Carpet of the Rock

Textile works fall into a tradition of illuminating socio-political issues. In the shadow of Viseu’s Stadium, this piece marks out a place where conflict becomes constructive. Shedding light on the almost comical clashes between peafowls and pigeons in Fontelo, the locally grown wooden Carpet is composed of two overlapping patches that mark out territories through pattern, colour and texture. A binding central rock acts as its neutral common ground. It invites birds to occupy it, or provides a place for people to linger and observe. Adapting to the form of the landscape and its features, it floats above the ground, maintaining and revealing existing ecosystems through openings in its structure. The piece emphasises the importance of heterogeneity within environments by creating unity through inclusive and pluralistic approaches.

Technical Details

Carpet of the Rock, 2020

Author: Jazmin Charalambous
200 x 400 x 40 cm
Wood (cork oak, chestnut, pinewood), oil paint, steel armature
Fontelo Woods / 40.6586220, -7.8992770

Author's Word

Jazmin Charalambous

Jazmin Charalambous (London, 1991) studied Architecture at Glasgow School of Art and obtained a master’s degree from TU Delft (2018), where her graduation thesis received the University’s honourable mention. She has been a guest tutor at Kingston University, London, and was awarded a grant from Design Management Netwerk NL in 2020. After working in architecture and design practices internationally, she set up her self-initiated practice focused on exploring the intersection between public space, theatre, and architecture. She crafts site-specific situations to provoke flashes of understanding between people, using a combination of analytical techniques and theatrical principles. She is currently based in Rotterdam and involved with projects across Europe.

Location

Fontelo Woods
Viseu, Portugal
40.6586220, -7.8992770