Growing Grass from Carpets

Austrian artist Martin Roth brings Persian rugs to life with the cultivation of grass, working with a sensual ephemerality and pointing to the Western countries’ yearning to impose their culture on other populations, in an attempt to ‘improve’ them.

From May to June 2012, Roth grew several different species of grass on a collection of valuable rugs in a castle in Austria. Drawing on the representations of botanical life, the artists created a garden, whose limited lifespan is matched by its inherently experiential quality. His living installation is currently presented as part of the exhibition ‘Riptide’ at the Korean Cultural Centre UK in London, where visitors can get a glimpse of the ephemeral nature of the work.

As Roth explained, his aim is to explore the "poetics in everyday life". His growing carpet is just one of his artificially constructed installation works. In 2012 he flooded an entire gallery and in 2010 he released 50 crickets inside an industrial building to alter the soundscape of the building.

Source: The Creators Project