German Artists Claim Responsibility for the White Flags on the Brooklyn Bridge

Two artists say they made the flags themselves

• By Matt Holden
• Aug 13, 2014

Mischa Leinkauf and Matthias Wermke, two artists from Berlin, have come out to claim the flag stunt on top of the Brooklyn Bridge as their own. Although some fear that the act may have been a terrorist attack, the pair said in an interview that it was merely a celebration of “the beauty of public space.” Coincidentally the white flags, which include hand-stitched stars and stripes, appeared the same day that the German-born engineer of the bridge, John Roebling, died in 1869 (July 22).

The artists also submitted a video to the New York Times and pointed to other similar projects they have done, although they were admittedly taken back by the reception in the states.

The video is a short cell phone video taken from what looks to be the top of the bridge. In the distance you can see the Verizon building, and a quick pan up shows one of the white flags.

Leinkauf had the following to say in a statement, “This was not an anti-American statement. From our Berlin background, we were a little surprised that it got the reaction it did. We didn’t really intend to embarrass the police.”

The artists even went so far as to delve some details surrounding their process. They said the action took place between 3 and 5 a.m. on July 22, and they used the same climbing cables that workers and police use to get to the top. They also mentioned that they did not spot any security cameras during their trip up.