Flagging the issue
There is something about flags that tends to get people riled up.
So it’s no surprise to learn that the process of choosing a new flag for U.S state of Minnesota – which is being officially adopted today - was not without controversy.
More than 2,600 designs were submitted as potential replacements for the old flag, which had long been considered problematic.
It was named one of the 10 worst flags in an online poll back in 2001, but its busy design was not the biggest issue.
The state seal in the centre of the flag – depicting a white farmer ploughing while a Native American rode away on horseback – was seen by many as celebrating the displacement of Minnesota’s First Nations.
The design competition for a new flag attracted some light-hearted entries, everything from the Minnesota state bird, the loon, with lasers for eyes, to an image of a mosquito.
The final choice was an abstract design based on an entry submitted by 24-year-old Andrew Prekker.
The new flag has a white eight-pointed star sitting on the left of the flag atop a dark blue field shaped like the outline of Minnesota.
On the right, a light blue field symbolises the abundant waters of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
It’s safe to say the flag is unlikely to be featured on any list of classic designs.
It doesn’t have the sass of Canada’s maple leaf flag (which flew for the first time in 1965) or Japan’s rising sun flag, which only became the country’s official emblem in 1999 after many years as the de facto flag.
(At the other end of the longevity spectrum, Austria’s red-white-red striped flag was used by the Babenberg dynasty all the way back in 1230 before being adopted by their successors, the Habsburgs, who ruled Austria for over 600 years.)
Its design may be uninspiring, but the new Minnesota flag has one big thing going for it: it’s not offensive to a big chunk of the population.
As Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, tweeted: “Dare I say anything that’s not a Native person being forced off their land is a flag upgrade?! Excited to have a new state flag that represents every Minnesotan.”
One more thing
More than a million people have already seen Amazônia, photographer Sebastião Salgado’s astonishing touring exhibition. The result of seven years’ work in the rainforest, Amazônia features 200 images and a jungle-inspired soundtrack by Jean-Michel Jarre. Currently on show in Trieste, Italy, the exhibition is also heading to Mexico City, Singapore and Barcelona this year.