The Green Rug
In ‘The Green Rug’ I use the power of colours and decoration to draw the viewers’ attention to a subject that is close to my heart. As a child I grew up in Angola and Guinea-Bissau, two of Portugal’s former colonies. This was a time when landmines were being developed and sent to Africa by capitalist and communist countries. What they inflicted is still a reality in those countries. The landmine industry is still vibrant and can also be purchased in plastic form at some toy stores in the Netherlands. A curious item, made in Asia and sold in the west for children to play with.
In 2012 I decided to combine this bizarre object with the typical Portuguese tiles, but instead of hanging them on the wall, I made a floor installation like a green field … an opportunity to bring up unpleasant topics.