Santiago Sierra's Black Flag project critiques nationalism through polar expeditions

Spanish artist Santiago Sierra installed black flags at the North and South Poles in 2015, challenging national sovereignty symbols. The North Pole flag was raised on April 13–14, 2015, while the South Pole flag was placed on December 14, 2015, coinciding with the anniversary of Roald Amundsen's 1911 arrival. This logistically demanding project, titled Black Flag (Part 1 and Part 2), required collaboration with international scientists. Sierra's use of the anarchist black flag negates national interests, mirroring how flags and currencies reinforce state power. The artwork highlights the arbitrary nature of nation-states, drawing parallels between artmaking and nation-building processes. It references the Antarctic Treaty, signed by 12 nations in 1959 and effective from 1961, which now has 53 signatories and promotes peaceful scientific cooperation. The project emerged amid rising European nationalism and Britain's EU referendum debates, exploring how political and artistic declarations depend on public acquiescence and institutional support. ArtReview published this analysis in its April 2016 issue.