• City Gallery of Contemporary Art

PLATO

csen

Smog Flag

Get involved! Let's raise the flag when there is smog and point out the slow and insufficient solution to the climate crisis both at the national and city level.
From

Author of the flag:
Marius Konvoj

Curator:
Jakub Adamec

Support:
Zuzana Šrámková

PLATO raised its first smog flag in September 2019.

Since October 2021 we offer the flag to everyone interested.

 

PLATO raises smog flag when the level of pollutants in Ostrava air exceeds a certain limit (i.e. when the air quality index reaches level 3). You can join, too, either as an individual or an institution. The smog flag was made for Plato and others by artist Marius Konvoj.

For whom it is:
individuals, clubs, cafés, institutions, schools

How to get your flag:
Small format of this useful art work can be bought in PLATO FOR 321 Kč, or can be downloaded (link below) and printed.
Medium and large format available upon request only.

Flag dimensions:
small 0,2 × 0,3 m
medium 0,35 × 0,6 m
large (the format of state flag) 1 × 1,65 m

Material:
Flags are made of recycled material (with the approval of the artist Marge Monko we used her artwork Pure Weakness)

Smog Flag is a slightly activist project requesting a certain engagement from the participants.

 
Photo: Zuzana Šrámková, PLATO
 
 

How and when to raise the Smog Flag:

Handbook for individuals

  1. Every morning I check the quality of air in my village/town using the Smogalarm app at www.cistenebe.cz (click on Air Quality Index) or www.chmu.cz (click on Air Quality).
  2. When the quality of air is good to moderate (level 1A to 2B), I don’t raise the flag. When the quality of air is unhealthy to hazardous (level 3A or 3B) I raise the flag in a visible place (e.g., street window, flagpole). The flag should be raised all day even if the quality of air improves.
  3. The next morning I check the air quality at the website. If the Air Quality Index doesn’t improve, I keep the flag raised. If the Air Quality Index is back to good to moderate, I lower or remove the flag.

Handbook for partner institutions

  1. If you receive a text message from PLATO with an information about unhealthy quality of air (according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and its Air Quality Index), you raise the flag.
  2. The flag should remain raised all day even if the air quality improves during the day.
  3. If the Air Quality Index doesn’t improve the following day, you keep the flag raised. If the Air Quality Index is good to moderate, you lower the flag. In both cases, you will receive a text from PLATO.
  4. Please, text us to (+420) 702 206 099 which number PLATO should use to send the notifications to.

Smog is one of the many consequences of the short-sighted actions of our civilisation.

In 2019 PLATO initiated the first smog flag, which we raise since when the concentration of pollutants in Ostrava air exceeds the “normal” limit (i.e. when the air quality index reaches level 3). By this intervention we joined the Global Climate Strike. Together we wanted to point out that we demand politicians to act towards the fastest action possible preventing further worsening of the climate crisis. We view its solution on national and local (city) level as slow and insufficient. We support the declaration of Prague cultural institutions related to the climate emergency declaration in Prague.

Marius Konvoj (in proper name Pavel Pernický) is an artist, teacher and musician. Lately, he focuses on the project neoego act. He uses his Instagram profile of the same name to post once a week his distinctive graphics, thus voicing his opinion on present-day economic, ecological and other social issues and problems. Pavel Pernický co-creates the music platform I love 69 Popgejů. He works and lives in Ostrava.