CITY CARPET
DECELERATE DAILY GRIND

Installation, Istanbul
2002

In the bazaars of Istanbul, large plastic bags play a significant role in the merchandise traffic as well as waste disposal. For me, the bags were a metaphor for the merchandise business and the pulsating life at the Bosporus. The rug used by Moslems for their prayers 5 times a day suggests a situation of contemplation within this vibrant life. I sewed together a large rug from these plastic bags and spread it out at various locations in the business areas of Istanbul, as long as officials did not ask me to stop. The guerrilla-like intervention temporarily irritated and decelerated pedestrian traffic.