Mona Hatoum’s rug for Sanctuary, Untitled (rug), is a material translation of an untitled paper cutout from 2009. Inspired by papel picado, Mexican “pecked paper” crafts, the work supplants the bright colors and traditional motifs—innocuous flowers, geometric designs—with drab armed soldiers, locked in opposing stances, surrounded by destructive explosions. Arranged in a circular pattern, the fragile paper figures call to mind the perpetuating cycles of conflict and war: with weapons raised, they are incapable of gaining understanding of the other or nurturing compromise, forever trapped in a doomed endeavor.
