Black Flag, Konstantin Grcic, 2023
Konstantin Grcic creates for Flos an extendable wall light that illuminates up to 3,5 meters from its frame. With Black Flag, a new type of lamp is born: wall mounted, but with a centerpiece function.
Black Flag, whose name is inspired by the pioneering and rebellious spirit of a famous punk rock band, is the latest result of Flos’ collaboration with German designer Konstantin Grcic: an extensible wall lamp, composed of one vertical and three horizontal bars, designed to take up minimum space when closed and provide maximum illumination when open. Minimal and light, with a marked functionality, Black Flag is a strong presence in a room, due to the geometries created by the three extensible bars that compose it. When these are closed, adhering to the vertical bar, Black Flag looks like a sculpture affixed to the wall, a minimalist composition reminiscent of Suprematist art, the current that aimed to express the artist’s poetics with a single brush stroke. It also recalls a flag, hence also the name.
The moment it is opened, the character of the lamp changes completely: the extendable arms, in fact, carry the light up to three meters and sixty centimeters from the frame, transforming what was a discreet presence into an illuminating centerpiece, functioning like a pendant.
Composed of a series of elements put together smoothly but through a sophisticated assembly, Black Flag generates a light that is typical of a pendant lamp while not being one. The result is a powerful and homogeneous illumination, designed to perfectly cover even a large work surface, or a wide living area and many other types of spaces. All the extendable elements that make up Black Flag feature a direct upward light, while the third horizontal bar emits both upward and downward light. This serves to balance the main light source and ensures maximum visual comfort. These features make the lamp an ideal tool for advanced workplaces that do not want to renounce distinctive aesthetics, or for any domestic environment in which functionality is as essential as disruptive design.
Black Flag is available in standard and PRO versions.
In the PRO version, the lamp features the most innovative control tools: on the wall bar, soft touch controls allow the light sources to be dimmed separately, downwards and upwards, and to modulate the color temperature of the light thanks to the Tunable White technology, to make it more or less warm according to requirements. This version, which is compatible with a circadian lighting system, can also be connected to a building automation system for lighting control with DALI and Bluetooth Casambi protocols.
The PRO version is also equipped with an Eco Mode function, a sensor that adjusts light intensity according to the surrounding environment to reduce consumption, extending the life of the lamp and maintaining a constant lighting value on the task plan.
«The Black Flag lamp embodies the rebellious spirit of its namesake while also serving as a functional and striking piece of design. Its unique ability to extend up to 3,5 meters from the wall brings light to the heart of any space, while its folded form resembles a sleek and powerful sculpture. It’s a statement piece that commands attention, yet remains humble in its purpose». Konstantin Grcic
Materials: aluminum, polycarbonate
Light Source:
Power LED, 2700K, CRI 90 (Black Flag)
Tunable white 2700-5000K, CRI 90 (Black Flag Pro)
Finishing: matte black
PHOTO: ©Oliver Helbig