sand carpets

‘sand carpets’ by muurbloem image © designboom

2011 marks the sixth edition of istanbul design week (IDW) whose main venue is situated at the historic old galata bridge in turkey’s largest city. the event brings together local as well as international talent through a series of exhibitions and conferences.

one of the projects on show at IDW is ‘sand carpets’ by the dutch studio muurbloem (gonette smits + astrid stoltenborg). a 2010 winner of the dutch design awards, the spatial design utilizes one of the first materials people used to create images – sand. to execute the patterns, a PVC tube is perforated and filled with the granular substance. to facilitate the work, the roller is fitted with a handle. these whimsical floor coverings do not last long however, a day at most in public spaces, but their ephemeral character lends a particular aesthetic quality. it is probably one of the simplest ways imaginable to formally decorate just about any place imaginable.

up close image © designboom

detail of pattern image © designboom

image © designboom

materials image © designboom