City's unused flagpoles do double duty

Xin Cheng and designer Claire Cooper. Photo / Dean Purcell

Previously empty flagpoles around the CBD are being put to good use to display new artwork and show off Auckland's unique architecture.

The RM flag project is an exhibition of flags by artists, designers and collectives from New Zealand, Korea and Europe featuring work by Clara Chon, Metahaven and Daniel Webby.

Nine flags have been raised on the unused flagpoles of historic buildings throughout the central city from Queen St to Karangahape Rd.

Organiser Nick Spratt has been working on the project for about 18 months as RM Gallery was looking for more public displays. He noticed many of the flagpoles around Auckland were empty and took the opportunity.

"As we began to look around at those empty flagpoles, we were also realising most were attached to quite beautiful buildings that were quite significant to the history of Auckland," he said.

The project was taken from a model used in Hamilton and Christchurch in 2004, and Mr Spratt said it was important to let the building managers choose their own flags.

Claire Cooper is one of the artists involved in the project and her design, a black and yellow knot on a white background, was picked to fly from the Maritime Building on Quay St.

"It's nice it ended up downtown overlooking the shipping part of Auckland because it's quite at home there."

Ms Cooper usually works in drawing and graphic design and this was her first time creating a flag.

"Thinking about the nature of flags and the fact they are a symbol of unity I thought the image and symbol of a knot would be a nice way of talking about that," she said.

She said the project was a great way to notice the buildings that would otherwise be overlooked.

Mr Spratt said after being involved with the project he believed New Zealand did not need to restrict itself to one flag.

"It seems kind of crazy, we've got a lot of great flags. What's the importance of having one flag when we have quite a few flags that do great jobs for different things."

The flags will be on display until March 28. For more details contact RM Gallery, Karangahape Rd.


Flag project:

* BNZ Bank, 1966, Karangahape Rd

* Samoa House, 1978, Karangahape Rd

* Naval and Family Hotel, 1897, Karangahape Rd

* Vulcan Building, 1928, corner Vulcan Lane and Queen Street

* Guardian Trust Building, first world war, Queen St

* Old South British Building, 1929, Shortland St

* Barrington Building, 1905, Customs St East

* Maritime Building, late 1930s, Quay St

* Northern Steamship Company, 1898, Quay St