Join the Art Project!

Inspired by Knute at Every Kinda People, Conservative Swede conceived the idea of the Öland Modoggie Free Speech Flag, and asked for my help in executing it. As CS explains below, by doing this we become part of Lars Vilks’ grand art project.


This all came about because an angry Pakistani mob, thinking they were burning a Swedish flag, burned a green and yellow flag by mistake. Conservative Swede wrote to me about it the other day:

The green/yellow flag “meme” is already spreading somewhat. The green/yellow flag is a real Scandinavian flag, but for the tiny island Öland. Kurt Lundgren (a great Swedish blogger) is from Öland and made fun of how the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Öland now are worse than ever.

From a tiny grain of sand grows a great lustrous pearl, and so Conservative Swede presents…

Join the Art Project!

Lars Vilks’ Modoggies are an art project of his, and have been all along. Vilks is a modernist and sees the interaction with the audience as more important than the artwork as such. Thus he considers Ahmadinejad’s statement that “Zionists are behind such a dirty job” and Al Qaeda’s death threats as part of his artwork, as well as other reactions such as comments at his blog.

By putting this image on the sidebar of you blog, or as your avatar in a forum, or somewhere else on the web, you will also become part of Lars Vilks’ art project. By displaying the Modoggie flag you will not only support free speech, but actually exercise it!
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The flag this time is not the Swedish flag, because — considering the cowardly behavior of the Swedish Prime Minster, as well as some Swedish companies — it’s not clear that it’s Sweden that should be supported. But there is a transformative process going on in Sweden that definitely should be supported. And we do so with a flag that is close enough to the Swedish flag for making such a connection. Close enough for Islamic fanatics to burn such a flag in Pakistan, and this is also how this flag became part of Vilks’ work of art. The flag — that is in fact the flag of the Swedish island Öland — is already emerging as a symbol of freedom of art and a free press, as well as of Islamic stupidity. And it fits the idea of being part of movement for creative freedom.

Lars Vilks sees Ahmadinejad’s and Al Qaeda’s reactions as comedy. I suggest that we, by displaying this image, follow Vilks’ example of speaking softly while carrying a big cartoon.

A playful, comic approach on our side.

Rage and death threats on their side.

Illuminating contrasts, just as the big thing at the Brussels demo was the illuminating contrasts.

Now join this art project!

Put up the Modoggie flag and be part of Lars Vilks’ artwork yourself. Support and exercise free speech.

— Conservative Swede



For previous posts on Lars Vilks and the Roundabout Dogs, see the Modoggie Archives.