Carpet invadersJanek Simon, 2002
I stumbled across this piece of art when i was on facebook and an old school friend of mine asked me to join the group "Gasworks" on Facebook. ("Gasworks is a contemporary arts organisation based in South London housing 12 artists' studios and presenting a programme of exhibitions, artists residencies, educational projects and international fellowships") I saw it and thought that is was effing cool. I loved how the tradition a rug pattern grew into the spaceships, and that through looking sideways a traditional household item is transformed. It's a frame for a carpetty screen, rather then a decorative rug..
Anyway the point is that I thought I would have a look at what else this artist had done- and came across this photo..
And it tuns out, it is actually a computer game that is projected onto the floor.
This installation is meant to promote reflective thinking. It is not after all a rug, it is a Eastern prayer rug and using a gamepad, the beholder can fight against the rug by attacking parts of its design. This is, after all, a new battle against a rug whose design was once full of significances that have, in the meantime, been suppressed and degraded to the role of decoration. In a perverse way, the game restores life to this ornamentation by turning it into a hostile being that must be destroyed in combat.
Hmm.. now I'm in a little confusion. Did I like it better before when it was a just a clever use of the craft of rug making, and a nice play on the use of household items? I think i did. Its interesting making it into a game, but somehow makes it not art, or design, but media, and something, that because it doesn't strictly exist, will disappear and be forgotten. Will remain only in idea, and even that will fade. If it were a real rug then even if only one was ever made, and the buyer just kept it in storage at least it might be stumbled over in 5o years and enjoyed. As something that is made of light and electronics, it it were stored and stumbled over in 50 years technology may have changed and it would not work anymore. Infact you wouldn't even know what it was, or why. But then maybe that's the point. Maybe it will spend it's life in the 4th dimension, enjoyed in art academia. Or maybe the artist did make some rugs as well. that really would please me- and if i could afford to I would buy one- and play it in my head.
