National Identity

I have written about the national visual identity on my old blog before. It’s an issue that really interests me. After all I dedicated my final degree show to it. Following the declaration of independence, the Kosova government announced the flag they had picked from over two thousand proposals submitted. Judging by the enormous number of submissions, i thought something good would come up. Unfortunately, what they had come up with was kind of an embarrassment. I am very disappointed.

From over two thousand submissions they picked this flag? Did the other two thousand plus really suck? I imagine there were so many bad submissions, but c’mon I doubt every single one sucked so bad. I am sure there was one, at least one that was a little better than this one they chose.

 The map of Kosova, six stars representing six ethnic communities living in Kosova, european union color palette? reminiscent of the Bosnian flag?…Who are we trying to be? Whose ass are we kissing? I can’t relate to it. Are the stars the best icons to represent these six communities? Do these six communities not have any history that we have to borrow history from the european union in order to create our own identity?

(below the flag of ex Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, current flag of Kosova, communist Albania flag, current Albania flag)

This was such a great opportunity for Kosova to come up with something great. The Kosova government ignored that opportunity. What a shame.