By Saul Garpe
Every year, the magazine México Desconocido organizes the «Best of Mexico» (anywhere in the world) contest where readers choose the winners. This year, the Uriangato Flower Carpet in Belgium earned this distinction which was awarded in the Tianguis Turístico 2023.
The masterpiece was made in the Central Square of Brussels in 2022 by the artists Roo Aguilar Aguado and Koen Vondenbusch. It measured a total of 1,680 square meters and was a reinterpretation of the first carpet made in 1971 in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel, Patron Saint of Brussels and Uriangato. Both designers renewed the graphics to give a contemporary look where coherence and respect for proportions were essential. More than 280 hours were invested reconstructing the design of the tapestry and contributing their particular style.
The design was created with flowers and colored sawdust and was based on “Arabesques.” These are elegant ornamental designs and were used by the Belgian Etienne Stautemas who designed the first rug in 1971. Now, after 50 years, the same design has been embodied as a tribute in The Flower Carpet. This is an event recognized worldwide as the highest expression of ephemeral art in the world of carpeting.
On January 23, 2020, the State Government of Guanajuato issued a government decree which declared the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the State of Guanajuato to the rugs and carpets of Uriangato. It also recognizes the festival of La Octava de San Miguel, a religious procession in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel.
