STANDARD at Hayward Gallery, London , 2023

John Gerrard’s STANDARD (formerly Surrender (Flag) 2023) depicts a white flag – a symbol of surrender – formed from plumes of water vapour evaporating in a desert landscape. Though fragile and ephemeral, the flag stands as a cautiously optimistic signpost pointing towards a world less dependent on fossil fuels.

For Gerrard, the work ‘looks to the future, towards ideas of stoppage, parlay and submission to larger planetary realities’.

Presented in high resolution on a large outdoor LED screen, Surrender (Flag) 2023, is a continuous simulation made using real-time computer graphics software. The position of the sun, the shadows and even the stars in the night sky are accurate depictions of a real site near the Mojave Desert in Nevada, US.

John Gerrard: STANDARD is part of the exhibition Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis at Hayward Gallery (21 June – 3 September). The installation was realised with the generous support of the Hayward Commissioning Committee, with additional support from Pace Gallery, Catherine Walsh and Monica Monajem.

From September 29, STANDARD features in U2’s first live show in four years, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere in Las Vegas.

Commissioned by Catherine Walsh and presented by U2 in U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere