# Artist-Designed Human Rights Flags Ai Weiwei's Footprint Flag is Created to Raise Awareness By Kalin Ned | Published 2018-12-10 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/human-rights-flag References: [dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2018/12/10/ai-weiwei-flag-human-rights/) & [flytheflag.org.uk](http://flytheflag.org.uk/) An artist and an activist, Ai Weiwei designed a human rights flag to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Minimalist in appearance — a dotted silhouette of a footprint on a blue background, the symbol is inspired by the artist's "time [...] visiting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh." Customary for every piece of good [activist art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pocket-protests), the human rights flag symbolism goes beyond its appearance. For Weiwei, the footprint inherently signifies "[displaced people](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/behind-the-journey)." In preparing for the launch of his work, the Chinese artist took 100 muddy footprints of people in various locations. The markings were instilled in the design of the flag afterward. The intent of the human rights flag is to "offer hope in times of turbulence" and it was commissioned for a 'Fly The Flag' campaign. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.6/10 - Popularity: 18% | Activity: 21% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Political](https://www.trendhunter.com/political) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Artist-designed Human Rights Flags:** Creating meaningful symbols and designs to raise awareness for human rights issues through art. - **Minimalist Activist Art:** Utilizing simple and powerful imagery to convey messages of social and political activism. - **Art as a Tool for Advocacy:** Using artistic expression to spark conversation and support causes related to human rights. ### Where This Applies - **Activism:** Exploring innovative ways to create visual representations that promote social change and activism. - **Art and Design:** Leveraging artistic mediums as a means of communicating important social and political messages. - **Nonprofit and Advocacy Organizations:** Utilizing art to engage and educate audiences about human rights issues and encourage action and support. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Refugee-Informed Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-life-jackets-installation.md) - [Cage-Inspired Arch Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-weiweis-work.md) - [Home-Defining Artistic Flags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/everything-is-temporary.md) - [Pride Month T-Shirt Lines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amnesty-international-canada.md) - [Immigration System-Inspired Artworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/passport-series.md) - [Reimagined Inclusive Community Flags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pantone-1.md) - [Artful Activism Shows](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snowflake-exhibition.md) - [Empowering Watermark Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-rights.md) - [Travel-Inspired Canvas Paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-passport-series.md)