Inaugurations are usually full of big crowds and much fanfare, but given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (and the Capitol riots earlier this month), President-elect Joe Biden is going for a more scaled-down inauguration.
But there will still be impactful and symbolic moments.
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One of the first glimpses of Biden’s inauguration was revealed Monday night, when thousands of U.S. state and territory flags were set across the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol with lights beaming on them.
*Sneak Peek!*
— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 19, 2021
Check out our art installation of nearly 200,000 state and territory flags accompanied by 56 pillars of light 🤩
We can’t wait for this to be showcased on #InaugurationDay! pic.twitter.com/CzohtSJSmA
The flags are being called the Field of Flags, and they represent people who cannot attend the inauguration because of the ongoing pandemic.
It’s a stunning art installation, and people on Twitter are already praising it for being super creative and incredibly moving.
On the National Mall, @BidenInaugural is currently lighting nearly 200,000 flags — one for each person who cannot attend the inauguration. There are 56 pillars of light for U.S. states and territories. pic.twitter.com/YqpDKPUoHt
— Benjy Renton (@bhrenton) January 18, 2021
Restoring the soul of the nation one flag at a time. #Inauguration2021 pic.twitter.com/vw10Glepps
— Jeff Syptak 😷😎 #MaskUpHou (@JeffSyptak) January 19, 2021
Nah man I’m crying. #NationalMall pic.twitter.com/SvVgM8qcOR
— Renee (@PettyLupone) January 19, 2021
This is ... stunning. pic.twitter.com/Eot76Updy8
— Marc Ambinder (@marcambinder) January 19, 2021
It will be interesting to see if the Biden inauguration will have any more symbolic gestures or art installations to acknowledge just how different this ceremony will be from previous years.
