20 Queer Flags

Installation, 2022

20 Queer Flags investigates how AI perceives, synthesises, and visualises queer identities. Developed in 2022 during the public release of DALL-E 2, the foundational designs were born from a single prompt: “A flag representing all queer people”. These algorithmic interpretations were converted from their original square raster format into vector graphics, trimmed to mirror traditional flag proportions, and transformed into tangible glowing light boxes. Resting directly on the gallery floor in a completely dark room, their spatial arrangement is dictated entirely by an AI, ceding human curatorial control to the machine. This stark contrast between the illuminated beacons and the dark space serves as a layered metaphor for both the historical marginalisation of queer communities and the opaque nature of algorithmic biases. Ultimately, the installation questions whether machine learning models can truly capture the nuance of a vast, fluid community, or if they merely reflect collective assumptions packaged in bright, synthetic colours.