new flag, which they may then save to the site. In addition, the project features a browsable history, through which users may look over past creations which have been saved and titled.
net.flag creates a virtual territory. A limited language
of visual symbols and the actions of thousands of visitors create an ongoing micro-drama about ownership, territory, control and personal identity
in a post-national world.
Napier has described net.flag as "an emblem for the Internet as a new territory," and is inspired in part by "Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong", the franchise nation depicted in Snow Crash
by Neal Stephenson
. In Stephenson's world geographical borders are re-mapped into mobile
, modular elements.
Internet art
Internet art is a form of digital artwork distributed via the Internet. This form of art has circumvented the traditional dominance of the gallery and museum system, delivering aesthetic experiences via the Internet. In many cases, the viewer is drawn into some kind of interaction with the work...
created in 2002 by Mark Napier
Mark Napier (artist)
Mark Napier is an early pioneer of net.art in the United States, known for creating interactive online artwork that challenged traditional definitions of art...
. Along with Unfolding Object
Unfolding Object
Unfolding Object is a 2002 work of internet art created by John Simon after a commission from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City...
by John Simon, it was commissioned by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and was among the first works of internet art
Internet art
Internet art is a form of digital artwork distributed via the Internet. This form of art has circumvented the traditional dominance of the gallery and museum system, delivering aesthetic experiences via the Internet. In many cases, the viewer is drawn into some kind of interaction with the work...
to enter the permanent collection of a major museum.
net.flag is an interactive work hosted on the museum's website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
. It contains images of all the national flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
s in the world. Each flag is broken into its respective components, which are then categorized according to several broadly descriptive terms; users may pick and choose from a menu of these components to form a new flag, which they may then save to the site. In addition, the project features a browsable history, through which users may look over past creations which have been saved and titled.
net.flag creates a virtual territory. A limited language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
of visual symbols and the actions of thousands of visitors create an ongoing micro-drama about ownership, territory, control and personal identity
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
in a post-national world.
Napier has described net.flag as "an emblem for the Internet as a new territory," and is inspired in part by "Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong", the franchise nation depicted in Snow Crash
Snow Crash
Snow Crash is Neal Stephenson's third novel, published in 1992. Like many of Stephenson's other novels it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics, and philosophy....
by Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson
Neal Town Stephenson is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction.Difficult to categorize, his novels have been variously referred to as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and postcyberpunk...
. In Stephenson's world geographical borders are re-mapped into mobile
Mobile computing
Mobile computing is a form of human–computer interaction by which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage. Mobile computing has three aspects: mobile communication, mobile hardware, and mobile software...
, modular elements.