Flag as a Medium: Ideogram, Identity, Art

This research aims to analyze the potential of the flag as a polymorphic medium of identity and artistic expression, capable of existing in network expression as an ideographic sign. The main objectives of the study include examining the political significance of flags, their role in expressing social and national identity, and analyzing the use of flags in various forms, such as virtual reality and artistic environments. The research utilizes case study analysis and draws on fundamental studies in the fields of culture and semiotics, such as Jean Baudrillard's simulacrum and James J. Gibson's theory of affordances. The findings of the study indicate that flags are important declarative media with political significance, playing a key role in expressing identity and belonging to social groups. Flags can be used to reinterpret symbols and express new or altered identities. The study highlights the polymorphism of flags—the ability to be a transitional medium existing in both material and virtual realities, retaining their symbolic power and adapting to the digital age. Physical interaction with material flags plays an important role in discourses of armed conflicts and in expressing artistic concepts, drawing attention to specific issues and stimulating public discussion. The conclusion of the study emphasizes that flags, as polymorphic declarative media, remain significant means of expression and communication in various contexts, both in material and virtual realities.