Giovanni Abath – History in Motion

July 2nd is Flag Day in Curaçao. The ceremonies begin on July 1st, at the end of the day, when, following protocol, the national flag at the Brionplein is taken down, folded, and brought to Fort Amsterdam. On July 2nd, the flag is ceremonially brought back and raised, according to protocol.

His Majesty King Willem Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima attended the ceremony on the 2nd of July 2018. This year, it was Curaçao’s 34th consecutive celebration of Flag Day.

The government approached local starting artist Giovanni Abath to create a ‘crown’ for the flag, which would be part of the July 1st and 2nd ceremonies. Although Giovanni Abath is an upcoming artist, he was aware of the prestigious task that befell him. The work is titled ‘History in motion’.

Giovanni Abath created a relatively simple structure consisting of 8 parts, surrounding the flag pole at the base as a protection. Each part carries a ‘shield’ referencing the island’s history, which are the actual art pieces. During the ceremony on July 1st, the artist and his wife placed the ‘shields’ on the ‘crown-structure’.

Posted by Josée Thissen-Rojer. When reproducing the text above, please credit the source: Curaçao Art®️ www.curacao-art.com. The artist retains all image rights of their artworks.