Shuttlecocks, Pool Noodles, and Other Playful Materials Arranged into Three-Dimensional ‘Textiles’ by We Make Carpets

Shuttlecock Carpet for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017), all images via We Make Carpets

Dutch art trio We Make Carpets (previously) formed their first temporary tapestry in 2009 from collected pine cones and needles, which they appropriated titled Forest Carpet. For almost a decade since, the collective has been working with ordinary materials to create visually seductive “carpets” arranged on the floor or presented vertically on the wall. Last year they were asked to create six new works and five interactive installations for a solo exhibition at the inaugural National Gallery of Victoria Triennial in Melbourne titled Hands On. Carpets were formed from child-friendly materials such as pool noodles and velcro, which invited visitors to create their own patterns from the provided objects.

“While making art we rely on a hands-on approach—working with the materials that you have in your hands—trying and failing until finally something beautiful emerges,” We Make Carpets said in a statement about the exhibition. “We believe the images in your head are more important than the things already known. It is fantasy that creates, not facts. We hope our arrangements of objects offer new perspectives on modern life.”

Hands On just concluded a second run on September 9 at the National Gallery Singapore. You can take a look inside the making of the exhibition in a video by NGV Melbourne in the video below, and see a more extensive collection of their temporary carpets on their website and Instagram.

Shuttlecock Carpet (detail) for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Shuttlecock Carpet for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Pencil Carpet for Jerusalem Design Week (2017)

Pencil Carpet (detail) for Jerusalem Design Week (2017)

Tube Carpet 2 made for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Tube Carpet made for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Tube Carpet 2 (detail) made for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Peg Carpet 2 made for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Peg Carpet 2 (detail) made for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Velcro Carpet made for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Velcro Carpet (detail) made for the exhibition Hands On at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia (2017)

Paperclip Carpet 2 (detail) made for the exhibition Bend and Stretch at Diagonale, Montreal, Canada (2016)

Paperclip Carpet 2 made for the exhibition Bend and Stretch at Diagonale, Montreal, Canada (2016)