Alex Head

Commissioned by Art Aspects, Germany, who run yearly workshops on Lanzarote, 'pausa' was initially made to correspond with an exhibition in the town of Haria marking the close of a month of workshops. Through working together with Art Aspects and the architect Bettina Bork the flag has now been sited at the Arte de Obra - a centre for architecture, design and science, also in Haria.

The exhibition, held directly outside the Mayor's office, took place in a converted water storage tank or Aljibe.

Currently installed at the Arte de Obra, a force for positive development across the island.

Press Release

Pause, Listen and Continue

A flag by Alex Head in collaboration

with Arte de Obra & Art Aspects

Flags represent a nation, a person or an idea. They speak with a universal language across cultures. To make a flag is to preserve an idea and a people however in a fluid and moving form. Here on Lanzarote where movement, wind and natural change are constant, we now have the opportunity to pause and reflect on where we are going. This is the central idea behind the flag ‘pausa’*

At this time we may pause and ask ‘how can we make a new cultural flag for Haria and for Lanzarote?’ ‘What do we know about rebirth and change right now?’ And finally, ‘how can we capture an image to go with this idea?’ Working with the people of Haria in the next few months we hope to design the first cultural flag with help of school children in Haria.

And so, with the wind in our sails we aim to reveal changes taking place on the volcanic island of Lanzarote.

* The yellow ribbon used to symbolize the financial emergency in Haria is also a strong formal inspiration for the ‘pausa’ flag.

Detenerse, Escuchar y Continuar

Una bandera

Por Alex Head, Artista de “Micro Communities”,

en colaboración con Arte de Obra & Art Aspects

Las banderas representan una nación, una persona o una idea. Poseen un lenguaje universal, engloban todas las culturas. Crear una bandera es querer conservar una idea y un pueblo, de una forma fluida y variable. Dado que el movimiento, el viento y el cambio natural se dan de forma constante en Lanzarote, he aquí una buena oportunidad para detenerse y reflexionar, para saber a donde vamos. Esta es la idea principal de la bandera denominada “Pausa” *

Es tal vez el momento de detenernos y preguntarnos “¿cómo elaborar una nueva bandera cultural para Haría y para Lanzarote?”, “¿qué sabemos acerca del resurgimiento y de los cambios actuales?”, “¿qué tipo de imagen podríamos captar y asociar a esta idea?”. Confiamos en poder diseñar la primera bandera cultural en el transcurso de los próximos meses, trabajando junto con los habitantes de Haría y contando con la ayuda de los alumnos de su colegio.

Así pues, con el viento soplando a nuestro favor, trataremos de revelar los cambios que se vayan produciendo en la volcánica isla de Lanzarote.

* El lazo amarillo, utilizado para simbolizar la urgencia económica que vive Haría, es de igual modo una inspiración de peso para la bandera “Pausa”.

The symbol denoting the current financial crisis in Haria seen here outside the Mayors office. The non-payment of government workers has been caused by corruption on the island.