Flying the flag with the tricolores, herring salads and cuadrilongas of the world

Warning: this film features rapidly flashing images that can be distressing to photosensitive viewers.

This impressively researched work of digital art from the UK filmmaker Daniel McKee features more than 2,000 flags sourced from Wikipedia and meticulously arranged, yielding a vibrant exploration of the intersection between political symbolism and design. Featuring an eclectic mix of flags – modern and historical, familiar and obscure – the animation offers a brisk and sweeping overview of how states, individuals and institutions have represented themselves over time. Whether viewed in its dizzying entirety or clicked around at random, the video is a thoroughly enjoyable primer in vexillology.