craig & karl unveil celebrative sawdust carpet for showcase ITCH, guatemala city

artist duo craig & karl have completed a vast new installation on display in guatemala city. the enormous pixelated carpet is a modern take on the age-old custom of sawdust carpets, popular in mexico and central america. 

the giant carpet is on display in guatemala city
all images by juan rojas benavides

entitled ‘optimystic’, the piece was created for showcase ITCH, an annual festival showcasing the talents of local and international artists. traditionally created in honour of spiritual celebrations, sawdust carpets are made using coloured and uncoloured sawdust, and often include flowers, pine needles, fruit or ashes. in creating their own iteration, craig & karl sought to embody and build upon the carpets’ foundations of faith, spirituality and community celebration. the carpet is defined by a bright and jovial configuration of colours and shapes, images often offering themselves to the viewer only after a moment’s consideration; the central smiling face being the most noticeable. 

images and patterns offer themselves only a moment’s consideration — but the feeling of celebration is clear 

‘within our work, optimism is a fundamental tenet and ultimately what we endeavour to convey by message or example or both,’ explains the duo, ‘vis a vis, our carpet is quite simply an expression of faith in optimism. our creative act is inherently one of optimism; it imagines a better, richer, more enlightened world. and, with the world in increasing disarray, it seems a timely message — more than ever a sense of optimism is required’.

the exhibition runs until december 2nd 2016 at fox international channels, avenida las americas 16-76, guatemala.

traditionally created in honour of spiritual celebrations, sawdust carpets are made using coloured sawdust

the carpet is defined by a bright and jovial configuration of colours and shapes