In "Roots of Resilience," sixteen artists were selected from a call for applications to design flags that tell stories of hope, strength, and community, honoring the journeys of those who made Philly their home. From textiles to digital art, these powerful flags will fly at Spruce Street Harbor Park from May 22, 2026, to September 7, 2026.
About the Flag:
This flag consists of a sentence: "The average distance a tear travels before it falls from the chin is 10cm (3.93700787 inches)" on a white background. The text refers to objective standardization and its connection to our subjective feelings. Larsen found many stories about how immigrants in Philadelphia had to switch from the imperial system to the metric system, often leading to misunderstandings in the workplace. He sees this switch as not only practical but also symbolic. This flag shows how standardization can be a form of assimilation, survival, and sometimes erasure of your past.
About the Artist:
Since childhood, Karsten Benjamin Ekhougen Larsen has been fascinated by the concept of distance and the "man-made laws of nature" (such as meters and kilometers) that we often mistake for objective reality. Through his work at the art academy in Bergen, he explores and challenges these standards, examining how those in power define the structures that govern our everyday lives. Shaped by an international upbringing in church communities across Europe and the US, he views his art as an open-minded extension of those early existential inquiries and a way to connect with others.
